Lonely Souls
by Pyeknu
Summary: An Urusei Yatsura-Ranma-Sister Princess X-over. What might have happened if Ataru was NOT bonded to Lum...but to someone else? And what might have happened if Negako Moroboshi gained her life earlier than expected? Need we mention twelve half-sisters?
1. Prologue A: Light Before The Dark

The sorceress sat in her high-backed velvet chair, absently passing a cleaning rag over her crystal ball. Before her stood a table, five tarot cards face down on the surface. Around her was a square of lit white candles. Barely visible in the darkness directly ahead of the sorceress, beyond the candles, was a doorway that connected Hirosaki Chikage to the mundane world beyond.

Hirosaki?

"Is that who I am?" she whispered, gazing at the opaque ball on her lap. "Is that . . .?" She dramatically paused. "Who I really am?"

The ball glowed softly before the light melted into an image. A facial shot of a teenage man nearly a year older than her. Chikage blinked as she took in his measure. He seemed a typical city fellow, yet there was . . . an untamed WILDNESS within him. Best noticed in his eyes, she mused, relaxing herself. Yes, to most normal people, this fellow would probably seem plain. Dull, actually. But Chikage was certainly NOT a normal person. Not by far.

"Are you him?" she whispered.

She stared at the cards before her. A hand touched the far right card. It was flipped. The Emperor, the card that normally symbolized the imposition of structured order on chaos. "Family," Chikage whispered before staring once more at the image in her ball. "Yes," she breathed out, closing her eyes as her hand gently caressed the ball. "You are he, aren't you?" The barest hint of a smile tugged her mouth as she committed the image to memory.

"Ani-kun."

Suddenly, the image changed. Chikage watched as it morphed into that of another person, this time of a young woman possessing profound grace and beauty. Yet, like Ani-kun – in fact, even _more_ so than Ani-kun – this one also contained within her heart a cauldron of wild fury. Who was she?

Someone who might take Ani-kun away?

Her hand fell on the second card of the suite. The Temperance card, ward against excessive hope. Chikage blinked. "So it is not meant to be. Not this round," the sorceress mused before she smiled. "But you will not take Ani-kun away from us, will you? For you need us just as much as Ani-kun will need us, won't you?" She closed her eyes as images, visions, flooded her mind.

"Ane-kun."

* * *

**_Lonely Souls_**  
by Fred Herriot

Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.

Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

* * *

**_WRITER'S INTRODUCTION:_**_ This story – which is something I've been working with over the last decade, since right before 9/11 – is set immediately after the end of both the _Yatsura_ and _Ranma_ manga series. It also includes the set universe in _The Senior Year_ (not including the changes to certain races as depicted in the _Phoenix From the Ashes_ universe). In the _Sister Princess_ anime timeline, this is just before the start of the series, though what was depicted there really wouldn't factor directly into this series. Note that all Romanisation systems used in _PFTA_ (Hepburn for Japanese, McCune-Reischauer for Korean and Hàny__ǔ__-Pīnyīn for Mandarin) will be used here. Oriental "family name-first" name order will also apply in this series._

_In the 2011 update to the story, writer's notes will be contained at the end of every chapter._

* * *

**THE PROLOGUE, "A" SIDE – LIGHT BEFORE THE DARK**

"Baka Kā-san! How could she ask Lum to cook tonight's meal?"

An annoyed Moroboshi Ataru stormed down the street toward the one place in Tomobiki he could call a refuge from the madness which had haunted him for so long: Tampopo's Rāmen and Beefbowl Bar in the town's restaurant district. And yes, this night, several days into winter vacation, he needed that refuge.

Not that he would always seek that, he mused. Truth be told, if he had the chance to sit down and talk it over with Lum, he could show her the error of her ways. After all, he had many catastrophic encounters with Oni cooking (one time, he got turned into twins; another, a pseudo-werewolf) to show Lum that what might be good for an Oni's palate wouldn't be so good for a Terran's.

But, no!

Not this time.

When he got back from the library, Lum was busy cooking . . . well, Ataru didn't know how to describe the pile of SOMETHING in the pot. Before he could wonder what was happening, his mother came downstairs, announcing that she and her husband were going out for the evening. So, because it was some important Oni holiday – which one it actually might be, Ataru didn't hear – it only seemed right to have Lum cook dinner. Before Ataru could protest, his parents stepped out, his mother parting with a warning: "DON'T run off to Tampopo's like you always do, Ataru!" Then she added, as if in spite, "I told Lum-chan and Ten-chan to make sure you stay put. Honestly, I wish I never had you!"

Remembering that, Ataru grimaced as he turns down the street that led right to Tampopo's front door. His mother's warning didn't matter in the long term; Ataru had developed many ways of getting clear of Lum and Ten when he wanted to be left alone. The many times – WAY too many! – Moroboshi Kinshō had said THAT to her own son flowed back through his mind's eyes. _Baka ahō Kā-san!_ Did she honestly think that he was just going to TAKE all that crap from her for the rest of his life? Did she honestly believe he wasn't hurt EVERY time she said that, acted as if he didn't matter? Stupid, selfish bi- . . .!

Ataru sighed, his pace slowing. Damn, he really shouldn't think things like THAT, should he? Yeah, his mother was a jerk and idiot. But still . . .!

And his father? Ataru snorted. What did that fool ever really do? Hide behind his paper and desperately try to ignore it all. Or, when Kinshō finally cornered him to say something, Muchi would go spout some nonsense.

Of all the things that Fate could've dropped on Ataru's head, did she have to drop the worst parents in Creation Itself on him?

That ALMOST made a marriage to Lum worth it, Ataru sighed as he turned off the street and approached Tampopo's door. Once he and the Oni were bonded, he could persuade her to take him from this dump, leaving the idiots at school – and ESPECIALLY his parents – behind once and for all. Let's see how the jerks here liked life WITHOUT their favourite alien princess around to fawn over!

_Yeah, it'd be almost worth it_, Ataru mused with a smirk as he opened the door and stepped into Tampopo's. "Konban wa, Tampopo-chan!" he called out.

"Irasshaimase! Konban wa, Ataru-chan!" Kamekichi Tampopo looked up from her stove behind the counter. Then, quickly noting the depressed mood on her favourite customer's face, she frowned. "Oh, what happened now?"

Ataru sat by the counter. "Kā-san's being her usual bakayarō self and left making dinner tonight to Lum. Usual, please."

"Sure thing." The stocky cook got to work making a beefbowl with shrimp and marinated beef. "Didn't you get a chance to talk Lum out of cooking dinner or did Kinshō sweet-talk her into ignoring anything you said?"

"The latter," he answered with an uncaring snort. "By the time I got back from the library, Kā-san and Tō-san were about to go out on the town and Lum was making . . . " A shudder raced through him as he remembered the scene in the kitchen. "Well, making something. What, I've no idea whatsoever!" He gave her a grimace. "And personally, I really don't WANT to know what it is."

Tampopo shook her head. "Stupid girl! When's it going to sink into her skull you're not an Oni? When you die from food poisoning? When your heart's destroyed or you're crippled? She should know better than that by now!"

Ataru nodded. "Yeah, I know, I know. Still, just before I came in, I was thinking of one GOOD benefit of marrying Lum."

She gazed curiously at him, an eyebrow arching. "What's that?"

"That when we're married, we can move to her home planet and leave Baka Kā-san and Baka Tō-san behind once and for all. It shouldn't be too hard to make Lum's parents ignore what they promised those two when we had to deal with Elle."

Tampopo laughed. "It'd serve those two idiots right!" She wagged a knowing finger his way before turning back to the stove.

Ataru sighed, and then he stood up. "Be right back."

"Okay."

He headed to the washrooms. Tampopo watched him go, a sigh escaping her. "They'd be better off without all the idiots flying out of the woodwork at them all the time," she muttered to herself, and then she blinked as the front door opens, heralded by a wind chime over the doorway ringing. "Irasshaimase!" She looked at the door before sighing. "What are you doing here, Jariten?"

Floating by the door, Ten ducked the annoyed stare Tampopo sent his way. He himself had been through enough encounters with the cook to know that he'd get away with NOTHING here. Besides, being hit by that huge spatula Tampopo used when she made her Super-duper Special okonomiyaki HURT! "Um . . . " he began, trying to not appear threatening. "I'm s-sorry ta come in here, T-t-Tampopo-o-o-onē-chan, b-but Lum-chan was wondering where that a- . . . " He caught himself before Tampopo winged him with a throwing spatula; the cook HATED it when people called Ataru "stupid" or things like that in her presence. "Um, ah, wh-where Ataru is." He chuckled. "I mean, dinner's ready."

A knowing hum escaped the cook. "You of course mean dinner for yourself and Lum, NOT Ataru-chan, right?" she wondered.

Ten blinked before stammering, "W-well, you see . . .!"

Tampopo turned the heat on her stove down, and then she walked over. Ten tried not to flee as she approached him; he knew that, despite her girth, the cook could move like LIGHTNING when she really wanted to. "Jariten, I'm going to tell you something. And you will listen and when I am done, you will go home and tell Lum the same thing, okay?" At his nod, she sighed. "Ataru-chan cares for Lum very much. If they didn't have to deal with nosy busybodies like you all the time, they'd probably be formally engaged if not married by now. But as long as people like you and all the fools at school – and ESPECIALLY Ataru-chan's parents – keep presuming you all have the right to stick your noses where they don't belong, they'll never get there. I'm sure that will make Lum VERY unhappy. Won't it?" She stared knowingly at Ten.

"Um . . . " He shuddered before nodding. "Um, yeah! I guess so."

"Alright, then." Tampopo smiled, and then she jolted on feeling a hand on her shoulder. She turned, blinking. "Ataru-chan?"

"It's alright, Tampopo-chan." Ataru smiled before he stared at Ten. "Yo, Jariten! Why don't you get Lum to get some plates of . . . " He paused, trying not to look repulsed. "Er, what was that she was cooking, anyway?"

The Oni blinked several times, and then he chuckled. "Oh, it's . . . "

"It's okay, Ten-chan."

The voice caused everyone to turn towards the open doorway, where Lum stood, an ashamed look on her face. Ataru blinked. "Lum."

"Gomen, Darling." She walked in, keeping her hands to herself. She had gone through her own troubles with Tampopo every time she tried to drag Ataru away from this place, especially when she tried to make something "special" for him. Those incidents had decreased since some time before the Second Tag Race, but Lum wasn't going to assume all was well between herself and her Darling's friend. "I should've realised that you'd be really scared of my cooking."

"I . . . " Ataru chuckled. "It's okay." He stared at Tampopo before turning back to his would-be "wife." "Did you bring . . .?"

Lum shook her head. "No. As soon as I realised that you'd come here, I threw it out. Besides, it tasted a little too flat."

Gazing at her, Ataru wondered if Lum wasn't making that up. Then again, did it really matter? "Hey, it's okay," he declared, reaching over to squeeze her shoulder before waving her in. "Let's have something to eat. I assume what Kā-san said about this bein' some big holiday on your planet's true, right?"

Lum nodded. "Un . . . "

* * *

Chikage stared at the suite before her.

She then picked up the first card.

The Three of Cups.

"A reunion?"

She then turned the next card in the suite.

The Emperor.

A glance to the crystal ball.

"Ane-kun!"

* * *

"Liberation Day?"

"Hai." Lum then bit into a fork-full of kimch'i tchigae, a fried version of Korea's most well known food dish. The Oni (both, in fact; Ten was working on his second plate!) appreciated Tampopo's willingness to give them something spicy. "It's the anniversary of our liberation from a race known as the Seifukusu. It happened about . . .!" She paused to do a quick calculation before a sad smile crossed her face. "Oh, nine hundred years ago as you tell time. It's the most important holiday on our calendar."

"Bad?" Ataru asked before sipping his water. He didn't mind having kimch'i – for one born in Japan, listing Korean dishes such as komt'ang, sŏllŏngt'ang, kalbit'ang and samgyet'ang as some of his favourite was peculiar – but he couldn't eat it every day. "These . . . Seifukusu?"

Lum shuddered. "They were monsters. Still are, in fact. That's part of the reason we had to come to Earth, Darling."

"So in other words, if they'd shown up at the same time as you people did, we'd have had a choice between 'bad' and 'worse,' right?" He nibbled some rice before wincing on seeing a hurt look move across her face. "Oh, damn! I'm . . . "

He slapped his forehead. Lum wanly smiled. "It's alright." She bowed her eyes. "I suppose you have a right to think that, especially now."

Ataru gazed at her. "Lum?" Getting no response, he smiled. "I see." He then hoisted his glass of water. "Well, Happy Liberation Day. Kampai!"

He toasted her. Lum stared at him, and then she beamed. "Hai! Kampai!"

"Kampai!" Ten echoed them, lifting his glass.

They touched glasses, and then drank. "Well, this is a lot better," Tampopo mused as she moved to clean the table behind where Ataru was seated. "See what showing a little restraint can do, Lum?"

"Tampopo-san . . . "

The front door opened. "Irasshaimase!" Tampopo automatically called out as she looked at the doorway. A girl Ataru's age stepped in and headed to the counter. The newcomer was dressed in a hooded tracksuit with running pants, the hood drawn over her head to ensure people didn't get a clear look at her face. Watching Ataru, Lum and Ten converse, the cook placed herself in front of the newcomer. "What would you like?" she asked in a quieter tone of voice.

"Essiac tea," the brown-haired, brown-eyed girl replied. She then glanced briefly at Ataru out of the corner of her eye.

Tampopo got to work, lowering her voice to a bare whisper; the newcomer would still hear her. "So you decided to come back now."

"There is no choice," the newcomer replied as the chef prepared the tea. "Matters abroad are turning against the Oni. Within a day, the United Nations will learn of a war between Lum's people and one of their more passionate enemies. The people in the United Nations are now looking for any excuse to see Lum permanently sent home. This conflict will give them that excuse; after all, they would desire to ensure such a conflict will not affect anyone here."

Tampopo blinked. "It's that bad?"

The newcomer nodded. "It is that bad. It would be best to resolve matters now. I will intercept Ataru when he goes to the washroom."

Tampopo finished with the tea, and then she set the cup before the newcomer. "It might've been better if you came earlier, Negako-san."

The newcomer took that in before she shook her head. "Too many things were still unknown to me when the Onis first came to Earth." She sighed, and then took a sip before adding, "Plus, there was the matter with Nagaiwakai."

"Have people figured that out yet?"

"I have. Then again, is it truly relevant in the end?"

"True." Tampopo nodded, and then she walked into her kitchen. She came out a moment later with a greenish-red pepper. "Lum, how'd you like to try this?" She handed it to the Oni. "It's a Jalapeño pepper from Mexico."

Lum took the pepper in hand, and then she bit. She jerked as the hot spices danced around her mouth before she swallowed it. "That's good!" she replied with a smile before she handed it to Ten. "Try it."

The younger Oni took a bite. "Wow, this IS good!" He whistled as he gazed on their host. "Where'd you get this, Tampopo-onēchan?"

The cook chuckled. "There's an international food market down in Shinjuku I raid every once in a while. I'll give you the address if you want. Here, Ataru-chan, give it a try." She handed another one to Ataru.

Ataru picked it up to take a tentative bite. He jerked as his mouth nearly exploded from the avalanche of hot spices, and then he gulped down some water. "Whoo!" he breathed out. "Man, how can the Mexicans eat this stuff?"

"It's just as tasty as kimch'i, Darling," Lum noted.

Ataru took several deep breaths to cool his mouth down. "Well, not all of us are blessed with a high tolerance for spices, Lum," he stated with a dry chuckle, and then he stood. "Be right back. I gotta raid the water cooler."

He headed back. Not noticed by Lum or Ten, the newcomer stood to head back herself. "Oh, dear!" Lum sighed as she reached over to nibble on the pepper Tampopo gave Ataru. "If Darling has a problem liking something like this, he definitely couldn't enjoy a Liberation Day festival back home."

Tampopo smiled. "Give him time, Lum. That's how a proper relationship develops. It requires time and patience . . . "

An inhuman scream echoed from the direction of the washrooms. "DARLING!" Lum cried out as she leapt up to fly back and look in on Ataru.

Tampopo's eyebrow twitched with annoyance as she turned to look herself. "Which I think Negako-san still needs to learn," she added in a mutter.

Tampopo and Ten watched as the stranger – her hood drawn away from her head – carried a dazed Ataru from the washrooms. Lum trailed her as the stranger placed him in his chair. She touched several places on his head and the back of his neck. Getting a closer look at her, Ten was instantly struck by the resemblance to Ataru, especially when it came to hair and eye colour.

As if she was . . .!

"Is he alright?" Tampopo wondered.

"What was done five years ago is easily undone," Negako reported. "When he recovers, he will be in shock as his memories return to his conscious mind."

Lum blinked. "'Memories?' What's going on here?" A surge of fear and confused worry crawled up her spine. "Who are you, anyway?"

Negako stared at her, causing the older Oni to stop and gape as her facial features become clearer to the latter. "Lum! Let her work," Tampopo called out. "Ataru-chan needs help first. Explanations can come later."

Lum gazed on the chef before grudgingly nodding.

* * *

"An ill air."

Standing in the empty lot he currently used as his campsite, Cherry's eyes were narrow as a hollow wind warped past. He then turned to his saucepan. Drawing out ingredients, he allowed them to go into the pan before waiting for an image to emerge. When it did, his eyebrows arched.

"'Memory?'" the aged Buddhist monk read before he turned to gaze heavenward. "What can that mean . . .?"

* * *

"Something has awoken."

Sakurambō Sakura stared at her crystal ball, a present from her fiancé, Ozuno Tsubame. Within it flashed an image of Ataru, turning from a crowd shrouded in darkness. The Shintō shrine miko/nurse gazed closely at the image of the crowd, quickly picking out certain details. "Something awakening in Moroboshi which will prompt him to leave Tomobiki?"

She gazed towards the ceiling. "What does this mean . . .?"

* * *

"Darling, are you alright?"

Ataru moaned, a cacophony of sound, images and feelings hazing out Lum's plea. "Leave him be, Lum," a strange woman said. "He needs time to adjust."

That voice.

Why was it so familiar?

Who . . .?

Was it . . .?

"Who are you, anyway?" Ten then asked.

"Jariten!" Tampopo scolded.

The stranger then: "Patience, Jariten. All will be made clear soon."

Her?

The one who was once inside me?

The one I let free.

"Onē-san . . .?"

"Darling!"

Opening his eyes, he found himself gazing at the ceiling of Tampopo's restaurant. In the blink of an eye, a familiar face popped into view. He gazed at her before sighing. "Oh, Lum. It's you . . . " he rasped as his head rolled right . . . and then he found himself staring into HER eyes. Ataru blinked several times as he took in her looks, and then he sat up before reaching out to touch Negako's face. "Onē-san?" he whispered. "Is that you?"

Negako seemed to freeze. She then lightly smiled. "Yes, Ataru."

The others remained quiet as they watched this strange reunion. His gaze turned inward for several minutes as he recalled events five years before, when so much had been deliberately blanked out. He then stared at Negako. "She made you do this?" he wondered, an edge appearing in his voice. "Didn't she?"

Negako nodded. "She did. At the time, she convinced me that it would be safer for you that all knowledge of me – not to mention the abilities my being inside you bestowed you – was suppressed. She . . . " A pause, and then she closed her eyes. "She convinced me that allowing any ties between yourself and Nagaiwakai to remain intact would do you no good. At that time, I did not . . . " Another pause. "Comprehend the full extent of Kinshō's selfishness."

Lum blinked. "Darling's mother?"

"Yes." Negako gazed briefly on the Oni before she turned back to Ataru. "If I had truly understood then what I do now, Ataru, I would not have denied you your memories and knowledge when we were separated. For that, I am sorry."

Ataru cupped Negako's chin, a delighted smile crossing his face. "You mean that, don't you?" he wondered. "You really mean that?"

"I have said it," Negako replied, her lips curling slightly upward.

"Darling!" Lum growled. "If she said she's sorry, you can't . . .!"

Ataru waved the Oni down. "Lum, you don't understand!" An exasperated sigh then escaped him as he shook his head, his eyes turning heavenward. "Oh, damn! This'd be easier if things hadn't bit me in the ass five years ago."

"Among other places," Negako added.

Ataru jolted. He then stared at her before another delighted grin crossed his face. "Well, I'll be damned! You can tell a joke after all!"

Negako winked. "Much that I most often do not see the necessity of expressing emotions, Ataru, it does not mean that I cannot tell a joke."

That was true, he thought, though Negako's add-on to his comment was as dry as Sahara dust in mid-summer. "Yeah, you got that point, I guess," he mused with a chuckle. He then glanced at Lum, quickly noting the frustration etched into her face. "Oh, gomen! Gomen, Lum!" He caught himself before indicating Negako. "I guess you need to understand what's going on here with Onē-san."

"It would be appreciated, Darling," Lum dryly noted. "Your parents never said a single thing about you **having** a sister."

Sensing her sarcasm, he took a breath. "Well, it's like this . . . "

* * *

Minutes later, a geyser of electricity shot through the roof of Tampopo's Bar, echoed by Lum's cry of, "**_SHE DID WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?_**"

Seeing the lightning from the town park, Ataru's parents blinked before exchanging a look. "Good grief! What's that idiot son of ours done now?" Kinshō demanded, imagining the social fallout of yet ANOTHER of Lum's temper-tantrums as news of this latest incident spread across town.

If she only knew . . .

* * *

"**_YOU MEAN TO TELL ME SHE MADE NEGAKO-SAN BLANK OUT YOUR MEMORIES OF YOUR FAMILY JUST BECAUSE YOUR MOTHER HATED YOUR GRANDMOTHER?_**" Lum screeched.

"That's right." Ataru, unaffected by Lum's lightning – a decided change from all the other times the Oni had lost control of herself while she was close to him! – nodded. Negako was currently enjoying her tea. Tampopo and Ten busied themselves inspecting the damage in the ceiling. "Don't ask me why this happened between Obā-chan and _her_." His voice dripped with scorn as he added, "Try as I might, I couldn't make _her_ understand why I hated it."

"What could you expect, Ataru-chan?" Tampopo mused as she glanced over her shoulder. "After all, that's the way Kinshō's treated you all along."

Lum gazed at the cook, and then she turned to stare at Negako. "So Tampopo-san knew what happened all along. Did you tell her, Negako-san?"

"No need," Negako reported. "Tampopo possesses her own . . . 'mission curse,' if I may describe it as that. She is compelled to seek out children who have suffered either emotional abuse or abandonment from their parents or other immediate relatives, and then aid them into bettering their lives."

Lum blinked. "Her family, too?"

"No, Tampopo herself. She is much more than she seems, Lum."

Lum gazed at Tampopo before she shrugged. "I guess so."

"You're not bugged by that?" Ataru wondered with an arched eyebrow.

"Darling, on a trading station near Uru, there's a being – his name's Koruneko – who's believed to have lived for thirty thousand years," Lum said. "I've been bugged whenever Tampopo-san's moved to shield you from me or the others, but I've never ONCE been compelled to attack her like I went after Shinobu after we first met. I assume that's because of some empathic power . . . "

"Let me have my secrets, Negako-san," Tampopo warned.

"Your choice." Negako reached into her top to draw a folded document, holding it out for everyone to see. "The Court of Special Appeals has prepared this for your approval, Ataru. It concerns your legal status vis-à-vis Kinshō and Muchi. I have asked to become your guardian for the remaining time you are underage. The Court approved my petition four days ago. The necessary modifications to the Moroboshi family koseki have been done. All the concerned ministries are presently aware of what has happened. When you become twenty, you will then be acknowledged as the new Patriarch of the Moroboshi Clan."

She handed it to him. Ataru took it and opened it before he gazed nowhere in particular. "When did Grandma die, Onē-san?" he whispered.

"The eve of the sixth day of your first tag race with Lum."

Lum jolted, and then she bowed her head. "Darling, I'm so sorry."

Ataru smiled on feeling her hand grip his. "Dōmo, Lum." He squeezed her hand before he opened the document and began to read.

"You should realise, Lum, that if Ataru does allow me to become his legal guardian, your engagement to him will then have no legal standing in Japanese society regardless of how long you've lived with him and his family," Negako warned as she stared on the Oni. "I believe even your planet's laws state such an engagement cannot stand since they demand the heads of both _clans_ must have final say in a coupling between members of two different clans."

"Hai, that's true." Lum nodded, a twinge of worry flashing deep in her heart. She then shook her head, spitting out, "But if those idiots believed they could manipulate me into keeping Darling down just to get their hands on his grandmother's fortune, they're wrong! VERY wrong!" She looked to the ceiling. "I can only imagine what Daddy will think when he learns of this!"

Ten smirked. "He'll hit the roof!"

"And most likely, fly through it," Negako added.

Everyone stared at her. Ataru grinned. "You're getting there, Onē-san." He turned back to the document in his hand. After he finished reading it, he declared, "Well, this seems clear enough to me." He then noted a place where his signature had to be applied. "Tampopo-chan, can I get my hanko?"

"Alright."

Tampopo headed into the kitchen. Lum's eyes widened as she gazed on her would-be husband. "You keep your hanko here?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Yeah. After you came – and please, Lum, don't take this personally! – I felt I had to find a place where I could keep the very important stuff in case things went crazy. Besides . . . " He nodded towards Tampopo as she returned from the kitchen, a small case in hand. "Tampopo-chan is, believe it or not, a special 'notary public' with the Family Registrar of Japan." He then grinned. "It sure shocked the hell out of me when she told me that."

Tampopo sighed. "I felt becoming that was necessary just in case instances like this happen. Can I see that, please, Ataru-chan?"

"Hai." Ataru handed the document over. He then noticed the pained look on Lum's face. "Hey! What's with the rainy-day look, Lum?"

The Oni closed her eyes, feeling both of them sting with tears. "I guess I haven't done much to really earn your trust. Have I, Darling?"

"Hey!" Ataru reached over to cup her chin, tilting her head up so she could gaze into his eyes. "Now cut that out. Look at it this way, Lum: Would you WANT to continue living under a lie like this?"

"No! Of course not! But . . .!"

He playfully tapped her nose. "But nothing. Okay, a lot of illusions just got flushed down the toilet tonight. But it isn't the end of the world. It's a new beginning, Lum. For you AND me. What happens, now those idiots are out of the way, is between us to figure out. There's no dishonour in letting this fall apart. Not for me, not for you and not for your family." His eyebrow arched as he gave her a knowing look. "What's wrong with that?"

Lum considered that before nodding. "Hai, if you think so, Darling."

Hearing them, Negako remained silent, though her eyes were busy scanning the walls and ceiling of Tampopo's establishment.

Hmm. Freshly painted.

Some fools thought they were SO intelligent.

* * *

"Kaneda-san, is this possible?"

Kaneda Isamu, a special agent of the KCC – the agency within the Justice Ministry that normally dealt with intelligence and counter-intelligence matters in Japan – gravely nodded. "Yes, Gospodin Tuchenko, it IS possible. Indeed, if the Court of Special Appeals is involved in this, it is not JUST possible. It will happen just as Moroboshi-kun and Moroboshi-sensei foresee it."

The other intelligence officers seated in the secret monitor room, located two blocks from Tampopo's, nodded understandingly. Gazing at the others, Isamu felt a sense of amazement bubble up once more in his heart. Elsewhere in the world, these people's friends and co-workers were busy working to undermine each other in pursuit of their home governments' overall goals. But here, in the one place on Earth where uncontrolled contact between Terrans and other races was allowed, these people had been forced to become . . . well, if not true friends, at least working acquaintances. Intelligence they gathered on aliens was pooled here, and then distributed to their mission controllers in their countries.

Hearing the Japanese officer's reply, Grigory Alekseyevich Tuchenko, an agent of the Russian SVR – and the KGB when the Soviet Union was still a single nation – nodded. Beside him, Mark Reilly of the CIA snorted. "It's about fuckin' time, if you ask me. You know, every friggin' time that bitch said 'I wish I never had you' to that poor guy, I seriously dreamed of the day I'd take a gun and shoot her dead!" He shook his head in disgust. "How can any mother say **that** to their own kid, for cryin' out loud? Now hearin' that . . .!"

He waved to the computer linked to the various fibre-optic sensors that could potentially allow these people to eavesdrop on almost any conversation in Tomobiki. Seated nearby, Basel Wallis, a long-time agent of the British SIS, sipped his tea. "I dare say, my friend, justice is truly about to be served."

"Agreed." Ling Chai of China's GAB – and the only woman in this particular work group – nodded. She then turned to the Japanese agent. "How soon will this Special Appeals Court make this happen, Kaneda-san?"

"In all effect, Comrade Ling, it HAS happened." Isamu then smiled knowingly. "Strange to see a Japanese court of law move so quickly, eh?"

Laughter filled the room. René Falqués, an officer of France's DGSE, hoisted his coffee in a toast. "It is, mon ami, a delightful change."

Basel smirked. "Bloody right about that, René! So once the dear boy is finally free of those monsters who sired him, what then?"

"I suspect that when he becomes of age, he will likely publicly declare them rōnin and remove them from the Moroboshi Clan's family register," Isamu explained. "Even though it wouldn't technically make any real changes to their legal status – not like the old days – it would still have an impact. That fate is greatly feared in my society, my friends. Even if – ESPECIALLY if! – Kinshō's birth family agrees to take Muchi on and they switched over to using her maiden name, it is too late. The news of that action will spread thanks to those private investigators companies employ to ensure their workers' 'purity.'" His mouth twisted; having spent some years before the First Tag Race working as a liaison officer with the CIA at their headquarters in Langley, he had come to personally despise that particular aspect of his native culture.

"As bad as being discovered to have burakumin ancestry?" Grigory asked.

"Not THAT extreme, but close." Isamu sighed. "I suspect when it is all said and done, Muchi will lose his job. They will most likely be forced to relocate elsewhere. That in and of itself will mark them as odd." A wry smile crossed his face. "Yes, my friends, as I said, they will be marked for life by this. If Ataru-kun wants revenge against his parents for all they've done to him – especially given what we just heard now – this is the way to do it."

Basel nodded. "Good for him."

"Hear, hear!" Mike whooped. "Well, now that those two are out of the way thanks to this Negako – whoever the hell she is! – we can concentrate on doin' what our governments want us to do now: Get rid of Lum."

The others nodded. Having lived in Tomobiki since the First Tag Race, the intelligence officers had been appalled by the behaviour aliens like Lum had shown. Yes, Moroboshi Ataru's behaviour was quite appalling in its own right, especially when it concerned anything female and beautiful that had the ill-luck to cross his path, but that didn't concern Isamu and his co-workers. Many times over the last year, they asked themselves, "They call US uncivilised?" Thus, when orders finally arrived from their controllers concerning finding a way to see Lum and her countrymen expelled, they got to work with a vengeance.

The Second Tag Race had left too vile a taste in many people's mouths.

René sighed. "Easily done, mes amis. Once Lum is no longer engaged by either Earth or Oni law or tradition, she technically has no reason to stay on Earth. We know she came here to pursue a marriage with Ataru, do we not?"

"But what if Ataru DOES want to marry her?" Mark asked the DGSE officer. "I mean, it's pretty obvious now he really does like her deep down."

"I think, my friends, we'll have to wait on discerning that until matters with Comrade Moroboshi settle themselves out," Chai cut in. "At this time, I believe we have messages to send to our friends back home?"

The others stared at the GAB officer, nodding.

* * *

Chikage turned a card.

The Hierophant, symbol of the pursuit of knowledge.

"Many watching Ani-kun?"

* * *

"Ataru? Lum-chan? Are you here?"

The door closed as Muchi and Kinshō walked into the foyer connecting the living room and kitchen with the stairs to the second floor. Noting the silence that responded to her hail, Kinshō frowned as she ascended to Ataru's room. "Ataru?" she called out. "Lum-chan? Ten-chan? Are you here?"

She slid the door open before she stopped, her jaw dropping on seeing the empty room awaiting her. ALMOST empty, that is; Ataru was seated at the windowsill, gazing outside. "Ataru!" Kinshō growled as she stormed into the room. "Why didn't you answer me, you stupid boy? Where's Lum . . .?"

The door suddenly slammed shut behind her, causing Kinshō to spin around. She jolted on seeing Lum standing by the door, a hooded look etched on the Oni's face. "Lum-chan!" she gasped. "What's going on?" She tried not to shiver as she took note of the look on Lum's face. While Lum was on Earth, Kinshō shared legal custody of her with her husband. But even with that, Ataru's mother knew not to push matters too much with her would-be daughter-in-law.

"I would've appreciated learning when Grandma died, you know."

Kinshō then froze as a chill as cold as an Arctic wind freezing her. She then shakily turned to gaze on Ataru. His eyes remained closed as if he still did not want to gaze upon the woman who had given birth to him. Sensing the iron control he presently projected, Kinshō turned sheet-white.

He remembered. Everything.

"A-a-Ataru, wait," she feebly stammered. "You don't understand . . . "

"So it's true?" Lum growled, sparks flashing over her body as she fixed Kinshō with a glare that could melt neutronium. "All because you hated your MOTHER-IN-LAW, you took advantage of Darling's kindness to another sentient being. THEN you tricked Negako-san into blanking Darling's memories of the only elements of his family who LOVED him? Then, when Ten-chan and I came, you goaded us into keeping him here, forcing us together so you could embezzle HIS inheritance when we married and leave him with NOTHING? WELL?" Lightning snapped in her hands, causing Kinshō to leap back. "Is it true? IS IT?"

"Lum, don't!" Ataru called out as Kinshō nearly crumpled on herself. "Don't bother!" He shook his head. "She's not worth it."

Lum stopped. "You're right, Darling. She's NOT worth it. Neither is her husband. Maybe it's time we left them once and for all."

"Hai, the stench is getting high here, I guess." Ataru smirked as he glared at Kinshō. She shuddered before she gave him a pleading, hopeful look. His fists clenched, and then he relaxed as he summoned a gob of spit, firing it into the floor by her knees. She recoiled, looking nowhere in particular, stunned that all that she had done to secure her future had crashed so easily.

"You and your husband are both dead to me, Yamaguchi Kinshō," he then declared in a frightfully neutral voice. "As of today, all legal rights you had concerning me have been stripped from you. I no longer consider myself your son. But you won't get any satisfaction from that, I assure you." He then held up a finger, a knowing smile crossing his face. "Negako-onēsan is my legal guardian now. I don't think you'll be able to do much against her, eh?"

Kinshō gargled, her face turning white as the image of that living machine of destruction, a being born from the carefully-preserved knowledge of over a millennium's worth of ninjutsu grandmasters, flashed through her mind. Lum walked around her, taking Ataru's hand in her own. "Darling, shall we go?"

"One more thing." Ataru glared once more at the woman who was now his mother only by genetics. "When I become of age, you will both be stricken from the clan register. I strongly suggest you make up with your relatives, Kinshō. Then again, given what a greedy bitch you are, I have to wonder if they'd WANT you back!" He turned his back on Kinshō for the last time. "Let's go, Lum."

"Hai!"

Lum boosted Ataru into the air. They then flew out the window, Ataru's mocking laughter tauntingly trailing their path towards Tampopo's.

In the empty room they left behind, Kinshō remained still before an outraged scream escaped her. "DAMN YOU, YOU OLD COW!"

A lightning bolt then jabbed through the window to fry her!

* * *

Chikage turned a card.

Judgement, symbol of honesty.

"Freedom for Ani-kun."

* * *

Next morning . . .

"So where did you sleep last night?"

"Where do you think?" Lum gave the stocky cook a pouting look, and then she grinned as Tampopo placed a kimch'i-laced beefbowl before the Oni for breakfast, her hand reaching over for some chopsticks. "Ten-chan was pretty mad about it because Negako-san kept him away from my ship."

"I wanted to see what you were doing, Lum-chan!" Ten moaned before jerking on feeling Negako's finger stab into his forehead.

"That is none of your affair, Jariten," Negako declared. "Leave them be. Your cousin is happy with Ataru. Be thankful for that."

"Yeah, Ten. You really shouldn't worry about it now." Ataru slurped down his rāmen with rice cakes, and then he slyly grinned. "Unless you want to find Mako-chan and start practising things with her?" he mused.

The young Oni gagged. "NO WAY!"

Laughter escaped everyone else but Negako. In the brief time she had come to know this strange woman, Lum had learned most "normal" human emotions were alien things to Moroboshi Negako. In many ways, Negako reminded Lum of CAO-2, the robot teacher who had been one of hers, Benten's, Oyuki's and Ran's instructors when they were in galactic middle school. Then again, given what her Darling had said about his adopted sister's overall abilities, Negako could probably reduce CAO-2 into a pile of scrap metal with the touch of a finger.

Lum stared at Negako. "So what has to happen now with Darling?"

The ninjutsu grandmaster – the title was automatically seen as hers given the knowledge and fighting skills that was her very birthright – sighed. "I will have to make repairs to Ataru's immune system before indoctrinating him in the Art. Not here in Tomobiki, of course. Ataru's classmates, especially Mendō Shūtarō, Aisuru Satoshi and their many peers, would greatly fear his 'evolving' from an annoying nuisance into a being who could effectively kill them with but a touch of a finger." She gazed knowingly at Lum. "To most bullies, nothing panics them more then when one of their victims turns the tables against them, especially in front of others. A public duel between Ataru and Shūtarō would, if executed properly, destroy Shūtarō's reputation, especially among those women who fawn over him. Satoshi or his friends? Same result. Perhaps even worse if Ataru fights Sedoyama Keizō in public. Or Rei, perhaps?"

Lum jolted on hearing her former boyfriend's name. She then cautiously exhaled, "Ran-chan won't like that at all, Negako-san."

"Do you fear Ran might strike back at Ataru in revenge?"

"Probably, especially now that Ran-chan and Rei have become so close."

Ataru shook his head. "Somehow, I don't think Ran-chan will ever get much out of that jerk, Lum. All he cares about is food, food and more food! Ask any yatai owner here in town." He glanced over at their host. "Hey, Tampopo-chan, how many of 'em have been cleaned out by that pig, anyway?"

Tampopo sighed in exasperation. "Too many to count. Lucky thing I can deal with idiots like that. Though it IS strange that he always tries to come _here_ every time he visits Tomobiki, even with Ran ready to cook for him." She hummed as she considered the point. "Maybe I've brained him too much?"

Ataru laughed. Negako shook her head. "Not exactly."

Everyone gazed at her, surprised by her willingness to defend the pilot who had, for a long time following the First Tag Race, come close to killing Ataru so he could "win" Lum back. Ten blinked. "Why'd'ja say that?"

"Rei suffers from dyslexia and dysphasia."

Ataru gaped. "Dyslexia AND dysphasia?"

"I've heard of dyslexia, but not dysphasia," Lum reported.

"Dysphasia is where a person has an inability to properly vocalise his or her thoughts," Tampopo explained, and then a thoughtful look crossed her face. "No doubt, because of that, his hunger and the fact that he can't fly like other Oni, he must've been ostracized by his peers when he was Jariten's age."

Lum nodded. "He was."

Ataru winced. "Jeez! Poor guy."

The door then opened. "Irasshaimase!" Tampopo called out automatically. Her eyebrow then arched on seeing who stood there. "Oh, Jay-san! Kay-san! What brings two of the venerable 'Men in Black' to my establishment today?"

"A good morning to you, too, Tampopo-san," a silver-haired American in a black business suit greeted as he slipped off his Ray-Ban glasses.

Gazing at the two agents of the United Nations Special Committee on Alien Affairs – the "Men in Black," as they were nicknamed – Ataru was immediately reminded of Mendō's personal bodyguards/aides, the Kuromegane. However, compared to the SCAA field agents, the Kuromegane were a pack of stumbling incompetents. "And a good morning to you." Kay nodded at Ataru and Lum.

"Ohayō, Kay-san! Jay-san!" Lum nodded to Kay in return, and then his partner, a young African-American with a moustache and goatee. "So what brings you people over to see us today? Nothing wrong, I hope?"

Kay and Jay exchanged a look. "I'm afraid, Lum, we've got some real bad news," the former then reported. "Can we talk in private?"

Ataru and Lum blinked, exchanging a look.

* * *

Chikage looked at the five cards spread before her:

Death, the ultimate symbol of endings;

The Tower, marking the presence of powerful forces;

The Eight of Wands, another symbol of endings;

The Five of Cups, marker of loss and good-byes;

The Eight of Cups, marking the time to move on.

Such an ominous suite meant only one thing:

"War."

* * *

"The Noukiites?"

Everyone sat in a back corner booth. The sign had been changed to **CLOSED** and the curtains drawn to guarantee privacy. Kay shook his head. "Afraid so. About seventy hours ago, a colonial militia squadron staging from Machibusu sneaked over the line into Noukiite space to raid a convoy of refugees leaving Okusei for one of the Dominion's newer colonies beyond Noukiios itself."

Ten gaped. "The Noukiites have new colonies?"

"Five, all terraformed, though no one knows how or who did it." Jay sipped his coffee. "The Inquisition is investigating."

Ataru's jaw dropped in surprise. "You mean the Inquisition doesn't know? That's being really off the ball, even for THOSE guys!"

Both Oni blinked, and then they stared wide-eyed at Ataru. "Darling, how do YOU know about the Holy Inquisition?" Lum wondered.

Ataru sighed, and then he shook his head. "Sorry, Lum. I should've mentioned this, though I guess it doesn't matter now. My grandmother was a Righteous Gentile of the Protestant Reformist Church of Zephyrus."

Lum jolted, her eyes widening as his statement sank in. "I see."

"Lady Nagaiwakai was also the one who arranged for us to get our gear." Kay opened his jacket to reveal a Lawgiver, a Zephyrite computer-controlled, photon-plasma pistol with multiple-targeting command and shooting ability.

Ten whistled as he drifted close to Negako's shoulder. "Wow! To believe Uncle chose Ataru to be Earth's tag champ!"

Jay smirked. "Got that right, little guy!"

"What happened?" Ataru asked. "I don't know much about these Noukiites at all, save for them being neighbours of the Holy Republic."

"Well, in a nutshell, think of what Japan did to Korea back at the start of the last century – expanded to a century's length of time – and then tack onto it three very nice colony planets that the Noukiites settled long ago, planets the Urusians want to claim as their own." Kay sighed. "For the last two hundred years, there or about, the Urusians have done almost everything possible to force the Noukiites from those three worlds."

"Like us trying to make the Koreans give up Tok-do," Ataru mused.

"Including illegal attacks by volunteer colonial paramilitary forces over the border on Noukiite settlements," Jay added, holding up a finger.

"That's not true!" Lum protested.

Jay stared at the Oni. "Lum, c'mon! Everyone knows that!"

"I . . .!" Lum stopped herself before she sighed. "Well, I asked Daddy about it once and he denied it, but . . . " She looked down.

"He didn't sound convincing?" Ataru gently prodded.

"Tcha."

"It's alright," Kay breathed out before carrying on, "Anyhow, the Oni militia got close to Okusei. The Ip'ihu bushwhacked them outside the system. They're the Noukiite equivalent of the Oni colonial militia," he added for Ataru's benefit. "Atop that, there were Noukiite naval craft there. They pitched into the fight and captured one of the militia vessels intact. The surviving militiamen were interrogated and made to confess that they operated with secret support from various elements of the government in Onishuto."

"WHAT?" Lum cried out.

"Is this EVERYONE in the Oni government?" Ataru wondered.

Kay shook his head. "Fortunately, no. The Oni have been living under a military junta for the last two hundred years. But in their government, you've got a wide span of opinions. Lum's father is a progressive. Some are liberals working for the day Uru becomes a true democracy. And some of them . . . "

He paused, shrugging. "Want to turn back the clock to something that people wouldn't really like?" Ataru finished.

"Exactly. Well, instant they got wind of that, the Noukiite government sent a secret message to the Zephyrites, informing them that they couldn't continue to tolerate this ongoing disregard of their home space by elements of the Urusian government. To that end, today, an all-out attack was launched on Machibusu, hitting the naval bases and the known militia bases. It was a complete surprise. Details are sketchy, but I'm afraid your people took heavy losses." Kay stared at Lum. "Most likely, by tomorrow, Uru will be at war."

Silence fell as Lum considered Kay's words. She then looked down, her eyes glistening. "Five centuries of hate," she whispered.

Ataru placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Lum?"

"Five centuries. That's how long we've known those people. And . . . " She shook her head. "It's like Kay said. Think of what's gone on between Japan and Korea, especially what happened between 1910 and 1945, then . . . "

"The Eo War, the 'protectorate' that led to the Occupation, the Union Revolution, the dispute over Okusei and two other planets, the Ip'ihu, the militia . . . " Jay sighed. "Man, that's one BIG mess to get settled out."

Lum nodded. "Tcha."

"So what happens to Lum?" Ataru wondered. "She could've learned all this from her father if she had to. Why are you guys here?"

Kay and Jay exchanged a look, and then they gazed on him. "Ataru, along with that message the Noukiites sent to the Zephyrites was a warning." The former indicated Lum. "The Noukiites, pretty much because they have no love for the Oni, know about what Lum's presence here has caused. In their eyes, it would be sheer poetry to make her face a Dominion court for violating the Galactic Non-Interference Treaty, of which both Lum's people and the Noukiites are signatories to. Now, never mind that the so-called 'invasion' which led to Tag Race One was a bluff to make several other powers leave us be . . . "

"The Seifukusu being one, right?" Ataru cut in.

"You know about them?" Jay asked.

"Lum told me last night. There're more?"

"One other race, the Ipraedies," Kay provided.

Ataru shook his head. "Never heard of them."

Lum sighed. "Be thankful for that, Darling."

"Well, anyhow," Kay continued, "The Noukiites warned that if Lum and all other Urusians don't leave Earth and return to Urusian space soon, they . . . "

His voice trailed off. "They'll come get her, the little guy here and the psycho-airhead that's living here, too," Jay finished.

Hearing that, Lum's eyes went wide. "They said that?"

Kay nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"There's another way out, you know," Ataru proposed.

"Not a chance." Jay shook his head. "If you're thinking of trying to use your grandma's influence to keep Lum free of the Noukiites, you're DEAD wrong to even try it!" He pointed at Lum. "The instant she goes into Zephyrite space, she's as good as in the dock at Star Chamber on Jiyū."

Ataru winced, Lum turning white at the thought of her facing Star Chamber. The Supreme Blessed and Most Faithful Congregation of the Holy Inquisition, the highest-ranking law enforcement group within the Holy Republic of Zephyrus, was renowned (and likewise feared!) throughout the known galaxy for their ability to track down "heretics" and see them brought to justice, both within and beyond the Holy Republic's borders. Zephyrite justice, Ataru recalled, was brutal. Capital punishment – colloquially known as "excommunication" on Zephyrus – was used for those guilty of serious crimes. And, yes, if you found yourself facing any of the High Courts of Star Chamber – the equivalent of one of the eight High Courts in Japan – your chances of acquittal were small.

"Damn." Ataru sighed before he sensed Lum staring at him. Without hesitation, he drew her into a one-armed embrace.

Lum kissed his cheek. "Arigatō, Darling."

Jay blinked, his jaw dropping in shock. "THIS is surprising!"

"That it is." Kay chuckled. "I'm sorry to ruin the mood even more, but there's one other thing I have to tell you."

Lum stared at the SCAA agent, and then she lowered her head. "I see."

Ataru blinked. "What?"

"You will not be allowed to leave Earth, Ataru."

Eyes turned to Negako. Ataru took a second to absorb that, and then he turned to Kay. "Now, just hold on a second!" he protested. "I'm not going to let Lum go back home ALONE in the midst of a war, for heaven's sake . . .!"

Kay held up a hand. "That's not the point!" As soon as Ataru calmed himself down, the SCAA agent continued, "Look, Ataru, I know you mean well, but Lum's safest bet is to be on Uru, where her father and a whole load of combat troops can protect her. I don't think the Noukiites will press this into a no-holds-barred thing. All they'd want is for Uru to give up claims on Okusei, Kurrusei and Tunchusei, plus disband the colonial militia groups. It's not going to be an intergalactic version of World War Two, alright."

Ataru considered that. He then jolted as a hand squeezed his shoulder. He turned right to see Negako gazing on him, a warning stare etched in her face. "There is another concern, Ataru," the ninjutsu grandmaster advised.

He blinked as her words surged through him. "Hai, Onē-san."

Lum stared at him. "Darling?"

Ataru jolted, and then he reached under the table to squeeze Lum's hand. "I'll explain later, okay?" he told her before kissing her cheek. He then turned back to the SCAA people. "Try not to make this permanent, okay?"

Kay nodded. "We'll try."

* * *

"Hey, Ataru. What did Negako-onēchan mean?" Ten-chan asked.

Two hours after meeting Kay and Jay at Tampopo's found Ataru, Lum and Ten on an island located off the northwest coast of Hokkaidō. The teens stared at the young Oni before Ataru sighed. "She means something that has a lot to do with her being in my head from when I was six up to five years ago, when Obā-chan's friends from Magairu discovered she was there." He waved them with him towards a large house. "Let's go to the practice field and I'll show you."

They walked up a stone pathway toward the large mansion that, until just over a year ago, Ataru's grandmother Nagaiwakai called home. Staring at the edifice, Lum was immediately reminded of the Mendō mansion. She was quick to note differences, however. The Mendō home was littered with all sorts of items indicative of the family's ludicrous wealth: Statues, mostly of octopuses (though there WAS that one cursed goat statue, Lum remembered), priceless antiques, old military gear and the like. The Moroboshi mansion on Rishiri-tō, however, was thoroughly spartan in its austerity. Realising that difference between a family of selfish show-offs and a woman who obviously thought it below her to rub her wealth into other people's faces, Lum decided that she would have loved to know Moroboshi Nagaiwakai. _Would she have liked me?_ she mused.

Ataru gazed at her. "Yen for your thoughts?"

Lum sighed before she returned his look. "Gomen. I was just thinking about how much you'll miss now that your grandmother's gone."

"I guess so. I didn't really get a chance to know her, as you can guess, but . . . " He paused, directing her around the house to the farming tract that extended to the volcano located at the very centre of Rishiri-tō, known locally as "Rishiri-Fuji" for its similarity to Japan's highest peak. "Obā-chan was a lot of things, but she was CARING. She was worried about me, even living with them in Tomobiki." His lips twisted into a frown, and then he relaxed. "I wish I understood what happened between Obā-chan and . . . well, you know."

He shrugged. "It'll be okay in the end, Darling," Lum promised.

"I hope so." He stared at the side of the mansion, and then he looked to the fields. Peacefully grazing in the tall grass was a good-sized herd of dairy cattle, about two hundred head, born of both Oriental and Occidental stock. Keeping watch on them was a pair of men dressed in the plain, brown woollen robes of Zephyrite monks. Ataru gaped. "Damn! They stayed behind?"

"They were not the only ones, Young Master!"

The voice caused Ataru and Lum to spin around as something leapt out of the shadows, melting into a lithe teenage woman with long, pony-tailed black hair. She was dressed in a black bodysuit, a sheathed shinobigatana strapped to her back. Ataru's eyes widened. "Jinseiko-chan! Is that you?"

The woman looked up, revealing a well-sculptured face. However, there were laugh lines around her eyes. The eyes seemed hooded. No doubt, Fusegu Jinseiko would carry the pain of her mistress' death to the grave. "Hai, Young Master." She bowed respectfully before she stared pleadingly at him. "Sir, I . . . " she started, and then she collapsed and prostrated herself. "Forgive me! We should've been there for the Mistress! Please, forgive me . . .!"

"That's enough!" Ataru knelt to help the chief of Nagaiwakai's kunoichi troupe, the Kuromoroboshi, up. He tilted her face up to stare into his. "It's over and done, Jinseiko-chan. Yes, I'm hurting. But Obā-chan wouldn't want us to flounder along like this, eh? It's over and done, Jinseiko-chan. Okay?"

Jinseiko blinked before she faintly nodded. "Hai, I understand."

Lum and Ten exchanged a look. Both tensed as a shadow fell over them. "Welcome back, Young Master," a grave voice caused both Oni to spin around and stare UP into a granite-hewn face framed by black hair. His left cheek was embossed with the phoenix of the Holy Republic. "It is good to see you again."

"Brother Sunfire." Ataru walked over, dropping to one knee to kiss the monk's ring. After the Zephyrite cleric, who had been Moroboshi Nagaiwakai's personal advisor, bestowed a blessing, Ataru stood. "It's good to see you, too." He glanced towards the other monks. "How many people stayed behind after Grandma . . .?" He bit his lip before waving around.

"All of us in the cabal who advised her, some of the farm hands, plus Lady Jinseiko and her co-workers," the monk reported, waving the visitors with him toward the herd. "Since matters concerning your problems with those people . . . " – Lum didn't need to guess who Brother Sunfire was talking about – " . . . have been in limbo since the Mistress' passing, we haven't been able to decide what to do. Mistress Negako has been able to help, as has Master Komeru."

Lum blinked confusedly as she looked at Ataru. "'Komeru,' Darling?"

"Muchi's older brother," Ataru provided. "Where is he, anyway?"

"In Peru or Bolivia, the last I heard, exploring Inca ruins." Brother Sunfire sighed. "We tried to get word to those people when the Mistress passed away. I called Kinshō a fortnight after the Tag Race ended." He glanced at Lum. "Unfortunately, all she said in return was . . . " His lips twisted in distaste as he remembered that conversation, and then he sighed. "Well . . . "

"She was happy Obā-chan was dead and that she'd do everything she could to get her hands on Obā-chan's money, right? And that she didn't care who tried to stand in her way, because she was in the right," Ataru guessed.

"In much more vulgar language, I confess." Brother Sunfire nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, the matter is somewhat better, now."

Jinseiko then tensed. "Young Master? Please . . .?"

Ataru closed his eyes. "No, Jinseiko-chan. Leave them alone."

"But . . .!"

He turned to the leader of the Kuromoroboshi. "I said 'Leave them alone,' Jinseiko-chan. Killing those two idiots won't do a thing in the end. Letting them live, in fear of what I COULD do to them, hurts more."

"Ah . . . " Jinseiko balked, and then she sighed, bowing her head. "Hai, Young Master, I understand. Forgive me for my impertinence."

Ataru nodded. "It's alright."

Brother Sunfire sighed. "A pity it happened at . . . "

"Darklight!"

Everyone turned as a monk, a bespectacled fellow who reminded the visitors of Megane, ran up. "What is the matter?" Brother Sunfire demanded.

"Forgive me." The younger monk, Lightstar Firewind, bowed to Ataru before he stared at Lum. "We received a call from the Special Committee concerning you and your fellow Urusians, Miss Redet. You're going home. Tonight."

Hearing that, Ataru jolted, and then he looked nowhere in particular, his hands clenching. Ten seemed lost as he hovered close to Lum. Lum's eyes went wide on hearing Lightstar's statement before she bowed her head. "I see."

* * *

Chikage turned a card.

The Five of Cups.

"A parting?"

* * *

That evening . . .

A hand slammed down on the table. "Damn it all, Kay! Is there ANYTHING you could've done to stop this? Tried to slow it down . . .?"

Kay held up his hand. "Relax!" The look on his face and his partner's echoed the shock and anger on Ataru's. "The Security Council caught us by surprise. People got wind of your legal separation from your parents – probably from spies who've worked in Tomobiki since after Tag One – then decided that, since there was now no 'legitimate' reason for her to be here, they'd throw Lum off!"

Ataru blinked. He was meeting the two SCAA agents in the penthouse apartment of the Toranoseishin Finances building, the northern of the three tall skyscrapers located in the heart of Tomobiki. "What spies?" he demanded.

"The whole alphabet soup." Jay shook his head. "The KCC, CIA, SVR, SIS, DGSE, Mossad, CSIS, the KCW from South Korea, the GAB from China, North Korea's special forces . . .!" A shrug. "Hell, you name it, they're here somewhere!"

"They came here in the wake of the oil incident, when the United Nations decided to restrict Galactic Federation aliens to Tomobiki," Kay added. "And in a way, I can understand. When the Oni came, Captain Invader spoke to the United Nations directly about their plans for the Tag Race, avoiding any talk with any of the national governments along the way . . . save Japan, of course, when you got selected as Earth's champion. That sure as hell miffed a few people, especially in Washington, Moscow, Běijīng and elsewhere."

Ataru considered the SCAA agent's words, and then he nodded. "Gotcha. When I broke off from those two idiots and the word got around . . . "

"People saw an opportunity to remind the U.N. of who they were 'working' for." Jay scowled as he crossed his arms. "The Big Five called for a vote on the matter six hours ago. It was passed unanimously. THEN Zed . . . " – Zed, Ataru knew, was the Director of the Special Committee – " . . . got told."

"Cute," Ataru grumbled with a shake of his head. "Tell Zed-san he has my sympathies. So tell me: Is this permanent or temporary?"

Kay shook his head. "Don't know. From what Zed said, one representative on the Council – don't know who – said they MIGHT allow the Oni to come back IF Lum publicly apologized for the oil incident, Tag Two and everything else she or her friends from beyond caused that ended up hurting someone here."

Ataru nodded. "I see. So what happens now?"

Before either of the SCAA agents can answer, Kay's special video cell-phone ringed. "Kay," he answered it. "What is it, Zed?"

"A Zephyrite destroyer just pulled into orbit over Japan," Zed reported. "They're transporting Inquisitors down to link up with your team and Dee's team to deal with Lum and her friends. Is Ataru with you?"

"Yeah, he's right here." Kay waved as Ataru walked up.

The older man nodded on seeing Earth's tag champion. "I'm really sorry about this, son." He tried to smile. "I heard things were starting to get better between you and Lum. I wish this didn't have to happen."

Ataru took that in, and then he nodded. "Thanks, Zed-san. Let me see if I can try to get something better from the Inquisition, alright?"

Zed considered that, and then he sighed. "Don't go overboard."

"I'll try not to."

* * *

Minutes later, the door leading to Ataru's guest bedroom opened. Looking in, he frowned on seeing a quivering, wet-faced Lum being held by Negako. Also there was Kotatsuneko, who cradled a crying Ten. Fortunately, Ataru understood well about keeping this event secret from certain parties in Tomobiki. Negako assured him earlier that, when she had arrived in town the previous afternoon, she used her shiatsu skills to incapacitate Mendō, Megane and the Stormtroopers. They weren't expected to recover for another two days at least.

Far too late to "help" Lum.

Gazing at the giant cat-ghost, Ataru smiled as he reached over to gently stroke the fur on Kotatsuneko's head. "Thanks for coming."

Kotatsuneko smiled, and then he stared at Negako. "He says he was more than happy to come at this time and wishes the silly humans in New York would be more compassionate about matters," the ninjutsu grandmaster provided.

Ten sniffed, and then he stared at Negako. "You can understand wh-what K-k-Kota-chan says, Negako-onēchan?" he burbled.

"I can understand the language of all sentient beings on this planet, even non-corporeal ones," Negako explained, and then she raised a finger, winking. "Understandable, seeing that, until five years ago, I was one of them."

Ataru sighed. "Yeah." He turned to the door. "Gentlemen?"

Kay and Jay stepped inside. Following the two SCAA agents into the room were two young Zephyrite men in black, ankle-length robes tied with gold cord at the waist. Ataru knew that the Lawgivers would be holstered on thigh straps, easily accessed through a slit in the robe. Seeing the Inquisitors, the Oni began to visibly quake as Negako helped Lum stand. Noting the looks on their faces, Kay and Jay exchanged a look, and then the former reached into his jacket pocket to draw a piece of computer printout, opening it to read:

"Lum no Midorinokaminoke-oni," he began, addressing Lum by her "tribal" name and not her Imperial one, Redet Lum. He looked at Ten. "Jariten no Midorinokaminoke-oni. By order of the Security Council of the United Nations of the planet Earth, under Special Resolution 6964 passed this day in New York City, your visas allowing you to live on Earth, in the town of Tomobiki, city of Hōya, metropolis of Tōkyō, in Japan, a member nation-state of the United Nations . . . " A pause, and then he finished, "Are revoked. Thus, you both will vacate this planet by twelve o'clock midnight local time today, returning to your home planet. Further, under Clause Two of Resolution 6964, neither of you will be permitted to take with you any citizen of any nation of Earth back to your home planet." He indicated Ataru. "To ensure this happens peacefully, Inquisitor-Deacon Malefire and Inquisitor-Archdeacon Skyrain of the Inquisition of the Holy Republic of Zephyrus are here to monitor your departure and return to your home planet." He gazed at the visiting lawmen. "Your Grace?"

The older of the Inquisitors stepped up. "Redet Lum. Redet Jariten." He thinly smiled. His dark eyes radiated such a level of menace, it caused even Kotatsuneko to falter. "I trust your affairs are all in order?"

Lum sniffed, jerkily nodding. "Hai, Your Grace, they are."

"Very well, then." Highridge Malefire stared directly into her eyes. "Be warned, young lady. There are many on this planet that would GLADLY see you dragged to their World Court and face charges of crimes against humanity for what you allowed to happen two weeks ago. Not to mention all the OTHER times you decided your personal desires mattered more than the good health of the inhabitants of Earth, especially when it concerned your 'husband.'" A torrent of scorn echoed in his voice as he uttered that word. "While the United Nations has not seen fit to see you charged, WE will gladly do it for them. But we will respect their desire that this matter is resolved peacefully. Do NOT cause problems if you both value your continued freedom. Understood?"

"H-hai," Lum stammered.

Watching this, Ataru quaked, his fists clenching. Damn it, they didn't need to hold a bloody axe over Lum's head to make her leave the planet! Calming himself, he cleared his throat. "Your Grace?" he called out.

Malefire blinked, and then he turned to Ataru, his icy look melting into a warm smile. "Young Master Ataru." He stood to attention as he politely inclined his head, his companion doing likewise. "I was overjoyed to be told by Brother Darklight Sunfire of the wonderful news concerning the restoration of your memories and your final parting from those heretics you once called your parents. If you wish to see those heretics properly punished for their many barbarous acts against you and your truly most righteous grandmother . . .?"

"Thank you, Your Grace, but I believe leaving them to wither on the vine, with no access to Obā-chan's wealth, is punishment enough." He shook his head. "I realise I have no right to ask this, but I will. Regardless of how the Six Churches may look upon Lum, I'd strongly hope that you and your comrades will see to it she and her cousin receive a _safe_ escort back to Oni space."

The deacon – a man equal in rank and responsibility to an assistant police inspector in Japan – blinked with surprise. "An . . . unusual request, indeed, Young Master. Considering her many acts against your own person . . .!"

"That I would've hoped to have resolved with Lum _without_ interference," Ataru cut in. "Sadly, I accept now that such a chance has been taken away. But I hope for such a chance in the future. Surely, you can understand that."

Malefire's eyebrow arched, and then he sighed. "Please understand why I must say this, Young Master. But I feel you are TOO forgiving to this woman, not to mention those who've allied with her." He stared wrathfully at Lum.

Ataru closed his eyes. "Perhaps. But forgiveness is an option I choose to exercise, Your Grace. That is my right, is it not?"

Silence fell as he considered it. A chuckle then escaped Malefire's lips. "It is. Very well. Your friends will make it home, whole and hearty. Besides, I doubt the Noukiites will foray anywhere close to Toshitto."

Lum's would-be husband nodded. "Thank you, Your Grace."

With that, Malefire's eyes hardened as he gazed on Lum. "You have fifteen minutes to say your good-byes," he flatly announced. "No more."

Lum jerkily nodded. "H-hai!"

The Inquisitors walked out of the room. Jay and Kay exchanged a look, and then the former patted Ataru's shoulder. "Nicely played."

With that, the SCAA agents stepped out, followed by Kotatsuneko. Ataru watched them go, and then he turned to Ten. "Didja really mean that?" the younger Oni asked as he floated up to stare into Ataru's eyes.

"Yeah, I meant that." Ataru placed a hand on Ten's shoulder. "Now, listen to me, Ten. I want you to promise me something. I want you to keep an eye out for Lum, okay?" He pointed to Lum, and then he held up a finger to emphasize his point. "And tell Benten-san and Oyuki-sama to help keep an eye on things, too, alright? It's time for you to become a big boy now. Can you do it?"

Ten blinked, and then he shakily straightened himself. He bit his lip, trying not to break down and cry. "O-okay!" he rasped out.

"Alright." Ataru squeezed Ten's shoulders. "Now, remember, Ten. Wars are not fun, not one bit. Don't take chances, okay?"

"Indeed, he is correct," Negako spoke up. "The fact that Ataru is willing to turn his back on such a matter does speak highly of him."

Ten blinked as he looked at her. "But you're gonna t-turn him into a great warrior, N-Negako-onēchan, j-just like you and Nassur-chan are . . . "

"Jariten." Negako stepped up to him, placing her hand on his other shoulder. "There is a simple philosophy in our clan when it comes to war: 'Wars do not make one great. Wars normally make one _dead_.'"

"In other words, don't fight unless it's for the right reason and there's no other choice but to fight," Ataru added. "Okay?"

Ten sniffed. "O-okay. I guess you aren't such an idiot after all."

He tried to smile, looking down. "Yeah, guess not," Ataru mused with a chuckle, and then he stared at Lum.

"Come, Jariten," Negako bade. "We best leave them be."

She walked Ten out. "'Bye, Ataru." The young Oni waved.

The door closed behind them. Ataru sighed, and then he turned back to Lum. She smiled as she sank into his embrace. "Darling . . . "

He kissed her forehead. "Gomen."

"I love you."

Ataru tensed. "Lum . . . "

The Oni stared into his eyes. "Darling?"

He returned her look. "What do you want me to say now, Lum?" he quietly asked. "The truth? Or what you've always wanted to hear from me?"

Lum considered that. "The truth," she whispered.

"Okay." He nodded. "The truth is this: At the least, I looked on you as the most wonderful person ever to enter my life. There were so many times ever since you came where I pinched myself, wondering what the hell I did to deserve you. Maybe . . . " He bowed his eyes, shrugging. "Maybe my doubting it so much lead to a lot of the problems we had. I'm sorry. If . . . " He bit his lip. Tears streaked down his cheeks. "If we had the chance, I'd have learned HOW to love you. That we could've made something special just for us. And . . . " He took a deep breath before drawing her close to kiss her forehead. "I hope if the chance comes, you'll come back, Lum. I really do."

"Darling." She pulled away, bowing her head. "I'm sorry I presumed so much, let them . . . " She gazed out a window at the city beyond. "Let all of them trick me into trusting them so much instead of you. I . . . " She gazed at him. "I promise if I come back, I won't let it happen again."

Ataru smiled before drawing her close. They passionately kissed, and then pulled apart to gaze into the other's eyes. Both were crying. "Be careful, okay?" he whispered as he cupped her cheeks in his hands. "If these guys have that long a grudge against you, it isn't going to be pretty."

Lum nodded. "I will."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Lum's scoutship, towing Ten's starboat, lifted away from Tomobiki for the final time. Launching from her lot near the Moroboshi home at the same time, Aruka Ran's rose-hued scoutship joined its tiger-striped counterpart over downtown Shinjuku. Both arced into the heavens, as if they were flying to the bright Moon overhead. Then, a grey-hulled Zephyrite destroyer, a flamingo-shaped craft about the same size as Captain Invader's command battlewagon _Kashin_, slipped in behind the two Urusian ships.

On the streets of Tomobiki, people stopped to watch, many pointing and calling out to their friends as the word quickly spread. Watching from the top of the Toranoseishin Tower, Ataru shook his head. "Guess none of those people expected something like THIS to happen, eh, Onē-san?" He sighed as he stared at Negako. "You guessed something like this would happen, didn't you?"

The grandmaster remained nonplussed by his unspoken accusation. "Yes, I did. There were many scenarios in this situation. Indeed, some might conclude that my restoring your memories – thus leading to your rejection of Kinshō and Muchi – DID make this happen. I could have chosen to stay away and let you live in ignorance. But if that happened, one of several things might have occurred that would have lead to a far-less pleasant conclusion for you and Lum.

"The Noukiites are not the only factors to be considered in this matter, Ataru. As James and Kevin could have informed you, there are many governments on Earth who would have done anything to see our planet rid of Lum and her friends. Fundamentalist factions from a dozen religions. Ultra-conservative social groups and industrial corporations who, for whatever reason, would not have blinked an eye if Lum was coerced to their cause. What of Lum's friends? Those you know and those you do not? What trouble could have arisen from that quarter, perhaps?" She sighed, turning to gaze on the city. "Knowing you as I do, I chose the scenario which led to the most peaceful solution for all."

He considered that. "Yes, it was that, wasn't it?"

"I am pleased you agree." She turned her back on the cityscape, heading for the stairwell. "Now, it is time for you to learn exactly WHO you are. We best leave Tomobiki long before the sun rises, before any of the fools who normally preyed on you – those I did not personally disable myself, of course – decide to seek you out and try to ascertain what happened. Agreed?"

Ataru winced. "Yeah, I can do to not see any of those dorks for a few months, I suppose. What about school and all that?"

"I will have Reigi arrange your withdrawal from Tomobiki High School as we are travelling, plus ensure no one like Shūtarō learns of it," Negako stated as they stepped inside, heading towards the suites where she and Ten had stayed last night. "You can be inserted into another school if you desire. But that should not concern you at this time, Ataru. Other matters are more important."

He nodded. "True, true. So where are we going?"

"You will see."

* * *

"This is NHK BS News at fifty minutes after the hour." The reporter gazed at the camera. "Early this morning, Internal Affairs Minister Kōga Mogataru announced that the Oni-Urusian princess Redet Lum, who has been residing in the town of Tomobiki in Hōya, was expelled from Earth late last night at the direct order of the United Nations. Also forced to leave Earth, potentially never to return again, are Lum-san's cousin, Redet Jariten, and a friend and former middle school classmate of the Oni princess, Aruka Ran. When questioned by reporters, Kōga-daijin reported that the 'Second Tag Race' factored heavily into the United Nations' decision to see Lum-san expelled . . . "

* * *

"WHAT?" Mendō Shūtarō bellowed.

He then cried out as he clutched his chest, searing pain overwhelming him. "Lum-san . . .!" he rasped, his eyes rolling into his head.

"Young Master!" his bodyguards and servants screamed as they swarmed him.

* * *

"The room is bare?"

"Yes, Young Mistress." A Kuroko bowed his masked head to the woman he served. "It appears Moroboshi-sama moved out of his home two days ago. On overhearing his parents, it appears someone has granted Moroboshi-sama the legal right to renounce all links to his parents. He has taken advantage of it."

"Do you wish Master Shūtarō to learn of this, Mistress?" another Kuroko, kneeling beside his co-worker, asked.

"No." Mendō Ryōko shook her head, and then she looked away. "Ensure he does not learn of this for the time being."

Both Kuroko nodded. "Yes, Mistress."

* * *

"Lum, expelled? And Ran and Ten-chan, too?" Miyake Shinobu blinked as the unreality of the moment hit her like an avalanche. She then stared at her parents, Toshoba and Kimiki; the Miyake family was enjoying breakfast. "Who on Earth would ever have imagined something like that happening?"

"I wonder what happened to Ataru-kun," Kimiki mused.

"Doesn't say," her husband noted as he read his paper.

* * *

"**_CURSE YOU, ATARU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FA- . . . URK!_**"

Aisuru Satoshi – "Megane" as he was known to friends and classmates – gasped before slumping into his bed, his hand clutching his heart. Staring at him from the hallway, his mother Rui shook her head. "Serves you right for worshipping that . . . that ONI all the time!" she spat out.

* * *

"Momoe-san, what's going on here?"

"I've no idea whatsoever, Nabiki-san," Marubeya Momoe relayed over her cell phone to her friend. "I don't know when I can get more information, either! But I AM going to find out about this! If she's really gone . . . "

"Hai, hai, got you . . .!"

_CRASH!_

"**_BAKA OYAJI! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!_**"

"What was THAT, Nabiki-san?"

Tendō Nabiki glanced at the door of her bedroom. She was dressed in her kimono. "By the sounds of it, Ranma-kun just got wind of Otō-chan's and Saotome-ojisan's LATEST brainstorm," she muttered. "Anyhow, I've got to go."

"They're too young to get married now, Nabiki-san."

"Agreed. That's why it won't happen. Keep me informed, okay?"

"Right."

* * *

"It is clearly a conspiracy against the Goddess!"

"Agreed!"

"Where is the Great Evil now?"

"No idea! We're searching for him, but it seems as if he has vanished from the Holy City itself! Should the President be informed?"

"Immediately!"

"Hai!"

* * *

"An ill-wind," Cherry mused, gazing at the morning air.

* * *

By that time of the day, the potential object of interest to many in Tomobiki was crossing an isthmus of sand littered with seashells towards a five-kilometre wide island sitting in one arm of the Sagami Bay south of Tōkyō. Like Negako, who walked ahead of him towards Ōmure-jima – Promised Island – Ataru was dressed in hiking gear, a backpack slung over his shoulders. His eyes darted from the sand at his feet to the water to the island. They then stopped on focusing on what sat on the island's highest point: A gold-brown statue resembling a nude, smiling, super-deformed pygmy dancing the hula. "I've got to say this, Onē-san: That has GOT to be the weirdest statue I've ever seen! Even the octopus statues on Mendō's pad have more class!"

"I do not consider myself a connoisseur of artwork, but many people, I believe, will agree with you, Ataru," Negako replied as her eyes warily turned left and right as she gauged how close the sea was from her feet.

Ataru sensed the tremor in his sister's normally ramrod-straight body. He squeezed her shoulder. "I'd think you'd finally be over your hydrophobia."

Negako relaxed, touched by his concern. "It has been difficult."

He chuckled. Within minutes, they stepped into the lee of the Island, making their way to a ladder to get them onto First Street. Climbing onto dry land, they stretched themselves. They then turned as a wry-looking gentleman in his sixties came up. He projected the air of the classic old man of the sea. "Ah, Negako-san! There you are! I see you brought your brother with you!"

Negako stared at him, nodding politely. "Indeed, I have. Were arrangements with Welcome House made for Ataru's accommodations?"

He nodded. "Hai! Hai! All ready to go! Maybe when you leave the island next time, you'll take the boat like normal people do."

"Onē-san's not 'normal,' Jii-san." Ataru patted Negako's shoulder before he looked at her. "What exactly IS Welcome House, anyway?"

"The island's youth hostel," Negako explained. "This way."

Going _this_ way for five minutes lead Ataru and Negako to a dead-end lane. Past an archway announcing they had just come to **WELCOME HOUSE**, they found themselves looking at a three-floor Victorian-era commons. That was framed on the side closest to the shore by a three-floor rotunda topped with a lightning rod, the other by a circular chapel complete with bell tower. Negako directed her brother towards the rotunda. "Nice place." Ataru then whistled before he took note of several lights being on in the rotunda. "We alone?"

"No, there are others here. Children of parents who work on the mainland or abroad," Negako reported as they walked into a foyer framed with stairs to their right leading to the second floor. Under the second floor overhang was a hallway and doors leading to a central room. Negako guided Ataru to his right past that to the first apartment, located beside a storeroom. "Here."

Ataru noticed that a sign with his name was posted there. "Guess they think of everything." He opened the door to look inside.

_POP!_

_POP!_

_POP!_

_POP!_

"**_WELCOME HOME, BIG BROTHER!_**"

Ataru balked, his eyes wide. Confetti from noisemakers showered him as he blinked, stunned to see four girls awaiting him there.

To his left sat a girl of about sixteen, with golden-brown eyes and long brown hair, part of it styled in beautiful French braids. She was dressed in a ruffled shirt with string tie over a thigh-length skirt.

Sitting in front of the girl with the French braids was a pixie-cute eight-year old with royal blue eyes and dirty blonde-brown hair done up in side ponytails. She wore a gold dress with string tie and a black petticoat.

To Ataru's right was a slender woman, about his age, with royal blue eyes and brown hair done up in twin Usagi-like ponytails (without odango). She was draped in a black-and-blue T-shirt and a false-leather skirt.

Sitting before that girl was a cute twelve-year old with maple-fudge eyes and neck-length brown hair partially covered by a white headband. She wore a green-and-white seifuku top with a blue-and-white plaid skirt.

Negako stepped up beside him, nodding. "I see you received my message."

The girl with the long ponytails smiled. "We had to rush some things to make sure Onii-sama's homecoming was done right, Onē-sama."

The girl in the seifuku blinked. "Onē-chama, didn't Onē-chama say that Onii-chama would be coming with Onii-chama's girlfriend?"

The girl with the braids stared at the other girl. "Kaho-chan, didn't you see the news? They sent Onii-chan's girlfriend home."

"That means Onii-tama and Onē-tama can read to Hina even more!" the youngest girl gushed as she leapt up to hug Negako's legs.

Ataru blinked, and then he shook his head. "Er . . .!" He slapped the side of his head. "Not that I don't mind the reception, but what the heck's going on here, anyway? Why are you girls calling me 'big brother' . . .?"

"They have more than enough reasons to do so, Ataru." Negako smiled, and then she proceeded to perform introductions. "May I present Tanenobu Karen," – she waived to the girl with the French braids – " . . . Eigo Kaho," – the girl in the seifuku – " . . . Sukeyama Sakuya," – the oldest girl.

"Don't forget Hina!" the youngest then chirped.

"Ah, yes. And Saeru Hinako. They . . . " Negako then turned to gaze in amusement at Ataru. " . . . are your half-sisters."

Silence.

More silence.

Still more silence.

Sakuya blinked. "Onii-sama . . .?"

Ataru swayed. "Half-sisters . . .?"

He dropped, his eyes spiralling as his mind overloaded from that stark bombshell. "Onii-chan!" Karen called out as the girls crowded him.

* * *

"So what made Onii-tama faint, Onē-tama?"

"You should've warned him ahead of time, Onē-sama!"

Ataru moaned as he found himself staring at a glass ceiling crossed by timbers in a pentacle pattern. The room that ceiling topped was circular, the walls an evergreen shade. Looking to his right, he found himself staring into Hinako's worried face. "Onii-tama, are you okay?" the young girl asked.

Ataru blinked, and then he reached over to gently touch the young girl's nose. "You're . . . really . . . my sister?"

"Ah! I see you have recovered." Negako stepped into his viewing range, leaning down to gaze into his eyes. "And yes, as I said before you fainted, they are your half-sisters, Ataru. You all share the same father."

He took that in, and then he sat up. A quick glance around revealed that Karen, Kaho and Sakuya were presently sitting beside a large, round table. A dining room, he noted. Ataru then stared at Negako. "How the hell is THAT possible, Onē-san?" he sharply demanded. "I mean, when did . . .?"

"During the early part of his marriage with Kinshō, Muchi often did work for both Nagaiwakai and Komeru on Ōmure-jima," the grandmaster reported, placing a hand on Hinako's shoulder. "It appears that at that stage of their marriage, Muchi had not emotionally committed himself fully to Kinshō. Fortunately, since he was Nagaiwakai's youngest son, there were many on the island receptive to his feelings. Karen, Kaho, Sakuya and Hinako . . . " – she indicated each of the girls as she named them – " . . . all eventually resulted from that."

Ataru sighed. "And everyone says **I** had no tact?" he muttered to himself before burying his face into his hands.

"It's alright, Onii-chan." Karen sat beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Believe me, I always wondered why Tō-san . . . " She stopped, and then she sighed. "Well, my stepfather, I should call him – was always distant to me when I was growing up. But when Onē-chan came and told me the news, I . . . " She shuddered, her joy radiating from her like a nova. "Oh, it made me feel so happy to know I have a brother, not to mention sisters, too!"

She indicated Negako and the others. "Kaho really liked it when Onē-chama came and told her the truth!" Kaho gushed, and then she knelt before Ataru. "Now Kaho can cheer Onii-chama while he's training with Onē-chama!"

Ataru blinked. "Er . . . well . . .!"

"It's alright, Onii-sama." Sakuya placed a restraining hand on Kaho's shoulder as she gave him a smile. "This is all new to us, too!"

"Hina's happy Onii-tama is here!" Hinako declared as she walked over to hug one of Ataru's arms. "Now, Onii-tama can take Hina out to find Kuma-san and read books to Hina and eat fruit parfait with Hina and . . .!"

"Hey! He's OUR big brother, too, you know!" Karen gently scolded.

The sisters exchanged wary glances. A grin split Hinako's face. Soon, laughter filled the dining room. Even Negako seemed to have room for a smile. Ataru watched this, and then he took a breath before shrugging. "Well, this will take some getting used to!" he announced with a chuckle, pulling himself out of Hinako's embrace, though he held onto hers and Karen's hands. He then stared at Negako. "I take it Muchi never knew about any of this."

"No," Negako replied with a shake of her head. "Nagaiwakai ensured there was no way that Muchi, Kinshō, Komeru or anyone else would learn of this. After all, given the way our clan's leadership succession works . . . " Negako then indicated Sakuya with one hand, an eyebrow arching knowingly.

Ataru nodded. "Gotcha. Instant she comes of age – I think we have to get her on our family register, too – she becomes the next Matriarch."

"Exactly." Negako nodded, and then she blinked, her eyes turning up.

"Onē-chan, are you alright?" Karen immediately asked as the others stood up. She then looked to the ceiling. "What's wrong?"

Negako sighed. "It appears Shirayuki does not listen."

Sakuya blinked as she gazed on the grandmaster. "Shirayuki-chan? You mean she's the one who made those awful kimch'i rice puddings last night?"

"Um, Onē-san, who's this Shirayuki anyway?" Ataru wondered, his stomach automatically doing a flip-flop on hearing the phrase "kimch'i rice puddings." To him, it sounded like something Lum might have created on a mad lark.

"Osamu Shirayuki. She lives here, too," Negako explained. Her eyes then narrowed as her ki senses picked out additional details from one of the rooms two floors up. "Karen, have some cold water prepared. Aria, Rinrin and Yotsuba are with Shirayuki in Rinrin's room. They were affected as well."

"Hai!"

* * *

Pitchers of ice water and glasses were quickly set out on the dining room table. Negako went upstairs with Sakuya, Kaho and Hinako as Karen set things out. Ataru offered to help, but was waved down by Karen. "It's alright, Onii-chan," the younger girl said. "You just arrived. We're used to this."

Ataru sighed. "You mean bad cooking?"

"Well, Shirayuki-chan really, really, really tries her best when she cooks something," Karen moderated. "But then again, she hasn't had much time to practice. Her parents left her in the House's care only two months ago."

"Where did they g- . . .?"

The doors flew open. He and Karen watched as the others streamed into the room. Negako carried in two girls, though Hinako held one's hand. Sakuya carried another piggyback-style. Kaho helped a fourth stagger in. The newcomers were placed in chairs, and then glasses of water were poured for them. Seeing that, the newcomers grabbed the glasses and chugged them down. "Ah!" one gasped, scratching the back of her head. She was a girl of fourteen or so, with brown eyes and mauve hair bob-curled at her shoulders, held down by a big, black bow tie shaped somewhat like cat ears. She was wearing a white blouse with tie, black vest and matching black skirt, plus thigh-highs and mary janes. "Oh, how could Hime make such an awful mistake with her kimch'i rice puddings?"

"It's okay, Shirayuki-chan!" the girl beside her replied as she poured herself another glass. She was on the near side of fifteen, with brown eyes and dark brown hair cut short at her neck. She was draped in a green, ankle-length, full-sleeve cheongsam-like skirt with white collars, welding goggles on her forehead. "It's like science! You gotta keep testing to make it right."

"Maybe it was that oven you built, Rinrin-chan," the newcomer to Ataru's right noted, her voice tinged with east end London. Around the same age as Rinrin, she had gold-brown eyes and shaggy brown hair done up in side-by-side ponytails at the back of her head. Further indicating she was part-English was her clothing: A tie with the Union Jack painted on it, wrapped over a white shirt, that topped with a red vest, gold skirt and black stockings, the whole topped by a cape Sherlock Holmes might wear. She had a spyglass in her pocket.

The last of the quartet was a ten-year old dressed in something straight out of the period Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived in when he wrote about his detective: A blue-and-white, ankle-length hoop skirt with bow ties, gloves and more crinoline lace trimming than you could shake the proverbial stick at. A bonnet, the hair tied in four buns at the back of her neck, covered her platinum hair. As she finished her glass of water, her purple eyes suddenly fixed on Ataru, and then they went wide with recognition. "Ah!" She smiled, her voice airy, her accent strongly flecked with Paris. "Nii-ya!" she cried out. "Nē-ya brought Nii-ya to be with Aria like Nē-ya promised!"

"EH?" everyone gasped as the other newcomers stare at Ataru, the Sherlock Holmes-wannabe taking a close look with her spyglass.

Shirayuki bolted up, grinning delightedly. "Nii-sama?"

"Aniki! You're here!" Rinrin gushed.

"Ani-chama!" The Holmes-wannabe shuddered before she bopped the top of her head with her fist. "Yotsuba's slipping! Yotsuba should've checked that if Ane-chama's here today, then Ani-chama came with her!"

Ataru jolted, his eyes going VERY wide before he started to sway. "No, not you, too . . .!" he moaned before collapsing on the couch.

"BIG BROTHER!" all the younger sisters cried out.

* * *

"Aniki, are you okay?"

"Ani-chama sure didn't check THAT pretty well!"

Ataru moaned, and then he sat up, noticing that TWICE the number of girls was staring worriedly at him. Breathing out, he jolted on seeing a hand holding his left arm at the wrist. Attached to that was Aria. Hinako was on his other side. "Onii-chan, are you okay?" Karen asked. "Do you want some water?"

"I . . .!" he stuttered before exhaling. "Onē-san, if this is your idea of a surprise, I have to confess, it's working brilliantly!"

Everyone except Negako laughed. "Yes, they are also your half-sisters," she said as she indicated each of the newcomers. "Yotsuba Nemain Dunn, Hatoyama Rinrin, Osamu Shirayuki and Aria Claudia Jeanne Michelle des Beauchamps."

"Um . . .!" His eyebrow twitched, and then he waved. "Hi, girls!"

"Oh, Nii-sama! Hime's so happy Nii-sama's here!" Shirayuki clapped her hands in anticipation before a thoughtful look crossed her face. "Hime should try to make something good for Nii-sama so he can feel at home here with us!"

Rinrin's eyebrow arched. "Um, Shirayuki-chan, do you really want to give Aniki a taste of those rice puddings you made last night?"

Shirayuki balked, and then she sighed. "Sō desu no . . . "

"Well, it doesn't mean to stop trying, Shirayuki-chan." Ataru gazed at her. He then hummed, turning to see that Yotsuba was scanning him intently through her spyglass. "And what are **you** looking at, Yotsuba-chan?"

She smirked. "At Ani-chama! Yotsuba is going to keep checking Ani-chama until Yotsuba learns all of Ani-chama's secrets!"

"Oh?" His eyebrow arched as he snapped the spyglass away from her. SHE then got the look-over. "And WHO checks the checker?"

Yotsuba gargled as some of the others laughed. Ataru then jolted as Aria gently tugged his sleeve. "Nii-ya." She smiled at him as he stared at her. "Did Nii-ya walk with Nē-ya to see Aria?" she asked. "Aria hopes so. Nē-ya doesn't like coming here because Umi-san scares Nē-ya."

He took that in. Returning Yotsuba's spyglass to her, Ataru then patted Aria's hand. "Don't worry, Aria-chan." He winked playfully at the young Parisian. "Nii-ya made sure Umi-san didn't scare Nē-ya."

Aria impishly shrugged. "Kusun."

Suddenly, a rolling sound echoed through the dining room, causing everyone to look up. "What's that?" Sakuya demanded.

"Sounds like Mamoru-chan skating around," Kaho reported.

Negako was nonplussed. "Ah, the others are coming now."

Everyone looked at her. "'Others?'"

Ataru paled. "You mean . . .!"

A sharp _crash!_ echoed from overhead, causing people to look up as part of the glass ceiling fell away, soaring seemingly right for Ataru's head. "ANII! ANĒ! EVERYONE! LOOK OUT!" someone screamed from above.

Before it could hit, a flash of steel ripped it in half, sending the pieces to either side of the room. As the people in the room – save Negako – immediately crowded around Ataru, a lithe form landed on the table, and then she flipped to the floor. "Anigimi-sama, Anegimi-sama, minna-sama, are you all right?" the newcomer asked in a voice tinged with the Ruhr Valley of Germany.

The questioner was a woman Sakuya's age and height, with blue eyes and long black hair tied in a high ponytail. She was draped in a pink top and black hakama over lace-up, high-heel boots. A naginata rested in her hand. Before people could say a word to her, someone else landed hands-first on the table, and then somersaulted to the floor beside the naginata-welder. "Haruka-chan! Mamoru-chan!" Karen called out on recognising them, and then she gasped as she looked at Negako, stunned disbelief flashing in her eyes. "Them, too?"

The second newcomer was a girl of thirteen though looking more mature. She distantly resembled Rinrin, though her chocolate-shaded hair was shaggier. A cap covered most of that. As befitting one who was a serious sportswoman, she was dressed in a dark green spandex bodysuit topped with a green-and-orange track top. In-line roller blades covered her feet and sunglasses were perched on her forehead. "Sorry about that, everyone!" she then apologised. "I was trying to get down the stairs, but when I saw Anii, I got too excited . . . "

"And you might've killed some of us were it not for Haruka-chan," Sakuya said as she sent the skater an annoyed look, waving to the naginata-welder. "Good grief, Mamoru-chan! You KNOW the people running the House don't like it when you skate around indoors on your roller blades!"

Mamoru looked miffed. "So?"

Ataru stared at Negako. "Them, too?"

Negako indicated each girl. "Tenhiro Haruka. Itō Mamoru."

Hearing their names, the newcomers perked, and then they turned to gaze affectionately at Ataru. "It's so good to meet you at last, Anigimi-sama," Haruka declared as a blush crossed her face. She then clapped her cheeks as they reddened to the shade of cherries as she spun from her brother. "P-poh!"

Mamoru grinned. "Yeah! When Anē told us you can run marathons and all that 'cause of that alien girl, I got really excited!"

Ataru took that in, and then he stared at Negako. "Is that all?"

The ninjutsu grandmaster moved to answer, and then she turned towards the doors as a voice almost as timid as Aria's called out, "Hello? Aneue-sama? Did you finally come with Aniue-sama . . . oh! Hello, everyone!"

People turned as a girl about Haruka's age, possessing blue eyes under a set of round-frame reading glasses and long black hair in a thick braid, stepped in. She wore a white shirt and black vest over a green, ankle-length skirt. Beside her was a beautiful golden retriever as big as Hinako. "Marie-chan, what are you . . .?" Karen began before she spun on Negako, pointing to the newcomer. "Onē-chan! You don't mean that Marie-chan's . . .?"

"A half-sister. Yes, Karen. Ataru, this is Susumu Marie. The dog beside her is her pet, Michael," Negako did introductions.

Marie stared at Ataru, and then her cheeks flamed before she started to sway. "Oh, Aniue-sama! I'm so glad you . . . you . . . "

She collapsed. "Marie-chan!" Sakuya cried, and then she gasped as a blur ripped past her to land beside Marie before her head bounced off the floor. That blur became Ataru as he carried Marie to the couch. "Onii-sama . . .!"

"Marie-chan, are you okay?" Hinako called out as Ataru sat Marie down, and then he moved to pour the dazed girl a glass of water.

A star-shaped patch of light appeared on the dining room table, causing everyone to gasp as they spun around to look. The light faded, revealing a girl Sakuya's and Haruka's height, draped in a solid black cape from neck to toe, a witch's pointed hat perched on her head. Mamoru tensed on recognising the newcomer. "Oh, man! You don't mean . . .!" she moaned. "Her, too?"

The newcomer whipped off the hat and cape, revealing a girl Sakuya's age with purple hair in a bun at the crown of her head and very dark eyes. Under the cape, she wore a button shirt, red tie emblazoned with a white Gothic cross, plaid vest, ankle-length grey skirt and a black blazer. As everyone relaxed, she stared at Ataru, giving him a wave. "Ya, Ani-kun. I see all's well."

Sakuya sighed. "Chikage-chan, too?"

Ataru stared at the sorceress, and then he sat down beside the dozing Marie. "Excuse me, please," he muttered before passing out.

Everyone stared at him, and then they exhaled, even Negako. "I see Ani-kun took THAT very well," Chikage noted with a titter.

* * *

Ataru eventually recovered, and then he was introduced to the sorceress. Afterward, he moved into his room. Negako took up residence in a spare bedroom on the third floor, located between Rinrin's quarters and the men's furo room. Once everything was squared away, Shirayuki headed into the kitchen, located between Kaho's bedroom and the foyer on the ground floor, to whip up a feast in Ataru's honour. To ensure the would-be chef didn't make mistakes – especially when it came to their brother – Sakuya stayed with her to be the taste-tester.

As that happened, Ataru took some time to visit everyone in their own rooms to spend time with each. He learned something of their stories, how they came to be in Welcome House and what happened to their mothers and stepfathers.

Ataru was quick to learn that Marie was an orphan. Her mother had died of ovarian cancer when she was in junior kindergarten; her stepfather having passed away the previous year, pretty much of a broken heart.

Chikage's mother and stepfather, along with her maternal grandfather, were presently "indisposed." Whatever that meant.

Haruka's mother had passed away two years before thanks to pneumonia. Stricken with grief, her stepfather was currently somewhere in Southeast Asia on a wandering quest similar to the Australian Aboriginal "walkabout."

Rinrin's stepfather had died in a laboratory accident, but as of yet, her housewife mother had not elected to come back to the Island.

Sakuya's mother disappeared sometime after she entered junior high school. Try as people might, no one had yet learned what might have happened to her. That broke her stepfather's heart; he had died two years ago.

The others' families were intact, but all were currently off the Island, working either in Japan or abroad (that being the case of Karen's, Yotsuba's and Aria's families). Ataru understood; no doubt, when Negako met his sisters, the fact that they were ALL born out of wedlock – and the fact that their being born out of wedlock might soon go public – must have hit their parents hard.

He also learned that none of them had either stepbrothers or stepsisters, but they all had friends, save a social recluse like Chikage.

By the time their details were implanted into Ataru's mind, dinner was served. Shirayuki's determination, added to Sakuya's watchfulness, produced a meal that, while not up to Kamekichi Tampopo's standards, was scrumptious! Of course, Ataru did not engage in the rapid-fire eating style he sometimes used when he got challenged to a "lunch duel" back at Tomobiki High School. Not only was that pretty rude, but Shirayuki clearly wanted those who ate her creations to enjoy every last morsel. Ataru was MORE than happy to oblige.

After dinner, Rinrin brought in her Rinrin Viewer, a flat-screen 150-by-120-centimetre television with built-in Internet modem, touch-screen controls and high-speed central processor. Everyone pitched in to mount it on the wall. Once it was in place, Rinrin tried out the Viewer's latest modification: An AI that was programmed to allow voice-activated Internet surfing. After the links were tested, Ataru and the sisters began visiting Web sites from Japan and abroad, all by the power of their own voices (using written notes on addresses kept by Karen).

One of the websites visited was NHK News Online. To Ataru's surprise, the article about Lum's departure from Earth wasn't in the "Top Ten" listings. Quickly shifting to the old news page, they found the entry, and then logged in. Once there, Ataru was stunned to find that certain organisations in Tomobiki had, in the wake of the Oni's departure, finally spoken out AGAINST Lum's presence on Earth. One was the Tomobiki Parent-Teachers Association.

Megane's mother Aisuru Rui had made the PTA's statement:

"'Today, liberation finally came for the people of Tomobiki,'" Sakuya read. "'After two years of numbing uncertainty, interspersed with moments of terror, the Oni girl Lum and her friends from off-world have been driven from our planet, hopefully never to return. Despite the widespread idol-like adoration many of our children, especially those of high school age, expressed towards the Oni, her living in Tomobiki was NOT to the benefit of her long-suffering citizens. We, the parents of Tomobiki, rejoice that the Oni is no longer amongst us. We hope and pray that the United Nations will make very sure that none of her kind visit Earth ever again within our lifetimes.'"

"There's no mention of you, Nii-sama," Shirayuki noted.

Ataru shook his head. "Oh, heck! Don't worry about it. If they didn't say anything about me, I don't care. It means they're too busy trying to think up ways of making me their primary scapegoat for whatever weird thing that might hit that place these days. Especially since I don't live there now."

"Won't you say something about this, Onii-sama?" Sakuya asked.

He blinked before he shook his head. "No. I've no interest in allowing any of those clods to get anywhere close to any of you. You don't deserve that." He then gazed on the Rinrin Viewer. "Still, it is shocking."

"What is, Onii-chan?" Karen asked.

"That there were people in town who hated Lum." Ataru crossed his arms. "I always was under the impression that everyone there liked her."

The others hummed.

* * *

That night . . .

"**_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! DON'T GO!_**"

The four residents of the rotunda's ground floor (clockwise from the front door: Kaho, Sakuya, Hinako and Karen) sat up, wide-eyed with shock as that blood-curling scream echoed through the building. Karen, living in the room next door to her just-arrived big brother, quickly recognised who had done the shouting. "Onii-chan!" she screamed out.

Surging out of bed, she raced out the door as the door to Hinako's room opened, revealing the youngest of the sisters, her eyes tearing as she clutched her precious Mister Bunny. "Karen-chan! Who screamed?" Hinako burbled.

"Onii-chan!" Karen knocked on Ataru's door, and then she opened it to look inside before stopping, her eyes widening. "Onē-chan!"

Negako looked up from a pale-faced Ataru. Staring at this nearly ageless entity she looked on these days as an elder sister, Karen was stunned to see – well, SOMETHING! – etched in Negako's brown eyes. "Onē-chan . . .?"

"No . . . please, Lum . . . don't leave me . . . "

Negako turned to gaze on him as the latter quaked, the nightmare still searing through him. She tapped several points on his face and neck to force him into a deeper sleep. By then, Sakuya, Kaho and Hinako have joined Karen.

"Onē-sama . . .?" Sakuya whispered.

Negako grimaced. "I should have anticipated this."

"Anticipated what, Onē-chama?" Kaho asked.

"The backlash the restoration of his memories would have unleashed, Kaho," Negako answered. "While he was in the amnesiac state I placed him in five years ago, he was unable to properly tap into his learning and intelligence potential. It is no wonder so many in Tomobiki considered him an idiot; he did not have the mental capacity to truly evolve and mature himself as most others do."

Karen's eyes started to tear. "Didn't you realise this when you did this to him in the first place, Onē-chan?" she gasped.

"I did. But at the time this happened, I was too euphoric at being free to foresee the potential dangers I was placing Ataru in," Negako replied as she closed her eyes. She then perked as she detected something. "Interesting."

"What is it?" Kaho probed.

Negako blinked, pulling her hand away from Ataru. "He will sleep better this evening." She stood up, moving to step out of the bedroom. "You may remain here if you wish. I have something to discuss with Chikage."

She walked out. The sisters watched her depart, and then they exchanged worried looks. "There are times I really worry about her," Karen mused.

Sakuya shook her head. "Nothing you can do, Karen-chan. In a way, Onē-sama was abandoned to fend for herself just like Onii-sama. Right now . . . " She gazed on the sleeping Ataru, her eyes tearing. "All we can do is to be there for them. Be the family they both really need right now."

The others nodded before they walked out to return to bed. All save Hinako. The youngest of the sisters walked over to stare intently into her Onii-tama's face. She then took Mister Bunny and tucked that into the bed beside him. She kissed Ataru's cheek. "Good night, Onii-tama," she whispered.

With that, Hinako headed out, closing the door behind her.

* * *

"It's natural for Ani-kun to start having nightmares about his experiences in Tomobiki," Chikage stated as she poured drinks from her own spirit locker. None of the bottles, Negako was quick to note, were less than a century old, all of them preserved using techniques vintners and distillers would literally kill to possess. "Though there were times Ani-kun easily manipulated others to do his bidding, the number of real and perceived enemies were often overwhelming. Atop that, elements of Ani-kun's psyche were fractured from the core conscience when you were inserted into him when he was six years old."

"Multiple-personality disorder?"

"Potentially." The sorceress served the drinks, and then she sat across from the ninjutsu grandmaster. "Studies about multiple-personality problems are still problematic even among the various magical communities around the world, Ane-kun. Still, from what I have been able to divine, all parts of Ani-kun are aligned on one emotional path. It is the precise methodology each of those fragments might use in specific situations which differs."

"Keeping him isolated from his former classmates is wise, then?"

A nod. "In my estimation, yes. In fact, if we engage in a campaign where we deliberately place the people of Tomobiki, especially those who stood against Ani-kun the most, in a negative light, it would be healthier for all. Ani-kun – the 'core' of him – could be made to desire never to deal with them again. He would avoid them, frustrating them if they wished to seek him out. They might decide to do so in the wake of Lum's banishment . . . " A pause. "Or they might turn out to be so overwhelmed at Lum's 'loss,' they'd not contemplate seeking Ani-kun out at all. That, I think, would be better. The violent elements of Ani-kun's fragmented conscience, I fear, would kill them all at the first opportunity. And given the skills he inherited from you, Ane-kun . . . "

"It would become, as the Americans put it, a 'turkey shoot,'" Negako finished. "It is fortunate I removed and destroyed the listening device Lum placed in that UFO catcher doll she once made for Ataru. To believe that Lum expressed NO real trust to Ataru, yet she loudly claimed she loved him. I may not be able to feel 'true' love myself, but I know at least it is not THAT."

"Indeed, it isn't." Chikage sipped her brandy, and then she gazed at Negako. "So you noticed the psi-bond Ani-kun has now."

"Do you know who he is bonded to? The part of Ataru's memory from when that bond was formed was damaged when I was placed in him."

Chikage reached for her crystal ball, and then she held it up before Negako. Chanting an ancient incantation, the sorceress smiled as an image appears in the opaque crystal. "This is Ani-kun's chosen one."

Negako looked, her eyebrows arching. "Saotome Ranma?"

Chikage blinked. "Saotome Ranma?" Her eyes widened – whom in the immediate area of the Tōkyō megalopolis had NOT heard of him? – and then one of her eyebrows arched in return. "But Ranma-san is supposed to be . . . "

"A man?" Negako lightly smiled. "So he was born. But as you should be aware, Zhòuquán-xiāng altered that far more than most believe."

"True."

**_To be continued . . ._**

* * *

**WRITER'S NOTES:**

1) Names are written in "family name-first" order if the family name is Oriental, which will include Imperial Urusian names, i.e. Moroboshi Ataru, Saotome Ranma, Redet Lum. Names are written in "family name-last" order if the family name is Occidental, which will include Zephyrite and Ellsian names, i.e. Yotsuba Dunn, Sunhair Windrider, Amora de Rosenbach. Noukiite names are written in the order "cast rank-family name gender/birth rank-given name."

2) For those who are unfamiliar with the characters of _Sister Princess_, the girls have a unique and personalized way when it comes to referring to Ataru (and by extension, Negako). For those who wish to know, that is part of the charm of the _Sister Princess_ characters. So, FYI, here's a list of who speaks in what way (plus how it would be written in Japanese):

**Karen** – Onii-chan (お兄ちゃん)/Onē-chan (お姉ちゃん)  
**Kaho** – Onii-chama (お兄ちゃま)/Onē-chama (お姉ちゃま)  
**Mamoru** – Anii (あにぃ)/Anē (あねぇ)  
**Sakuya** – Onii-sama (お兄様)/Onē-sama (お姉様)  
**Hinako** – Onii-tama (おにいたま)/Onē-tama (おねえたま)  
**Marie** – Aniue-sama (兄上様)/Aneue-sama (姉上様)  
**Shirayuki** – Nii-sama (にいさま)/Nē-sama (ねえさま)  
**Rinrin** – Aniki (アニキ)/Aneki (アネキ)  
**Chikage** – Ani-kun (兄くん)/Ane-kun (姉くん)  
**Haruka** – Anigimi-sama (兄君さま)/Anegimi-sama (姉君さま)  
**Yotsuba** – Ani-chama (兄チャマ)/Ane-chama (姉チャマ)  
**Aria** – Nii-ya (兄や)/Nē-ya (姉や)

As you also probably noted, Kaho, Yotsuba and Aria speak in third person (using their names in lieu of "I"). Hinako uses "Hina" when referring to herself. Shirayuki calls herself "Hime" (princess). This form of speech and how they talk was used in the _Sister Princess_ anime and the novels Tenhiro-sensei and Kimino-sensei wrote about them. Other special expressions the girls use are as follows:

**. . . desu no** – Ending to most of Shirayuki's sentences, like the appearance of the "-tcha" at the end of Lum's sentences.

**Poh!** – Haruka's personal exclamation, substitute for "Oh!", "Oh, my!", "Oh, dear!" . . . well, you get the hint, ne?

**Check**/**Checky!** – Yotsuba's favourite words. Often subs this for other words, i.e. "It's not checky!" for "That's not okay."

**Kusun!** – The sound Aria makes when she becomes upset about something. When you hear her make this noise, watch out!

I did make one change: Karen. In the anime and the novellas, Karen also speaks in third-person. I decided that because she has spent a lot of time traveling abroad, she would be evolving from that habit when she meets her Onii-chan.

3) Information on the Tarot is based on information at the _Learn the Tarot_ site by Joan Bunning.

4) Alphabet soup time! Translations of intelligence agencies' initials:

**KCC:** _Kōan Chōsa-chō_ (Public Security Intelligence Agency) – State of Japan  
**SVR:** _Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki_ (Foreign Intelligence Service) – Russian Federation  
**KGB:** _Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti_ (Committee for State Security) – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics  
**CIA:** Central Intelligence Agency – United States of America  
**SIS:** Secret Intelligence Service – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland  
**GAB:** _Guójiā Ānquán Bù_ (Ministry for State Security) – People's Republic of China  
**DGSE:** _Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure_ (General Directorate of External Security) – Republic of France  
**Mossad:** _HaMossad leModi'in u-le-Tafkidim Meyuchadim_ (Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations) – State of Israel  
**CSIS:** Canadian Security Intelligence Service – Dominion of Canada  
**KCW:** _Kukka Chŏngbo-wŏn_ (National Intelligence Service) – Republic of Korea

5) The Men in Black are based on characters from the movie of the same name. FYI, Jay's real name is "James Darrell Edwards III." Kay's real name is "Kevin Brown."

6) Kamekichi Tampopo first appeared in my _Yatsura_ lemon fanfic _The Galatea Syndrome_. Moroboshi Negako was one of the primary antagonist characters in _The Senior Year_; in her disembodied form as the _Saikō Jinseijutsu_ (Way of the Supreme Life), she first appeared in the story "Spirit-War Tomobiki"; this is also the story where Moroboshi Komeru first appeared. The concept of foreign intelligence agencies spying on aliens living in Tomobiki was explored in _The Senior Year_ fanfic story "Shinobu - Futures Imperfect" by Phil Gavigan. The Zephyrites, the Seifukusu the Noukiites were two of the new races introduced in _TSY_; the former made their full appearance in the story "Ataru's First Girlfriend! Arrive Windy-chan!", the Urusians' former conquerors in "Surprise, Darling! You're a Father!" and the latter first appeared in "Arrive Reiko-chan." Darklight Sunfire himself first appeared in "Arrive Reiko-chan." Fusegu Jinseiko and the Kuromoroboshi first appeared in "Tag Race Mark Three," as did Moroboshi Nagaiwakai. Nassur, who was created by Mike Smith, is another character from _TSY_; he first appeared in "Return of Memory."

7) Translations (all from Japanese unless otherwise noted):

**baka** – _idiot/fool/stupid  
_**aho** – _idiot_ (a stronger term than _baka_)_  
_**konban wa** – _good evening  
_**irasshaimase** – _be welcome_ (greeting when one enters a restaurant)  
**okonomiyaki**_ – "as you like it"_ (pan-fried batter cake with vegetables)  
**gomen**/**gomen ne**/**gomen nasai** - _I'm sorry  
_**kimch'i** – _fermented vegetables spiced with red pepper powder_ (Korean)  
**komt'ang** – _beef-bone stew_ (Korean)  
**sŏllŏngt'ang** – _beef and noodles stew_ (Korean)  
**kalbit'ang** – _beef rib stew_ (Korean)  
**samgyet'ang** – _chicken and rice stew with ginseng_ (Korean)  
**hanko** – _personal stamp used to notarize official documents  
_**rōnin** – _master-less samurai_ (also a euphemism for failed college exam takers)  
**burakumin** – _village people_ (euphemism for Japan's "untouchables")  
**Ip'ihu** – _Tribe of the Ravenous Wolves_ (Noukiite)  
**Tok-do** – _Korean name for the Liancourt Rocks_ (Japanese name **Take-shima**)  
**shinobigatana** – _ninja's version of a katana  
_**kunoichi** – _female ninja  
_**kuromoroboshi** – _black shooting stars  
_**Toranoseishin** – _Spirit of the Tiger  
_**odango** – _meat or vegetable dumplings, similar to won ton  
_**seifuku** – _"sailor suit" style girl's school uniform  
_**kuma** – _bear  
_**sō desu no** – _that's true_/_it's okay_ (Shirayuki-speak)  
**umi** – _sea  
_**hakama** – _wide-legged pleated pants  
_**naginata** – _a weapon similar to a pike, traditionally welded by women  
_**NHK** – _initials for _**Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai**_, or "Japan Broadcasting Corporation"_


	2. Prologue R: Dark Before The Light

Saotome Ranma's eyes fluttered as he found himself on the roof of the Tendō home. A chill warped through him as he tried to recall what he had been doing, and then he yawned. Damn, he was tired! Then again, should he be surprised? Getting into the fight of his life against an immortal PHOENIX of all things, and then getting involved in that farce that should've been his and Akane's wedding, would've sent most people to their graves.

Sitting up, he stretched, and then he hopped to his feet. Sliding into a warm-up kata, he took time to glance at the surrounding city. It looked to be a nice day. Well, even if he and Akane weren't wed, things were all right. Akane was alive and safe. The dōjō was intact. The idiots were leaving him alone, as was that freak that thought he was Ranma's "master." His mother was here, trying to catch up on their long separation. His friends . . .

Friends.

Family.

He scowled. If anything, the failed wedding proved one thing: He had fewer friends than he had assumed, not to mention next to nothing when it came to family. The instant the cask of Nanniichuan water was brought out, Ryōga, Mousse and Genma immediately decided their problems mattered more, and then got into a free-for-all over who'd get to use it first. Hell, he would've tried to share that with the others; it only seemed fair since Jusenkyō had wound up under several metres of water thanks to the fight on Mount Phoenix.

Would they've shared it with him . . .?

Hell, no!

Of course not!

And then Ukyō . . .

Ranma slowed to a stop, gently squeezing his fists together. Damn, how did THAT happen, anyway? Given how determined Genma and Sōun were to see him married to Akane, didn't it stand to rights that Ukyō, much less Shampoo and the Kunōs, should NOT have been invited, thus risking that sort of nonsense?

Who had invited them anyway?

"No, you're not getting paid anything back."

Ranma perked, and then he crouched. Nabiki. Doing his kata, he had slid across the roof from over Akane's room to a point over her sister's room. And given his sharp senses, he easily heard Nabiki's voice even up here. Crouching, he turned his ears to listen: "Forget it, Kuonji!" Nabiki barked. "You come flying into the dōjō with bombs – some of which got close to Ranma-kun's mother, by the way – and you expect to get your money back?"

Ranma tried to hear what Ukyō said in return, but that was nothing more than a faint murmur. Then Nabiki: "I don't care about your stupid problems with the panda. If you want to know, it was the panda and my father who arranged this." Another quick pause as she listened to Ukyō's response, and then she added, "Though given what I've heard about what happened in China, it's pretty obvious now that Ranma-kun HAS chosen who he wants to marry."

Longer pause. No doubt, Ukyō was currently ranting over Akane's many deficiencies. Ranma shook his head, and then he perked as Nabiki replied, "Well, gee, I guess you don't know Ranma-kun as much as you'd like to know him, eh? Doubt he'll be coming by to visit you in the future, Kuonji." Another pause, and then she said, "Don't bother. We've got loads of witnesses ready to testify against you, Shampoo and Kunō-chan about what you did. Your claim on Ranma-kun won't mean squat after that, girl. Have a nice day." She hung up.

Hearing the _click!_ of the phone, Ranma blinked before sighing. _She's right about that_, wafted through him as he slid away from Nabiki's bedroom window before he moved down the roof to an area near the sitting room . . .

"You should've told him the whole story, Akane-chan."

Ranma paused. Kasumi. A quick glance around confirmed he was standing over the entrance. Kasumi and Akane were in the sitting room. He crouched to listen in. Down below, Akane sighed. "There wasn't enough time, Onē-chan."

"Enough time?" Kasumi echoed her words. Though the eldest Tendō daughter's voice would sound normal to most, to Ranma, the edge in her words spoke volumes. "Akane, you know Ranma-kun has dreamt for a long time to obtain a cure to his curse. The fact that Otō-san would actually try to hold back that keg of Nanniichuan water as a bribe to force Ranma-kun to marry you is bad enough in my eyes. That you didn't bother telling him is just as bad . . . "

A _bang!_ echoed from the room; no doubt, Akane just struck a table with her fist. "It didn't matter, Onē-chan!"

Ranma blinked. _Akane knew that Tendō wanted to use the Nanniichuan to force me to marry her?_ he gasped, his eyes widening as her words echoed again and again in his mind. _Why the hell didn't she tell me . . .?_

Quaking, he slid away from the sitting room, and then he made a spring for a nearby telephone pole. He needed to go somewhere.

But where could he go?

* * *

**_Lonely Souls  
_**By Fred Herriot

Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.

Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

* * *

**_NOTE_**_: This part of the story begins the morning after the end of the "A" Side Prologue._

* * *

**THE PROLOGUE, "R" SIDE – DARK BEFORE THE LIGHT **

"Did it really?" Kasumi demanded. "Akane-chan, you could've easily taken that cask from Father and hid it until after the wedding was over. You KNOW the Jusenkyō Guide sent the casket to Ranma-kun for what he did when you were kidnapped. Why didn't you think of that?"

"I . . .!" The youngest Tendō daughter blinked as Kasumi's question sank in, and then she sighed. "Alright! I didn't think it through! I admit it, but . . . " She paused. "It didn't really matter to me, Onē-chan. He said it! He said he loved me! I remember him saying it after he ki- . . . " she stuttered on that word before she sighed again. "After he beat Saffron."

Kasumi took that in. She had obtained an abridged report on the events on Mount Phoenix from Hibiki Ryōga. "Yes, I suppose seeing you so close to death would make Ranma-kun let go of his inhibitions." She nodded, and then she shook her head, her displeasure apparent. "I confess, I'm disappointed in Otō-san and I'm VERY disappointed in Saotome-ojisan. I'd believe that after what happened all the other times they've tried to force you two to wed, they'd have learned by now. Not to mention Oji-san stealing Ranma-kun's gift . . . "

Akane sighed. "Well, we can wait for it. I know what Ranma feels right now about me. I know what I feel right now about him. There's no need to press it. And with those two out of the way . . . " A snort escaped her before she smiled. "At the same time, I think Ukyō and Shampoo have finally learned their lesson. Ranma could tolerate a lot put on him, but his mother was nearly caught in the crossfire, too. He won't easily forgive that."

"True," Kasumi conceded. "Perhaps it's time we force Saotome-ojisan to face up to the things he did wrong with Ranma-kun and move to correct those matters once and for all time. WITHOUT him sloughing it off on Ranma-kun."

"Do you really think he'll do anything, Onē-chan?"

The oldest daughter smiled as she winked. "There are ways."

* * *

Hikarigaoka Park . . .

"Damn! He's not open yet."

Ranma turned away from Nerima's only American-style hamburger yatai, whose owner normally set up operations in the middle of the park located on the border with Itabashi Ward. Well, he wasn't too hungry, though he would be soon. He had no intention of visiting Okonomiyaki U-chan's or the Nekohanten anytime soon. Heck, if he could avoid it, he wouldn't visit either place ever again . . .

Ranma sat on a bench, leaning his chin into his hands. Thinking wasn't his real strong suit, but he needed to do it now. Fighting it out wasn't doing him any good these days. Yeah, it was excellent exercise, but too many others took it the wrong way. Where did it really end up after the dust settled?

He closed his eyes. The time had come for some changes.

First was Kuonji Ukyō. He had pretty much ignored her claims of being the "cute" fiancée, basking in the fact that his oldest childhood friend had returned. No more. Ukyō would have a choice to make. If she wanted his friendship, she'd have to let go of whatever marital claims she had on him. If her help in destroying his family home wasn't bad enough, the wedding . . .!

Ranma shuddered. Idiot! What was she doing lobbing food bombs in the dōjō, with dozens of innocent people in the way? Shampoo, he understood; the harshness of her tribal laws demanded things like that! But Ukyō . . .?

What the HELL was she thinking?

He sighed. No. It was one way or the other. If she wanted to be his friend, she couldn't be his fiancée. If she wanted both, she'd have to take it out on Oyaji and resolve it with him. Ranma smirked, imagining what Genma would do if he got wind of that. Well, the idiot started it, after all.

But now . . .

Akane . . .

SHE KNEW!

His fists squeezed together. Damn it all, didn't she understand? Didn't she CARE? How could he possibly hope to marry her, start a family with her, if he was still stuck with this damned curse? Didn't she . . .?

_I said I loved her._

His eyes narrowed, the wet sting of oncoming tears forcing him to squeeze them shut. No! No, damn it all! He wouldn't cry . . .!

_Did she really mean it?_

Damn! Why were things so confusing . . .?

_Does she love me?_

What could he do now . . .?

_Or is she no different than Ukyō and Shampoo?_

Shuddering, he took a deep breath. Wiping his eyes, he stood.

_Am I a person to her?_

Ranma slowly walked back towards the dōjō.

_Or just a prize?_

* * *

Later that morning . . .

"Ranma, are you okay?"

"Eh?" He looked down at Akane. Given the numbers of days both had missed classes, the couple had been forced to attend make-up classes during winter vacation to keep their grades up. That had wound up being true for a lot of students at Fūrinkan, Ranma soon learned yesterday, though not much teaching was done given the gossiping students engaged in about the wedding.

Unlike yesterday, where they had walked side-by-side to school, he had returned to fence walking. However, this time, he was keeping a sharp eye out for a certain warrior-maiden on a bicycle. Much that he didn't like the idea of fighting a girl – especially given all the troubles he had endured thanks to Shampoo and her clan laws – he could try to avoid that.

"Didja say somethin', Akane?" He then looked around.

Akane was quick to notice him gazing around. Ranma seemed tense at the dinner table this morning, hardly speaking at all to anyone save to his mother when she asked him about school. Genma had tried to engage in some tabletop sparring with the chopsticks, but one slice of Nodoka's katana put a stop to that. In fact, Akane could've sworn that she saw Ranma forming a ki ball in his hand when Genma tried to snatch his food. If Nodoka hadn't _cut_ in when she did, Genma might've got a dose of the Mōko Takabisha at point-blank range.

That would've surprised everyone.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "Something's bothering you."

"Huh?" He rolled the question through his mind before shaking his head. "Nah! Nothin's botherin' me, Akane. It's cool."

_Liar!_ she sharply retorted in her mind before she chastised herself for feeling anger at him. Ranma always had trouble vocalising his thoughts. That was one of the things Genma had failed to teach his son. Vocalising things was a weakness and Genma always wanted his child to be as invincible as possible. An understandable wish given the number of enemies Ranma had, but still . . .!

Taking a breath, she concentrated on the walk to school. Glancing at Ranma from time to time revealed that he was busy keeping an eye behind them. _Oh, of course!_ On the lookout for Shampoo. No doubt, after what happened, whatever trust Ranma might've had with that gaijin slut had vanished. Good thing, but it would clearly make for some tense days ahead. What would happen?

Finally, they reached the stretch of road leading to the front gate of Fūrinkan High School. Seeing that, Akane relaxed. Shampoo would normally have tried to persuade her "Àirén" to go on a date long before this.

Maybe the stupid hussy had learned her lesson . . .

"Hold, foul fiend!"

Ranma perked as Kunō Tatewaki placed himself on the main path leading to the doors, bokken in hand. Shuddering as the kendō club captain launched into his usual spiel, Ranma felt ki surge through him, and then he locked on target.

"**_MŌKO TAKABISHA!_**"

The students on the lawn screamed as the bolt of ki slammed into Kunō, sending him flying back to smash HARD into the concrete steps leading to the doors! Akane stopped, her jaw dropping in disbelief as Ranma hopped off the fence, and then calmly headed through the gates. People looked at him, a mixture of fear and shock on their faces, several moving to back away from him.

"Ranma-sama?"

Ranma stopped before he spun left to see Kodachi standing near a tree. As usual, the martial arts rhythmic gymnast was in her black, rose-embossed competition leotard, a handy battle whip in hand. Strangely enough, a storm of black rose petals had NOT preceded her entrance. Taking a deep breath, Ranma relaxed, though he allowed a ball of ki to form in his hand. "A problem, Kunō-san?" he wondered.

More gasps from the crowd. Most people at Fūrinkan knew Ranma wouldn't strike a woman. If he didn't believe in that "no hit girls" rule, Akane and a host of others would've spent time in traction for the times they lashed out at him for whatever reason struck their fancy at the time. Given Kodachi's lack of sanity, not to mention her reputation as a cheat, maybe this time . . .

"No problem." Kodachi seemed to remain outwardly calm, though inside, she was shivering at his look. Deciding to change the subject – and the focus of his attention – she glanced to her brother. "No doubt, Onii-san had THAT coming to him given what happened two days ago. Much that I adore you, Ranma-sama, I've come to realise you don't like being forced to do anything . . . "

"Hey, someone! Get an ambulance!"

Ranma dispersed the ki ball as he glanced at Kunō, the kendō-ka being tended to by several of his club mates. Hearing the shout from one of them, several students drew out cell-phones. By then, Akane has come to stand beside him. "Don't you think you overdid that?" she demanded with a wave at Kunō.

Ranma glared at her. "He drew live steel at the dōjō, Akane. In a middle of a friggin' WEDDING. As far as I'M concerned, he has no honour!" he growled loud enough so that as many people as possible would get the message.

"If that is what you believe, Ranma-sama, I will not stop you." Kodachi turned to leave. "Please do have a good day."

She bounded off. Ranma and Akane watched her. He shook his head. "Man, she's just as much a loony as he is." He thumbed Kunō before turning to head inside. As he approached the crowd surrounding the downed kendō-ka, he quickly noted their tense looks. Given they were members of the same club, it stood to rights they probably respected their captain. Too bad.

"Any of you care to be stupid today?" he then coldly asked.

They moved to extract Kunō from the hole Ranma made for him. With that, he headed inside. Behind him, Akane remained in place, stunned that her fiancé was being THIS vicious to anyone, even a blockhead . . .!

She shook her head before heading in. Yes, he certainly had a point about Kunō having no honour. Besides, all the times Kunō tried to fight Ranma beforehand hadn't done anything to make him go away and leave them be.

Maybe this time . . .!

* * *

Class 1-D . . .

"Ah, Saotome-kun! I trust you'll be staying in classes for the next few days," Ninomiya Hinako noted. "We've missed you."

Ranma curtly nodded. "Hai, Sensei."

"Alright then. We'll begin."

Ranma sighed, his eyes hooded as he tried to pay attention. Around him, other students concentrated. Most. Akane was dividing her attention between the lecture and Ranma. She then blinked as the student beside her placed a note on her desk. Seeing it was addressed to "Ran-chan," Akane turned towards Ukyō's seat. The chef gave her a look that was plain for Akane to understand:

_Pass it to him . . . and no, it's NONE of your damned business_.

Akane glanced at the head of the room to see Hinako writing something on the blackboard, and then she handed the note to Ranma. Ranma perked on sensing Akane's hand come in range, and then he relaxed. While most people believed he paid no attention at all when he was in class, that wasn't exactly true. He did try to stay aware of any potential overt threats against him, especially from others of the "Nerima Wrecking Crew." It didn't always work; look at all the times Shampoo smashed her way into the school to deliver lunch? And given the boredom he felt with the lectures, it was just plain hard to concentrate on the important things and not avoid a spell with the buckets in the hallway. Didn't anyone understand what he felt? Did anyone care . . .?

Glancing down, he noticed the note. Recognising Ukyō's handwriting, he glanced towards the front to see Hinako writing things, and then he looked at the chef. She beamed. Ranma then turned back to his book, his hands gently gripping the folded paper. Sighing, he casually ripped the note up, piling the pieces at the corner of his desk, and then he turned back to his book.

Seeing what he just did, Akane's jaw dropped. Gods, he did THAT to a note from UKYŌ of all people? Glancing towards the chef, she saw that Ukyō was busy writing something down to have seen what he had just done. Turning to her book, Akane shuddered as the implications of Ranma's actions sank in.

_He's rejected her!_

Akane blinked. Kuonji Ukyō, Ranma's oldest, best friend. His "kawaii" fiancée. The one person Ranma told all his problems to. The most serious rival to Akane for Ranma's love. The one Akane wanted as a friend. The one Akane hoped would step in just in case something happened to Akane herself.

The one . . .

_He's rejected her!_

Akane blinked again, and then she gazed at Ranma before a light smile crossed her face. _Then that means . . ._ She tried not to scream out. _He's finally chosen!_ She took a deep breath. _He's finally chosen me!_

* * *

Lunchtime quickly came. Ranma, who had long been trained by Genma to consider every meal potentially his last, quickly got out the bentō box Kasumi made for him. He blinked on noting a Saran-wrapped bowl full of brown-greyish sauce intermixed with vegetables awaiting him there. "Hey, Akane," he called out to his fiancée. "Did you make some curry today?"

"Actually, they're leftovers from last night," Akane reported, and then she moved to moderate. "Kasumi helped me make it."

"Oh, that's nice."

He dug in. Hearing this from nearby, Ukyō smiled. "Hey, Ran-chan! Do you want some okonomiyaki? I got my grill."

Akane jolted, she trying not to quake. Damn it all! The instant she mentioned that she cooked something for Ranma, the other idiots always, ALWAYS moved to "save" him with their own food. No doubt, Shampoo was on her . . .

"No thank you, Kuonji-san."

. . . way . . .?

What did he just say?

Akane blinked before watching Ranma rise, he heading to the door. The whole classroom was stunned silent by his reaction. Then as one, they gazed on Ukyō. The chef looked as if Ranma just stabbed her in the heart . . . and then the back for good measure. "R-r-Ran-chan . . . " she sputtered. Ranma stopped before giving her a look that could burn diamonds. Ukyō balked. Trembling, she then averted her eyes from him. Without another word, he walked out.

The others said nothing, stunned into silence after they had just watched something like THAT between Ranma and Ukyō, before Chanpatsu Hiroshi turned to Bosabosa Daisuke. "Me thinks, to quote our dear ol' Kunō-sempai, Ranma-kun is still a mite bit angry at a few people today," the former mused.

"Not surprising," Tokoro Yuka commented from across the way, ignoring the fact that Ukyō was overhearing them. "From what I heard, when everything fell apart, bombs got thrown at Ranma-kun's mother." A pause. "I'D be angry if my mother was threatened like that!" she then added.

"True," Asano Sayuri added.

Hearing that, Ukyō quaked before quickly withdrawing from the room, trying to mask her tears from everyone else. The others watched her before Sayuri turned to Akane. "I bet you're happy now. Aren't you, Akane-chan?"

"Maybe," Akane admitted. "I guess Ranma's still angry at a few people for dumping the whole wedding on his head just like that, not to mention stealing what might be his last chance at a cure to his curse." She scowled as she remembered Mousse, Genma and Ryōga – why RYŌGA wanted the Nanniichuan cask, Akane hadn't figured out – fighting over it, and then she sighed. "And yes, he has a right to be angry at Ukyō and Shampoo. I still can't believe he'd tore up a note she passed to him without even bothering to read it!"

Everyone stared at her. "He did THAT?" Daisuke gasped.

Akane nodded. "He did! I watched him do it, too!"

The others hummed.

* * *

Unseen by any of them, Ukyō was in the hallway gazing out the window. Her ears perked up on hearing Akane mention the note. She then nearly screamed out in disbelief when she heard Akane describe what Ranma had done to it.

What Ranma had done . . .!

What of the other notes she had written today?

Had he read ANY of them AT ALL?

Did he . . .?

Did that mean . . .?

"Ran-chan," she whispered before bowing her head. "I'm sorry."

* * *

Back at the Tendō home . . .

"Kasumi . . . "

"No, Otō-san! This has gone on long enough!" Kasumi glared at Sōun. Both were presently sitting in the living room. Nodoka had gone with Genma to survey the repairs on their family home. "Everyone has been deliberately ignoring the fact that Ranma-kun is emotionally ill-equipped to deal with all the suitors your _friend_ . . . " – one could coat the whole of the living room floor with the scorn dripping from that word – " . . . forced on him. That ESPECIALLY includes you AND Saotome-obasan, Otō-san. If you REALLY want to see Ranma-kun and Akane-chan develop a healthy relationship, **you** have to help Ranma-kun settle all his problems with the others."

Sōun began to sob. "But Kasumi . . . "

"No, Otō-san!" Kasumi slapped her hand on the table, making him jolt as his eyes widened even more at her outburst. "If you want to see Ranma-kun and Akane-chan married, you WILL MAKE Saotome-ojisan deal with the other suitors or else I guarantee that Ranma-kun and Akane-chan will NEVER be married . . .!"

Result: Instant Niagara Falls. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! MY DAUGHTER DOESN'T WANT RANMA-KUN AND AKANE-CHAN TO MARRY! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! NOW THE SCHOOLS WILL NEVER BE JOINED! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Kasumi sighed. "Oh, Otō-san . . . "

* * *

Later that afternoon . . .

"I hear you've been giving Ukyō the cold shoulder."

Ranma perked before looking to see Nabiki walking alongside him and Akane just after the end of final class, they having just passed through the gates of the school. He tensed for a moment before relaxing. "If I did?" he commented.

"Well, I wouldn't blame you at all if you decided to tell her to go straight to Hell." Nabiki snorted before she breathed out, "By the way, thanks to what you did this morning, Kunō-chan will be in the hospital for a week."

Akane sighed. "A week's peace. Pity it couldn't last forever."

Ranma snorted. "Well, we'll just have to make him see that. That ain't gonna cause us any other problems, will it?"

"After he drew steel at a wedding? Not likely." Nabiki's eyebrow arched, and then she smirked. "We've got loads of witnesses who'd be willing to testify against him if we wanted them to. I seriously doubt that his father or his sister will help in his defence. If this gets out into the general public, his reputation could potentially be permanently tarnished (not that it already IS tarnished). I think that if we threatened him with that, he'll want the whole incident swept quietly under the rug and forgotten in the long term."

"True." Akane nodded before blinking on seeing someone to her right. "Sasuke?" she then called out on recognising him.

"I apologise for intruding, but Mistress Kodachi would like to see you, ma'am, as soon as possible." Sarugakure Sasuke gazed expectantly on Nabiki. "She states it is a matter of considerable import to her and she promises she will compensate you for taking your time, Tendō-san," he then added.

"I . . . okay!" Nabiki quickly nodded before turning to follow the ninja down a side street. "See you guys later!"

They returned her wave, and then they headed on toward the Tendō home. "I'm surprised she hasn't said anythin' about her bein' the one who invited all those dorks to the wedding," Ranma muttered under his breath.

Akane perked, and then she sighed. "Yeah, you're right! I shouldn't have been surprised that she did that! Then again, if things started to really calm down around these parts, she wouldn't be making as much money."

"Is that all she cares about?" Ranma wondered, shaking his head.

"Does seem like that, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, ya gotta point." He then turned to her. "Look, Akane. I wanna go take a walk. Clear my head an' all that."

She nodded. "Oh, sure, go ahead! After what we've been through, I think we both need the chance to relax for a while."

"Right." He waved before bounding onto the fence and taking off. "See ya later!" he called out before disappearing around a corner.

Akane watched him, and then she sighed before she stopped. "Would he go visit . . .?" she then wondered before shaking her head. "No, he wouldn't go to that tramp's place!" she spat out. "Not after what just happened. And he wouldn't go to Ukyō's place either. Maybe if she apologised first . . . "

Sighing, she headed home.

* * *

The Nekohanten . . .

"He was on the lookout for you this morning?"

"Yes." Shampoo nodded. She was seated at the Nekohanten's bar. Both the young warrior-maiden and Cologne were speaking in the Nǚjiézú dialect of Mandarin, as they always did whenever matters of great import came up. "I knew I'd be risking Àirén's wrath by attacking him and the Kitchen Destroyer after what happened at Mount Phoenix, but I had no choice but to defend my hold on him, Great-grandmother. And now . . . " She shrugged helplessly.

"And now, thanks to you placing Son-in-Law's MOTHER in harm's way, what trust he may have had in you has vanished into the abyss," Cologne countered. "Leave him be for the next while, Shān. I've already sent a full report about what happened on Mount Phoenix to the Council. Maybe we can navigate our way out of this mess, but if we continue to antagonize Son-in-Law like . . . "

"I can't let him go, Great-grandmother!" Shampoo hissed.

"You CAN give him breathing room," Cologne countered. "Don't forget, he's just KILLED for the first time. Despite the insanity his father forced him through, Son-in-Law has NEVER been exposed to the idea of ending another's life. Right now, I can't predict WHAT he might be feeling. It's best to give him space and let him organize his thoughts. I don't want to push him to the point where he would forever reject any idea of coming to the village. Remember, all the elders **together** couldn't defeat Saffron! Though it was difficult and he was fighting to save the Tendō girl, Son-in-Law DID defeat him! He DID kill him!" Her eyes narrowed as she gave Shampoo a look. "Do you think you can control Son-in-Law if he ever went OUT of control?"

Shampoo shuddered. "I still can't let him go."

"Give him space and time," Cologne ordained. "It's not a permanent separation, not by far. As the people of the West often say, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' Relax. He needs it and so do you."

The younger warrior-maiden blinked, and then she slowly, reluctantly, nodded.

* * *

Hikarigaoka Park . . .

"I didn't know you were a connoisseur of ice cream, Kodachi-san."

"It's a treat I can sparingly indulge in because of my career." Kodachi smiled. She and Nabiki were relaxing near an ice cream vendor's yatai in the park. "Well, thanks to Ranma-sama and what he did this morning, things will be very peaceful in the house for the next week."

"You're not angry at him?" Nabiki asked.

"Feh! Of course not! The fact that Onii-san still roils on and on about your sister and that red-haired harlot, vowing to destroy dear Ranma-sama just to 'free' them . . .? Bah!" The gymnast rolled her eyes before shaking her head. "I am tired of listening to that, Nabiki-san. Very tired. Dealing with that honourless fool who happens to be my father is bad enough at times."

Nabiki chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose I can understand that. My father can be a stupid idiot from time to time, too."

"Such as forcing Ranma-sama and your sister to wed almost immediately after your sister nearly faced her own death in China."

Nabiki stopped, turning to stare at Kodachi. "Who told you about China?"

"Sasuke overheard the Hibiki boy make his report to your sister Kasumi." Kodachi smiled, taking delight in seeing the middle Tendō daughter panic. "You're not the only one who takes great value in gaining vital information, Nabiki-san. So," she then asked as she looked on her cone. "Is it true?"

"What?"

"That Ranma-sama actually killed an immortal?"

Nabiki sighed. What sort of position could she take here? "Yes."

"Remarkable." Kodachi swooned, and then she relaxed. "Do you believe this Saffron might come back to haunt Ranma-sama anew?"

"I sure as hell hope not."

"Yes, I'd understand that." Kodachi took a lick, and then she gazed on Nabiki. "There is one thing I have to ask, Nabiki-san. And I wish you to answer me directly about it. It concerns these rumours many have persisted in spreading about Ranma-sama and the red-haired girl actually being one person."

Nabiki blinked before gazing intently at Kodachi. Wait a minute here! What was going on? Wasn't Kodachi supposed to be as blind to things like that as her brother? When the HELL did she catch onto that . . .?

"So it is true, isn't it?"

Nabiki blinked again, and then she sighed. "Yes, it's true."

"How?"

"A place way in the highlands of China – actually close to where Saffron lived – called Jusenkyō," Nabiki began to explain.

* * *

The Tendō home . . .

"**_WHAT?_**"

Sōun tearfully gazed on Genma. "It's true, old friend! I can't believe that my own daughter forced me to demand this of you!"

The patriarch of the Saotome family shuddered, fear and outrage battling for control over his heart. "She actually wants me to . . .?"

Sōun nodded. "Yes."

"I can't do that!" Genma protested as he made a dismissive wave with his hand. "If I do that, all my training with the boy would be for naught! How can the boy be the best if he's made to rely on others to fight his battles? That's not what the Art demands, Tendō-kun! You know that as well as I do!"

"I . . .!" Sōun shuddered. "Yes, I do know that. But still, maybe it would be easier on Ranma-kun if you settle matters with the Kuonji girl. Her claims on Ranma-kun DOES have validity because her father did recognise the yatai as a dowry. The China girl's claims on Ranma-kun are laughable and the Kunō girl has no claim on Ranma-kun at all." He perked before giving Genma an intent look. "Unless . . .?" he began with a threatening tone in his voice.

Genma gargled before shaking his head. "No! No! No! Of course not! Why would I try to do THAT with a lunatic like her, Tendō-kun?"

Sōun nodded. "Then you'll at least try to do something with the Kuonji girl? Remember, Saotome-kun, you DID take her dowry!"

The Tendō patriarch wagged a warning finger at Genma. "I . . . " he paused, and then he sighed. "All right! I'll do it! But I don't like it! We shouldn't tell the boy about it, either!"

"Agreed, then."

* * *

Hikarigaoka . . .

"That's incredible!"

"That it is." Nabiki licked her cone, and then she stared at Kodachi. "So now that you know, what will you do? Tell your brother?"

The gymnast smiled knowingly. "Do you honestly believe he would accept something like that, Nabiki-san?" She rose, turning to leave. "No. As you might suspect, he might decide that you yourself have been 'enchanted' by the 'foul sorcerer' to say such 'lies' about his 'pig-tailed goddess.' At least after hearing that, I can try to understand my Ranma-sama better."

Nabiki's eyebrow arched. "'Your' Ranma-sama? I thought I once heard you tell someone that you knew Ranma-kun didn't like you."

Kodachi smirked. "That does not bother me. Have a good day."

She bounded off. Nabiki watched her go before sighing. "Oh, shit!"

* * *

The Tendō home, next morning . . .

"**_MŌKO TAKABISHA!_**"

Everyone was jolted out of bed on hearing Ranma's shout. That was quickly followed by the _crash!_ of a body slamming into the tree in the front yard, followed by the _splash!_ of said body hitting the koi pond near the front door. The door to the Saotomes' guestroom flew open, revealing Akane. "Ranma, are you al- . . .?" Her voice ground to a stop on seeing him up, stretching himself. There was no sign of Genma. "What happened?"

Ranma stared at her before taking a deep breath. "I wasn't in the mood to spar with Oyaji today. Sorry to wake you guys up."

Akane blinked as she absorbed his explanation. She then walked to the window, gazing onto the front yard. In the koi pond, a nicely cooked, semi-conscious panda drifted over to one rocky shore. "Oh." She nodded, sighing. "Well, since we are up . . . " She then headed out of the room.

Nodoka quickly stepped in. Since the destruction of the Saotome home, she had been sleeping with Kasumi. "Son, was that TRULY necessary?" Ranma's mother demanded as she reproachfully gazed on him.

"Like I just told Akane, Ofukuro. I wasn't in the mood to spar today." He shrugged, moving to get his toiletries to start the day. "And since he don't listen to me normally, I hadta persuade him another way," he then added.

Nodoka nodded. "Understandable, especially after what you just went through in China. I'll speak to your father about that when he recovers."

Ranma smirked. "Make sure you got the katana with you, Ofukuro."

"I'll remember, dear."

* * *

An hour later . . .

Ranma and Akane walked through the front gate of Fūrinkan High. They then slowed down, automatically tensing. A pause as they thought about what just might be making them brace up, and then they relaxed. "First, no Shampoo and her stupid bicycle. Now, no Kunō and his bokken." The latter smirked. "I just hope this doesn't end soon. It's a nice change."

He considered that, nodding. "Yeah, ya gotta point. C'mon, let's get to class . . . " He stopped as his internal danger alarms began to ring. Then he leapt into the air to avoid oncoming barber shears. "Spoke too soon!" Ranma back flipped behind the Principal, cupping his hands as he locked on target, ensuring Akane was not in danger. "**_MŌKO TAKABISHA!_**"

The tree-topped school administrator cried out before the ki blast sent him flying headfirst into the wall. "De Big . . . " he grunted as he slid to the ground, " . . . Kahuna . . . don't feel . . . that . . . "

He passed out. Akane stared wide-eyed at her fiancé. "Ranma, for heaven's sake, that was the PRINCIPAL!" she snapped.

Ranma straightened himself before heading into the school. "So?"

Akane watched him, and then she raced in after him. Around her, others began to whisper, many of them sending fearful glances Ranma's way.

* * *

"Hmmm . . . this is NOT good."

Genma grimaced as he watched his son head into school, Akane behind him. Even though Kunō's father WAS an idiot, he was the principal of Fūrinkan High, a figure that merited some respect. And yes, given the twit's insane addiction to cutting people's hair and forcing his charges to obey his lunatic "rules," Ranma was well within his rights to deal directly with him. But to limit his response to a quick-strike Mōko Takabisha? Yes, it got the fight done right away and Ranma, as usual, came out the clear victor, but . . .!

No.

That was NOT good.

Not good at all.

Genma extracted himself from his perch in a tall tree at the corner of the school property before heading back to the Tendō dōjō. Damn it, why was THIS happening NOW? He and Sōun had been within a hair's breadth of seeing Ranma and Akane finally married, and then all of Nerima had crashed in to stop it! For what? All so Nabiki could garnish money from the wedding gifts? Stupid girl! What business was it of hers to interfere in what they had worked so long to see happen? Then Sōun turned around and decided to hold off on things until all the other potential problems were fully dealt with.

In other words: Ukyō, Shampoo, Kodachi and the rest of those loons.

And unfortunately, Ukyō WAS his fault, but what could he have done back then? He had been hungry and the boy was growing too close to the Kuonji girl for his own good. The fewer friends Ranma had to deal with in his life, the better; there was NO way that Genma's son could ever have become the martial artist he was these days with so many petty distractions getting in his way.

Thinking that, the patriarch of the Saotome family then stopped, his eyes narrowing. Wait. If he actually paid back the Kuonji Clan for their lost yatai, wouldn't that make things between Ranma and Ukyō easier? Actually . . .?

Create a TRUE friendship?

No!

That just could NOT happen!

Ranma just couldn't afford such a thing!

Genma scowled. All right, what could he . . .?

Wait!

His eyes widened. Of course! It was so simple. So elegant!

Yes.

He knew what to do.

* * *

Days passed . . .

The remainder of the first week after the wedding at the Tendō dōjō was uncommonly quiet for Nerima's citizens, people used for so long to see the "Wrecking Crew" – not to mention the sometimes frequent super-powered visitors from beyond – go at each other on an almost daily basis. For those who disapproved of such violence, the peace was welcome, a chance for them to put their minds and souls at ease. For those who looked on the fights and other odd occurrences as some live-action, real-time soap opera, they began to look beyond Nerima's borders for a daily dose of logic-defying merriment.

They didn't find it in Tomobiki, the town on Nerima's west side.

However, for those who preferred their entertainment much closer to home, the sight they confronted over those days was . . . was . . .!

Well, it just made NO SENSE!

There was Saotome Ranma, walking on the fence to school beside one of his fiancées, Tendō Akane. Yet where was one of the lad's other fiancées, Shampoo? Almost every day, the warrior-maiden, out on her morning delivery, would "visit" her Àirén via smashing her bicycle into the back of Ranma's head. Odd way of expressing one's love, indeed, but people had come to accept it.

Yet . . . ever since the wedding, it seemed as if Shampoo was going out of her way to AVOID meeting up with Ranma. Why? Had she come to hate him? Had he come to hate her? How? What was going on with those two?

And speaking of fiancée problems, what was THIS? Ranma and Akane actually speaking to each other CIVILLY? As if they were actual FRIENDS as well as iinazuke? What had happened to all the bickering? Where were all the crass insults? The "un-cute, un-sexy tomboy" and "sex-changing pervert" charges that spiced their conversations in the past? Yes, things between Ranma and Akane HAD calmed down a lot in the last few months. But even during that time, scarcely a week passed when people in Nerima hadn't at least ONCE heard Akane scream "RANMA NO BAKA!" for one reason or another before attempting to send the lad into lower Earth orbit via her fist or her trusty Mallet-sama.

Even more, what was going on between Ranma and Kuonji Ukyō? Why, people were presently saying that Ranma wasn't even SPEAKING to Ukyō**.** Reports confirmed that he had not visited her shop ONCE since before the wedding. He turned back all attempts by her to strike up a conversation, either spoken or via scribbled notes. He refused her offerings for food by just walking out of the classroom. Even offerings of freshly cooked food left on his desk by Ukyō "anonymously" wound up in the garbage instead of Ranma's stomach.

This . . .!

This was . . .!

This was so ABNORMAL!

What would happen next?

* * *

Watching this was Saotome Genma, who could only grin.

Not once had that China girl come out to "greet" her precious Àirén in the mornings via her bicycle hitting his head. Even more, Ranma was keeping a deliberate eye out for Shampoo on his walk to school, ensuring Akane stayed safe, too. Genma recognised the signs. Still, it was a pity. He would have delighted to see what Ranma might have done if Shampoo DID seek him out.

Perhaps give HER a dose of the Mōko Takabisha . . .?

Thinking that, Genma shook his head. No, Ranma might not like Shampoo, but he wouldn't hurt her THAT way. Perhaps simply jumping clear, letting her crash-land on the fence, would be enough. Yes, that WOULD be an enjoyable sight. Maybe he should try to do something to stir that pot up again . . .?

Even better, Ranma had cut off all contact with the Kuonji girl. And it was hurting her, badly. He would not speak to her, would not acknowledge her save with a curt reply, addressing her as "Kuonji-san" in lieu of "U-chan." And from hearing the local gossips, Ranma had not gone to her restaurant any time during that week. That was simply adding delicious insult to injury. If Akane could avoid entering the Tendō kitchen for the next while and trying to concoct one of her "special" recipes, it would be simply perfect.

And Akane . . .

It was a dream come true! There they were, walking alongside each other, talking to each other. No fights, no name-calling, no taunts and ESPECIALLY none of that stupid ki-mallet sending the poor lad on an impromptu flying lesson into the Shakujii River. Remembering that, Genma shook his head. He had to teach the boy how to destroy that mallet someday soon. It would simply not DO to have Akane dominate Ranma like that. Heaven ONLY forbid what might happen if Nodoka handed the Saotome honour blade to Akane after they wed.

And the Kunō family . . .

What fools! The father was a joke. Tatewaki? A moron, but a dangerous one. Not much for Ranma to deal with, as he demonstrated the second day after the wedding. As for Kodachi, her "claim" on Ranma was a drug-induced dream.

And Ryōga and Mousse . . .

No problems there. Ryōga was clearly drifting towards that Unryū Akari girl. Even better, Akari had accepted the lad, curse and all. Besides, if he proved to be bothersome, all that had to be done was to threaten to reveal his dirty little secret to Akane, and then make sure she wouldn't blame Ranma for it. As for Mousse, he was so obsessed with Shampoo, he'd welcome any chance to see Ranma out of the way. Having the boy marry Akane would do precisely just that.

Yes, it was just perfect.

Now, all he had to do was convince Sōun and Nodoka.

* * *

If Genma only realised how off base he was about one factor.

Six evenings after the attempted wedding found Ranma in Hikarigaoka once again, this time sitting close to a fountain. It had been nice at school. Ukyō hadn't bothered to send any notes his way, much less tried to cook lunch for him. That always bugged Akane. Even better, there had been no sign of Shampoo, either in the morning or at lunchtime. No sign of Kodachi and Kunō was still in the hospital. Even more, the Principal seemed to have learned his lesson; Ranma hadn't seen that nutcase since he had ki-blasted him into a wall.

Things at the Tendō home were okay. Nabiki was still going through the money and gifts the wedding generated for the family, so Ranma didn't have to worry about the middle Tendō daughter trying to get new photographs of his girl-form. Akane helped in the kitchen occasionally, but always under Kasumi or Nodoka's stern supervision. Of course, Akane's curry was pretty okay and she was finally getting the hang of cooking rice the right way. Akane's father was keeping to his promise and laying off on wedding plans. Even better, Oyaji was keeping his peace about morning training after Ranma ejected him from the bedroom one day with the Mōko Takabisha. Having his mother wave the katana around the fool panda's neck shut him up real quick. But still . . .

_Does she love me?_

Ranma gazed at the evening sky. He STILL wasn't sure.

Yes, he cared for her. Yes, he l- . . . lo- . . .!

Damn!

Why couldn't he say it NOW?

Why?

He then perked on sensing a billboard painter step into close range. Glancing over, he watched the man paste several advertisements on a stretch of wall. Ranma's ears twitched on hearing the other mutter, "Folks here will like a change from okonomiyaki and Chinese. Yessiree! She's one good cook . . . "

Ranma blinked. Cook? Rising, he walked over to stand close to the painter. "Hey, Oji-san! What's this about?"

"Eh?" The other fellow looked over before laughing. "Oh, Saotome-san! It's you!" He waved to the posters. "Read for yourself."

Ranma looked, blinking as the message sank in. "'Tampopo's Rāmen and Beefbowl Bar?' About to open . . . hey! That's next week!"

"Got that right!" The painter chuckled. "Damn good cook. She offered free dinners to me for the whole of next week instead of paying me to get these posters set up. She's setting up in Kasuga-chō if you want to check it out. Matter of fact, I think she's there right now."

"Good cook?" Ranma stared at him, remembering the important point.

"Very good cook! Trust me on this one, boy!" The painter winked. "After all, people have been noticing you avoiding the Nekohanten and that okonomiyaki place your friend runs since you tried to wed Tendō Akane."

The young martial artist sighed. "'Friend?'" He gazed nowhere in particular before shaking his head. "I dunno, Oji-san. Right now, I'm not sure who my friends ARE these days. Anyhow, thanks for the tip. Ja ne!"

He waved before heading towards one of the park gates.

* * *

Ranma decided to take his time since it was a nice night and he didn't want to head back to the dōjō. An hour later found him standing on the Kanpachi-dōri, one of Nerima's main thoroughfares. On the north side of the street, wedged between two office blocks, was a two-floor house-like edifice being remodelled to serve as a restaurant. Already, the marquee, emblazoned with **TAMPOPO'S **in scripted Rōmaji, had been erected over the door. Inside the main eating area, a small army of workers was busy getting tables and booths set up. Directing them was a woman Nodoka's age, though possessing brown hair and eyes. She looked as stocky as Genma, but to Ranma's trained eyes, there was a considerable firmness to her. Even more, Ranma could barely pick out something of a battle aura. That was understandable. Nerima was chock-full of martial artists of every calibre and ability, from the standard to the totally bizarre. Given the frequency of odd things that hit this place, having some martial skills wasn't just prudent. It was, at times, a survival requirement.

"It'll look like a nice place when it's done," Ranma whispered.

He jolted on hearing an ominous _crack!_ Looking up, he gasped on seeing the sign peel away from the wall, just as the door opened to allow the proprietor out. "LOOK OUT!" Ranma screamed as he sprang across the street.

The woman cried out as she looked up. She dodged as the sign pulled away from the wall. Instantly, a black-and-red blur from across the street turned into a tall, slender man as he caught the sign before it could shatter on the sidewalk. He collapsed as several of the workers came out. "Are you alright?" she cried out, lunging over to pull her sign off the young man.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay . . . " Ranma sputtered, feeling several bruised ribs, though it wasn't that bad. He then nodded thanks as two of the workers helped him back to his feet. "You okay there, Oba-chan? Didn't trip over anythin', didja?" he asked as he gave the proprietor a concerned look.

"Oh, no! No! I'm fine!" The woman smiled. She then looked to inspect the damage. "Hmm. Looks like the wood beams were rotted out."

"We'll get them fixed up right away, Kamekichi-san," a worker vowed.

"Do so." Tampopo nodded as she handed the sign to another worker. She then noticed the plaster on Ranma's jersey. "Good grief! You're a mess!" She walked over to bat the dust away from him. "Here, c'mon inside and let me whip you up something. You look hungry."

"I . . .!" Ranma then chuckled. "Oh, it was nothin' at all!" He rubbed the back of his head. "I was gonna go home anyway . . . "

"Hush! I won't hear a word of it!" Tampopo waved him down before she beckoned him inside. "Lucky for you, I have the stoves and refrigerator all set up. C'mon in and relax. You deserve it."

"I . . . w-well, if you're sure . . .!"

She gave him a disarming smile. "I insist!"

Ranma felt his cheeks heat. Oh man! If this woman was his age, he wouldn't know WHAT to do in the face of a smile like THAT! "Um, well . . . " he stuttered before nodding. "Okay!" He then stopped. "Oh, sorry about that! I'm Saotome Ranma. Pleased ta meetcha." He bowed.

"Ranma?" Tampopo blinked as she recalled the name. She then tittered. "Pleased to meet you, too, Ranma-chan. I'm Kamekichi Tampopo; this is my shop. I must confess your reputation has preceded you. Shall we go inside?"

He started to sweat. Oh man! He HATED it when people did THAT to him. "Don't tell me Oyaji tried ta swindle you outta something!"

Tampopo hummed. "No, not that I recall. And no, I don't have a daughter who's engaged to you." She then winked at him. "Besides, given what I've heard of your father, Ranma-chan, if he ever tried to do something foolish to me, I'd take it up with him, not force it all over you."

Ranma blinked as his jaw dropped in shock. _That's a switch!_

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Tendō home . . .

"Husband, this is totally foolish!"

"Indeed, Saotome-kun! This is not the way to do things, especially after I promised them that we'd stop pressing them about that!"

"Please." Genma held up a hand. It was late the next morning, sometime after Nabiki, Ranma and Akane had left for classes. As Sōun and Nodoka calmed themselves down, he took a deep breath. "I realise this is an odd approach to take, but this is not a normal situation. However . . . " – he fixed them with a look – " . . . there are merits in doing this the way I propose."

"In what way?" Nodoka demanded as she squeezed the family sword. "It's been a week since the last attempt at getting my son to marry Akane-chan, Genma. A WEEK!" she shrilled. "That's way too soon . . . "

"But can we deny the fact that they love each other?"

"I . . .!" She stopped as she considered that point, and then she nodded. "Of course not. But still . . . "

"But NOTHING, my wife!" Genma soothed. "Akane-chan admitted her feelings for the boy the day of the wedding. And Ranma certainly SHOWED how he felt for Akane-chan on Mount Phoenix, did he not?"

Sōun nodded. "Of course he did, Saotome-kun! But what of all the other suitors? What do we do about them?"

"They're disorientated now!" Genma asserted. "I've kept my eye on the boy since the wedding. Not ONCE has that China girl tried to approach him. Even more, Ranma has been on the lookout for her since the wedding. Who knows what might've happened if the China girl DID come out to meet her 'Àirén?' Also, not ONCE has the boy spoken to the Kuonji girl. He turns her away at every opportunity. It's obvious to me that the boy doesn't want anything to do with them. Why? Tendō-kun, those two girls BETRAYED him, plain and simple."

Nodoka nodded. "Yes, my husband, you have a point. And deep down, I find it bothersome that outlanders like that Shampoo girl believe they can inflict their barbaric laws on us like that. Yes, it IS understandable that girl would be forced to obey her clan's laws even while she was living here in Japan. But to have such laws inflicted on us too?" She took a deep breath. "I would gladly state that I would not recognise any claim she has on our son, Genma. But given how supposedly powerful her great-grandmother is . . . "

Sōun shook his head. "Almost like dealing with the Master."

"Agreed. But can even she stand up to the laws of this land when they're brought down full-force on her?" Genma asked. "Perhaps, instead of making trouble for the boy and her sister, Tendō-kun, you can persuade Nabiki-chan to find some way to drive those Amazons out of this country once and for all."

"Yes, that is true . . . " Sōun sighed. He then stared at Genma. "But what of the Kuonji girl, Saotome-kun? How do we deal with her?"

Genma sighed. "I agree that I made a mistake when it came to that girl. But given the boy's change of attitude towards her, I think it won't be long before she realises the futility of it and withdraws her claim on her own accord. If she does that, fine and fair. Besides, she DID have a hand in the destruction of our home – which, if she DID marry the boy, would have become HER home – plus she endangered the wedding guests AND your daughters, Tendō-kun AND Ranma AND you, too, Nodoka, when she showed up with her bombs. We can apply criminal charges against her, can't we? Certainly, that could be another thing Nabiki can do to make up for what she did to ruin things last week."

Sōun tensed – he just HATED it whenever Genma bluntly brought up his daughters' shortcomings, no matter how true they were – and then he sighed. "Yes, you are right. If Nabiki-chan hadn't overstepped her bounds last week, they would have been wed. But how can you be truly sure Ranma-kun does love Akane-chan? He's denied it vehemently for a long time, even on the day of the wedding itself! It's clearly obvious he doesn't want to be pushed into this."

Genma nodded. "Agreed. And yes, that was a mistake on our part when it came to last week. I propose this: We tell them we want them to wed as soon as possible. No set date, but as soon as we get their agreement to this, we make preparations. We warn them that the sooner they do this, the better it will be for all concerned. Once they are married, then we can be rid of the Amazons and deal with the Kuonji girl from a position of strength. As for the rest of them, they have no legal claim on the boy, so it doesn't matter."

"Can we still be sure?" Nodoka wondered.

"My wife, as I said, I've watched them over the last week. There has not been a SINGLE argument between them. In fact, they've been very civil to each other when they've talked to each other. No insults, no taunts, nothing of that sort. Even more so, Ranma has actually eaten all of Akane-chan's cooking without a single complaint. That's always been a big problem between them. And with Kuonji and the China girl out of the way, all that has to be done is to ensure Akane-chan can cook more things than what she can and they're set!"

"Yes, that has been a problem between them," Sōun mused.

Nodoka sighed. "I still have problems with this, Husband."

"My wife, don't you want your son to do the MANLY thing?"

Nodoka's brow furrowed. "Are you saying that Ranma may be failing in that regard?" she asked as she squeezed her bundle.

"No. What I AM saying is the boy needs to be CHALLENGED!" Genma held up a finger. "And rising to those challenges IS a manly thing, Nodoka! How do you think he could fight an IMMORTAL to save Akane's life? Because he was challenged day-in and out to be the best. He NEEDS it, Nodoka! He THRIVES on it! And if we don't give it to him, then WE are doing him an injustice."

Silence fell as they considered that. Sōun sighed. "Let's give it a while before we press this," he said. "I still don't like the idea of going back on my word, especially so soon after last week. I do want them to marry and if they are showing signs that they want this, we should help. But . . . "

"Tendō-kun, you won't regret this at all," Genma vowed as he gave his host a nod. "We made mistakes last time. We must learn from them, and THEN strive to do better THIS time. This is something we've wanted for a long time. I don't want to see us come so close to that goal only to have it taken away because of a few trivial problems. What are the concerns of others compared to bringing the schools together like we've wanted all these years?"

Sōun nodded. "One week, Saotome-kun. Let's watch them over the next week. And then we'll decide. Alright?"

Genma nodded in agreement. "Alright."

* * *

Later . . .

"Oh, my!"

Nabiki grimaced. "You got it."

She had been on the patio outside the sitting room, about ready to go to school, when Genma, Sōun and Nodoka had their little kaffeeklatsch. And it was a VERY lucky thing she had her personal dictation machine with her at the time. It struck Nabiki as odd that the adults hadn't waited until she was out of hearing range before Genma dropped his bombshell on Nodoka and Sōun. Then again, despite their skills, Sōun and Genma certainly were NOT the swiftest people on the block. It had been child's play for her to avoid being spotted until the chance came that she could get to Kasumi and pass on the news.

Kasumi took a deep breath. The sisters were meeting in the kitchen just after Nabiki had returned from school. "I can't BELIEVE they'd be so callous about Ukyō or Shampoo and their claims on Ranma-kun!" The eldest daughter shook her head. "What are they trying to do? Start a three-way blood feud?"

"Nah! They just don't like the idea of losing control over things like that, I think." Nabiki shook her head before she spat, "Damn it all! Neither of them are ready to get married, Onē-chan, especially while they're still in high school! And to have THIS dropped on their heads so SOON after Akane-chan was nearly killed, not to mention what might be going on with Ranma-kun?"

Kasumi perked. "Oh, my! Is there something wrong with Ranma-kun?"

"I . . . " Nabiki paused, and then she slowly exhaled. "I'm not really sure about it, Onē-chan. But over the last few days, I've sensed that SOMETHING'S bothering him." She sat down before tracing a finger in a circle on the counter. "Yeah, I can see the idea of him avoiding anything to do with Ukyō or Shampoo. And having him be very civil to Akane-chan is pretty good in and of itself. But . . . " Her eyes narrowed. "Something's bugging him big-time. Problem is, I can't see what that something might be, Onē-chan."

"What could it be, then?"

"I dunno. And we better find out what it is before the idiots decide to do something stupid. Not just the ones here, but also the ones elsewhere. If they do and Ranma-kun happens to take it the wrong way . . . "

She raised a finger in warning. The eldest sister nodded. "Agreed."

* * *

Okonomiyaki U-chan's . . .

"And that's what happened!" Ukyō wiped her eyes as she spoke into the receiver. "I thought I was doing the right thing, but I . . . "

"You WERE doing the right thing, Ukyō!" her father's voice echoed over the earphone. "They had no right in forcing a marriage between Ranma and that girl without taking into account what happened to you over the last ten years. I don't care what supposedly happened afterward. You HAVE a right, a DUTY, to see to it the Saotome Clan adheres to what they agreed with us, child!"

"I . . . yes, Dad! I know! But still . . .!"

"No, Ukyō!" Kuonji Haruka sharply replied. "There is no choice but to do this. And if they try to fight it out, we'll fight it out. Our honour has precedence here. Listen, didn't you tell me about this 'man-above-men' contract Ranma was forced to sign with his mother?"

Ukyō nodded. "Yes, I did."

"Well, if his mother supposedly goes along with THAT, you have to wonder what sort of mother IS she! Do you REALLY want to see Ranma living under that sort of threat for the rest of his life? Believe me, if you offer Ranma the chance to get away from that woman, he'll take it!"

Ukyō shook her head. "I dunno, Dad. Ran-chan's been getting along pretty well with her, so I've heard . . . "

"Come now, Ukyō! I know her type. She'll want to do to the boy what people like her have done to their children for ages. Lord it over their child to the point where he won't be able to do anything without getting her approval first. Tell me, Ukyō, do YOU want to have someone like HER for a mother-in-law? You know how some of them can be at times!"

The chef blinked, sighing. "Yeah, Ran-chan does seem to defer a lot – hell, a little TOO much, if you ask me! – to her."

"My point! Ironically, his father did the lad a favour in keeping him away from his mother! You love how strong Ranma is! How could he be that way, STAY that way, if he's being forced to defer to his own mother like that?"

"Yeah, you got a point . . . "

"I'm glad you understand that." Haruka chuckled. "Don't give up hope, Ukyō. You're in the right. Don't forget that!"

"I . . .!" Ukyō reluctantly nodded. "Alright, Dad."

The conversation was soon concluded. Konatsu, who had been cleaning up tables, looked at his employer. "Ukyō-sama, do you really think Ranma-sama will acknowledge what you might demand of him after what happened last week?"

Ukyō stared at the male kunoichi before sighing. "I dunno, Konatsu." She grimaced. "But I DO know that I have to make up to Ran-chan somehow. When I do that, then we'll see what we'll do next. Okay?"

He nodded. "As you feel is right."

* * *

The Nekohanten . . .

Shampoo blinked, a grin slowly crossing her face as she read the letter that just arrived by carrier pigeon from her home village:

_To the Warrior N__ǚ__ Shānpú,  
Greetings,  
In the wake of the report sent by your honoured great-grandmother, the Elder N__ǚ__ K__ě__lún, concerning the events several weeks ago on Mount Phoenix in the battle with Saffron, the Council decrees the following:  
That the marriage, as established by combat, between yourself and Saotome Ranma, is acknowledged as true under our laws.  
That you, Shānpú, must continue to strive to bring your husband to the village as soon as possible to consummate said marriage.  
And that you, Shānpú, will eliminate, by whatever means possible, all obstacles standing in your way of consummating your marriage with your husband. This must be done in the light of the many crimes your husband's father, Saotome Genma, student of the hated Happōsai, eternal enemy of the N__ǚ__jiézú, has committed against womankind.  
We wish you the Goddess' blessings as you pursue those goals and hope to see you and your husband returned to the village soon.  
With the Goddess' blessings, I remain,  
N__ǚ__ Mīsú, Chair of the Council of Elderwomen_

Shampoo sighed. Mīsú – "Mist" – was not just the supreme leader of her tribe, but a great-grand aunt several times removed. Mist and Cologne had been friends for ages, standing together against the tribes' foes in battle after battle. To receive a letter like this from her had as much impact on Shampoo as anything Cologne might demand. Sighing, she read the post-script, written in Mist's beautiful calligraphy: "Remember, Shan, the one who killed Saffron and fought Herb to a standstill must NOT elude the Nǚjiézú."

_That settles that!_ she mused as she folded the letter and left it on the bar. _But will Airen accept it, especially after what happened last week?_

Since the letter was personal, neither Cologne nor Mousse had read it. Remembering the weapons-master, Shampoo grimaced, and then she slipped the letter into her jersey. She would have to talk to her great-grandmother, but clearly, an apology to Airen was in order. Indeed, threatening Àirén's mother, even by accident, was NOT a smart thing. And she would have to speak to the Mercenary Girl about what precipitated that mess in the first place. Shampoo strongly believed Àirén's fool father and Tendō Sōun had forced him into that farce. If so, she'd have some words with them, especially the stupid panda.

He had long deserved that!

* * *

Tampopo's, next afternoon . . .

"So this is Moroboshi Ataru, huh?"

"Hai, that's him." Tampopo smiled as she cleaned up her dishes, just unpacked out of their boxes after she moved them from Tomobiki.

Ranma hooked the framed picture on the wall near the doorway into the kitchen before moving to set up the rest of the pictures Tampopo hung around her restaurant to make things homely. "Heard all sorts of things about him. Not all nice, y'know."

The cook sighed. "Hai, I know. I know. But people can say the very same things about you, Ranma-chan. Not to mention the other members of the 'Nerima Wrecking Crew.' Don't forget that." She winked at him.

Actually "her." Before coming to Tampopo's, Ranma had been splashed by the old lady near the Tendō home. He had told the cook about Jusenkyō the night they met. Much to Ranma's delight, Tampopo simply shrugged it off. Even more, when some of the workers who had been moving stuff into her shop tried to flirt with the martial artist, Tampopo laid them all low with a battle spatula that put Ukyō's to shame. And her threat about not cooking a THING for them in response to their trying to "pick up" Ranma was effective, especially after Ranma himself got a sample of her cooking. Kasumi? Who was Kasumi?

Ranma sighed. "I guess we all got our enemies, huh?"

"Yes, that's true. Too many people, especially your age and male – and some of the females, too – in Tomobiki just HATED the fact that I waylaid Lum every time Ataru-chan ducked into here to avoid her cooking, not to mention being bullied by the rest of them. Pity she got sent home; the last few nights she was on Earth, she was starting to show some progress with Ataru-chan."

Ranma stared at her. "Did you want them to get married?"

"I really wish I could answer that. My . . . " She paused, shrugging. "My main concern was the fact that there was this boy. A person who could've gained friends and had a healthy adolescence if he had ever been given a chance. Suddenly, he is picked to become Earth's 'champion' in a silly tag game to protect us from being invaded by aliens. THEN he winds up being 'married' to an alien who didn't understand what her presence on Earth was ultimately doing to him! I . . . " She turned to sit at the counter. "Lum is a nice girl, Ranma-chan. But she has no CONTROL over herself. Even more so, her behaviour influenced her cousin, a little BOY of five, to act in the very same manner she did. And then you tack all her friends from outer space, pile Ataru-chan's classmates on top of that . . . " She then made an exploding motion with her hands. "And when it was all said and done, things got destroyed and people's lives were disrupted. And look what happened? They turned and blamed ATARU for it. Every DAMN time!"

Ranma sighed, walking over to sit beside the cook. "I guess that would get to anyone, even me." She leaned her chin on her palm.

"That's why I did what I did," Tampopo admitted. "I gave Ataru-chan ONE place in Tomobiki where he could be free of them all. And because of that, he came to trust me about things no one, not even Lum, knew. And I . . . " She sighed. "I was happy to be there for him. He really needed it at times."

"So where is he now?" Ranma wondered.

Tampopo shook her head. "No. I know you're curious, but I won't say anything. There are those who'd take those words and totally ruin his life. Chief of which are the twits who're Ataru-chan's biological parents. He renounced all legal ties to them before Lum was sent home."

Ranma gaped. "He's rōnin?"

"No, he's not. His clan is a matriarchy where the succession goes from grandmother to granddaughter, not father to son like in most other families," Tampopo reported. "It skipped his parents' generation and went to him. Muchi and Kinshō – they're Ataru's parents – have no power in that respect." She then added in a whisper, "Especially now that his grandmother is dead."

"Whoa!" The transformed martial artist whistled, gazing at the ceiling. "He's lucky. Did anyone in Tomobiki know about this?"

"Not really, thanks very much to Kinshō. And I'd rather not talk about that now. It IS violating Ataru-chan's privacy." The chef playfully batted Ranma's nose before she stood up to prepare something on the stove behind the counter. "Besides, it's pretty much all settled now. He's somewhere where no one can try to hurt him further, so he'll finally have a chance to get his wits about him, and then decide what he wants to do with his life. And you did tell me about your fiancée's sister Nabiki." She wagged a finger at Ranma. "By the sounds of it, she might take whatever information I might give you about Ataru-chan and sell it to the highest bidder. I don't want that."

Ranma snorted. "Don't blame you."

"So what do you want to have?"

"Hmmm . . . how good are you at making okonomiyaki?"

"Pretty good. What type?"

"Hiroshima-style. Beef and shrimp with soba."

"Alright."

Tampopo got to work. Watching her, Ranma was instantly reminded of Ukyō and the magic that she could unleash over a stove. A frown turned her lips as she banished the chef's image from her mind. No, she couldn't think of Ukyō now, especially after what happened. If she wanted reconciliation, Ukyō had to make the first move. And if she got uppity, that was no problem. Ranma had no intention of marrying her even BEFORE the fight on Mount Phoenix. Was it really Ranma's fault that Ukyō never got the message?

"Hey, Tampopo-chan! Can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Ranma-chan?"

"Was Lum really that bad of a cook?"

Tampopo chuckled. "I'm not so sure. The chances are good that she was pretty bad no matter what she tried, but I think that the real problem was that she was busy preparing Oni food for a Terran."

"Really?" Ranma's eyebrow arched. "Damn, pity she had to go home. We could've introduced her to Akane." She then stopped before a chill warped through her. "Excuse me! On second thought, that's NOT a good idea!"

Tampopo glanced at her. "She's bad?"

"Bad . . .?" Ranma sighed. "Well, it was plain awful to watch her go at it at times! And I got stuck eating it all. It was a miracle that I didn't wind up dead or in intensive care from the things she made. But . . . " She shrugged. "She's got better. She does a good curry, but . . .!" Another shrug. "I think her big problem is that she thinks she's good because Kasumi does it every day, three times a day, so Akane assumes she can do the same. It doesn't work that way, Tampopo-chan. You probably know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I do know that. Does she read the recipe at least?"

"Not that I know of."

"Oh, dear. That IS a problem, then. So how many times did you have your bilges pumped from her cooking, Ranma-chan?"

"I've lost count."

"And no one's tried to stop her beforehand?"

Ranma shook her head. "Not really, I'll admit. I guess the only one who could is Kasumi, but she doesn't do it often."

"Kasumi? The eldest sister?"

"Yep."

Tampopo hummed. "And their mother's dead?"

"Yeah. She passed away about ten years ago or so. I don't know the exact date and all that. I . . . " Ranma shrugged. "Well, I figure it's kind of personal with them and they are hurting from her dying and all that . . . "

"Wise thing. Still, if Kasumi has been forced to become the home keeper, I wouldn't be so surprised if she went easy on Akane. To turn from an 'older sister-to-younger sister' relationship into a 'quasi-mother/older sister-to-younger sister' situation would be disorientating. If their father had been smart, he would have remarried. It would've done the girls a lot of good."

"You think so?"

"I believe it would've been the proper thing to do." Tampopo sighed. "Ranma-chan, can you tell me something?"

"What?"

"What do you see in Akane, anyway?"

"I . . .!" Her brow furrowed as she considered that. "I don't know."

Tampopo stared at her. "Just like Ataru-chan."

"Eh?"

She chuckled. "When Lum first came to Earth and it became obvious that he was becoming seriously attracted to her, I asked Ataru-chan that question. He . . . " She shrugged, turning to monitor the okonomiyaki. "It's nothing to be ashamed about, Ranma-chan. When you feel an attraction to someone, things do get quite confusing. Let me ask you this, then: What IS love?"

"I . . .!" Ranma stuttered, and then she sat back in her chair to think about it. "Well . . . I guess ta be in love with someone means you're taking a commitment ta be there for her. Ta protect her and support her and . . . well . . .!" She shrugged before giving her host a hopeful look. "I . . .!"

Tampopo flashed a sympathetic look. "You haven't really had any chance to talk this over with anyone, haven't you?"

"Not really."

"Is there anyone you can trust to have a conversation like that?" the chef then wondered. "Because it looks to me that you really need to get your thoughts in order before you contemplate doing ANYTHING." Tampopo flipped the okonomiyaki onto a plate before placing that before Ranma.

Her nose twitching excitedly as a mouth-watering aroma zeroed in on her mind's pleasure centres, the martial artist picked up her chopsticks. "Well . . . " she mouthed around a morsel of food. "Not really, I guess." She gulped it down. "I mean, there's Kasumi." She cut another slice. "But I don't wanna put her into a position where . . . " She downed that. "She might end up standin' up to the rest of her family." She then cut up another slice. "Man, this is really good, Tampopo-chan!" Ranma grinned. "And there was Doc Ono Tōfū. He was a chiropractor who lived here sometime back. Don't know what happened to him . . . " Her voice trailed off, and then she sighed. "Then again, I remember one time when he used a shiatsu point on my back to force me to be carried home from his office by Akane," she ruefully lamented.

Tampopo's eyebrow arched. "Oh, really? That's not behaviour I'd condone from my doctor. What about your mother? I can sense you have no trust in your father anymore, but surely, your mother might understand some things."

Ranma shook her head. "Not really. Mom's pretty traditional and all that. I . . . I guess, deep down, she . . .!" She paused before shrugging. "I don't know what she wants. Giri means a lot to her . . . "

"Giri? What about your happiness? Good grief, doesn't she want you to be happy with your life, Ranma-chan?"

"I . . .!"

"ARE you happy with your life?"

Ranma shuddered, squeezing her eyes shut as the concern in Tampopo's voice sheared through her emotional guards like a knife through butter. Before she could do anything, fingers touched shiatsu points on her temples. Ranma quaked. The dam then broke as gentle sobs burst from her lips. Almost immediately, arms wrapped around her as she felt Tampopo comfort her. "Let it out . . . " the chef cooed into the martial artist's ear. "Let it out, Ranma-chan. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay to cry, Ranma-chan."

"N-no . . .!" Ranma burbled. "Men don't cry . . . "

Tampopo shook her head. "Who told you that? Your father?" she asked. Feeling Ranma nod, she sighed. "He lied to you. Kami-sama, I can't believe he'd force you to accept a lie like THAT! What was he trying to do to you?"

Ranma listened to the question, sniffling back her tears before staring at her host. "N-no one . . . " she stuttered before looking down. "No one's ever asked me things like that 'b-bout me, Tampopo-chan . . . "

"Is that a fact?" Tampopo gazed on her for a moment, and then she nodded as if she had just made a great decision. "Ranma-chan, I want you to listen to me for a moment. I'm going to make a promise to you. And I really want you to believe that I will adhere to this promise, okay? Are you listening?"

The martial artist nodded. "W-what?"

"I want you to know that if in ANY way you feel you have to break away from these people you're dealing with now – your parents, the Tendō family, the others – I will be there for you," she vowed. "That's a promise I am making to you right now. I want to be your friend, show you what REAL friendship is about. And I want to help you figure your way out of this MESS you're in. I really do, because you need it more than anything else does. What's more, you DESERVE help. Do you understand what I'm telling you? Do you?"

"I . . .!" Ranma stared wide-eyed at her. "Why?"

Tampopo shrugged. "Can't I help you?"

"I . . .!" the younger woman stuttered before rapidly shaking her head. "No! I can't ask ya to do somethin' like THAT, Tampopo-chan! You don't wanna get involved in my life! You don't! Trust . . .!"

A finger landed on her lips. "That's part of your problem, Ranma-chan." Tampopo chuckled. "I take it the idea of you being the ONLY person to settle your problems is another thing your father taught." Her eyebrow arched again on her seeing the younger woman's eyes widen. "Well, am I right?"

"It ain't that!" Ranma said. "I mean, yeah, a lot of the crap I've gotta deal with was because Oyaji's a lunkhead! But believe me, you don't wanna get inta this whole mess. People, especially Akane, Ukyō and Shampoo, not ta mention Oyaji and Akane's dad, won't like the idea of someone buttin' . . .!"

"And why is that?"

Ranma blinked. "I don't get it."

"Why is it they're trying to stop you from finding some way out of this mess?" Tampopo wondered, and then she paused before taking a breath. "Perhaps I should ask that this way: Why are they so AFRAID of you making your own decisions about your life? Why? It's YOUR life that you have to live! It's not Akane's. It's not Ukyō's. It's not Shampoo's. And it certainly isn't your parents'! WHY? Why are you letting them get away with this nonsense?"

"I . . .!" Ranma shuddered, tears flowing down her cheeks, and then she leaned in as Tampopo comforted her. "I don't know anymore."

Sobs stole her voice as Tampopo sighed. "Then you have to find out, Ranma-chan. For your sake most of all."

* * *

Next day, heading towards Fūrinkan High . . .

"So where were you yesterday? You were gone the whole day!"

Ranma blinked. Then glancing around to ensure Shampoo was nowhere near, he gazed at Akane. "It was somethin' personal. Don't worry about it, okay?"

She tensed before she stared at him. "'Personal?' About what?"

"Akane, if I tell ya something's personal, it's personal, okay?" he snapped. Taking a final sweep of the surrounding area to ensure Shampoo wasn't close, he hopped down as they headed to the front gate of Fūrinkan High. "Sheesh! You don't hear me buggin' ya about somethin' ya wanna keep personal if ya tell me to mind my own business! So why're you doin' it to me?"

She stopped, staring wide-eyed at her fiancé. Her body then quaked as a surge of anger roared up her spine. "Hey, don't tell me something like that, Ranma! I'm trying to show a little concern for you, you know!"

He stopped some distance away before he stared at her. "Why don't I believe what you just said?" he wondered before heading into the school.

Akane watched Ranma head inside, her legs rooted in place as his question echoed through her mind. "Ranma . . . " she whispered.

"You okay, sugar?"

Akane gasped, spinning around to see Ukyō staring at her. "Ukyō?" she breathed out. "Ah! Um, is there something wrong?"

"Is there somethin' wrong with YOU?" the okonomiyaki chef countered. "Did you and Ran-chan have a fight or what?"

"I . . . " Akane blinked, and then she shook her head. "No, no fight. It was just a little disagreement. So . . . "

"If you say so. Look, can you ask Ran-chan to come to the cherry tree . . . " – she pointed to a tree at one end of the campus – "At lunch? I REALLY have got to talk to him. You, too. Please, will you two come there today?"

Akane stared at her rival, quickly noting the flash of pain and fear deep in Ukyō's dark eyes. "I . . . al-alright."

"Thanks."

* * *

Later . . .

"Akane? Ran-chan?"

The couple and Ukyō sat under the cherry tree the chef had specified before classes had begun. Akane and Ranma gazed on each other before the former turned to Ukyō. "I forgive you." She reluctantly nodded. "I can't blame you for getting so upset at what happened last week!"

Ukyō blinked, and then she smiled. "Well, since you say it was those two dingbats you have to call fathers that started it, not to mention what Nabiki did to milk it along . . .!" She chuckled before turning to Ranma.

He sighed. "I forgive you, Ukyō-san."

Ukyō jolted, her mind clouding over on hearing the words she needed to hear from him. She was then brought up short by the way he just addressed her. Akane was also taken aback. "Ranma . . .?" She gazed on her fiancé.

Ranma sighed. "And yeah, you certainly had a right to do what you did last week, Ukyō-san. I don't hold it against you."

Akane exploded. "SAY WHAT? What the hell does THAT mean?"

Ranma spun on her. "What about her honour, Akane?" he demanded, the ice in his voice making both girls duck. "What about the fact that she spent TEN YEARS as a boy 'cause of what Oyaji pulled on her?"

Silence fell. "Ran-chan . . . " Ukyō repeated.

Ranma stood. "Ukyō-san, I can't begin to apologise for how much that fool father of mine hurt you. I can't start to think of any way to pay you back for your sufferings. I know you love me and want to marry me but . . . " He paused before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't give that back to you. To me, you will always be my oldest and best friend. But I can't accept you as BOTH friend AND fiancée. Ya have to be one or the other, not both. I . . . " He stopped, and then he shrugged. "I'm sorry."

He walked away. Akane and Ukyō watched him. The latter then shuddered. "Now, wait just a damned minute here, Ran-chan . . .!"

Akane stepped into her path. "No!"

"Wha . . .?" Ukyō sputtered.

"Leave him alone, Ukyō!" Akane ordered, glaring the chef down. "Don't you understand what you're doing to him?"

"But he has to . . .!"

"Has to what?"

They stared at each other, and then they glanced together towards where Ranma had gone. The martial artist was nowhere in sight. Both women blinked. Akane sighed. "Damn, this is such a mess!" She shook her head.

Ukyō took a breath. "Yeah, you got that right," she muttered. "Akane, I'm sorry. I know how much you care for him and all that, but I gotta warn you now." She held up a finger. "I can't and WON'T give up my claim on Ran-chan."

Blinking, Akane stared back at her. "Why?"

"'Cause that's what my dad wants, okay?" Ukyō snapped. She shuddered before calming herself. "I'm sorry. Look, it's not your fault and it's not Ran-chan's fault. I happen to like you, but I just . . . " She squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't give up on him. If I do, I give up EVERYTHING that makes my life what it is. I'd be made rōnin so fast, it'd make your head spin. I'd have to start from scratch again, both as a chef and as a martial artist. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. I'm trapped and the only way out is through Ran-chan. I . . . " She shook her head, shrugging. "That's the way it is."

Akane stared at her. "Ukyō," she breathed out before gazing intently at her. "I can't believe that your dad would . . . "

"Believe it," Ukyō flatly announced.

* * *

After school . . .

Ranma and Akane were silent as they headed home after classes. Both had small bundles in their hands, boxes full of fresh okonomiyaki; Ukyō had prepared them before final class. Ranma kept his eyes peeled for Shampoo and her bicycle. Akane stared at him. "Ranma?" she then ventured.

He glanced at her. "What is it?"

"You know, you were right." She took a breath. "She was hurt because of what your father did to her. What could we do to help her?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Try ta find her family yatai if we could, but I don't remember what Oyaji did with that. I can't just duck out of helping her, Akane. She definitely deserves ta get something out of this. But . . . " he stuttered. "What?" he then asked with a shrug.

"Yeah. What could we do to pay back ten years of misery?"

Ranma sighed. He needed to talk to Tampopo about this. "Akane, look, I'm gonna go for a walk, alright. I'll see ya later."

"Eh?" Akane stared at him. "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere ta clear my head." Ranma bounded to the nearest fence. "Tell Kasumi she don't have to cook anythin' for me tonight!"

Akane watched him race off. "Ranma," she whispered, lowering her head. "Why won't you tell me what's bothering you?"

"Aiyah! Is Àirén alright?"

Akane jolted, spinning to see Shampoo walk her bicycle up, an empty lunch box on the cargo rack over the back wheel. "Shampoo!"

"Did you have a fight?" the warrior-maiden asked.

Akane blinked, surprised that Shampoo had asked her something like THAT, and then she shook her head. "No, no fight. What's wrong?"

"This . . . " Shampoo's voice halted. "This one wants to apologise for what she did to stop the wedding last week." She lowered her eyes. "This one heard from Mercenary Girl that Àirén's stupid father and your father set that up. But can you . . .?" She paused before staring at her rival. "Can you tell this one something? Did you really want to marry Àirén last week or was it because of the Nánnìquán water the Jusenkyō guide sent to Àirén?"

Akane shuddered before nodding. "Yes, I did want to marry Ranma, Shampoo. He's saved my life so many times, that . . . "

"You think it's an honour-debt, right?"

Akane stared intently at Shampoo before relaxing. "It's more than that. I love him. I . . .!" She paused. "I don't know when it started to happen, but it did. I can't deny it, Shampoo. It's not fair to Ranma and . . . "

She pointed to herself. "You think it's no fair to you, too?"

"Hai."

"This one understands. In fact, this one understands much more than you might think. But . . . " She closed her eyes. "It doesn't change one thing. This one still loves Àirén. And this one can't give up on Àirén. It . . . it's not over yet," Shampoo then breathed out.

Akane shuddered as a chill warped through her. "No . . . "

"If this one can't bring Àirén back, she . . . " She gazed at Akane, helplessness flashing in her eyes. "This one will face disgrace and worse. Even more, the Council doesn't want to let Àirén go. After Àirén killed Saffron and defeated Herb, what do you think the Council should do?"

Akane stared at the warrior-maiden, the phrases "disgrace or worse" and "Council doesn't want to let Àirén go" echoing in her mind again and again. "No . . .!" She shook her head. "No! No! No! DAMN IT ALL, NOT THIS!"

"Akane!" Shampoo cried out.

Too late; the youngest Tendō daughter was out of earshot. Shampoo watched her go before she closed her eyes. "This one is sorry, Akane. This one really, really wishes there could be another way."

* * *

Minutes later . . .

A forlorn "Tadaima!" echoed through the Tendō home. Hearing that, Nodoka stepped out of the kitchen, blinking on seeing tears in Akane's eyes as she slipped off her shoes. "Akane-chan, what's wrong?" she gasped as she immediately moved to comfort her future daughter-in-law.

Akane jolted, staring blankly at Ranma's mother. By then, Sōun had come. Quickly noting the look on his youngest child's face, he panicked. "Akane-chan! Are you alright? What's wrong?" he parroted Nodoka's question.

"I . . .!" Akane blinked. "Nothing's wrong, Tō-chan, Oba-chan. I'm okay."

She turned to head upstairs. "Akane?" Sōun gasped.

"Was it something Ranma did?" Nodoka demanded.

Akane stopped, her eyes widening. She spun around, outrage exploding from every point on her body. "**_NO!_**" she bellowed loudly enough to blow them into the floorboards. "**_RANMA DID NOTHING TO ME! NOTHING!_**" She then turned on Sōun. "**_WHY IS IT EVERY TIME SOMETHING GOES WRONG, YOU TURN AROUND AND BLAME RANMA?_**" Then she pointed accusingly at Nodoka. "**_AND WHY CAN'T YOU TRUST YOUR OWN SON FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, ANYWAY?_**"

She marched upstairs. Sōun and Nodoka remained quiet before exchanging a surprised look. "You think your husband might be right?" the former asked, glancing up the stairs as the door to Akane's room opened and slammed shut.

"Perhaps."

* * *

The week marched on . . .

Tuesday lunchtime saw Shampoo come to the school cafeteria to deliver lunch for her Airen. Before presenting a bowl of hot ramen to Ranma, the warrior-maiden apologised for her part in the failed wedding, especially in putting her Àirén's mother into harm's way. Hearing that, plus hearing that Shampoo had not put any drugs into the ramen - a fear Ranma had possessed concerning Shampoo's meals for a long time - he accepted her apology.

Then, to everyone's shock, he added, "Shampoo, you've had to live with your laws for your entire life. I don't really understand the reasons behind them, but they're something you can't deny, even living here in Japan. Because of that, I admit that you had every right to do what you did last week. I can accept it. I can even try to understand it. Please, it's alright."

Shampoo floated back to the Nekohanten on Cloud Nine.

After school, Ukyō gave Ranma another packaged okonomiyaki. He accepted it, though he still addressed her as "Ukyō-san," something that still clearly hurt the young chef. Once she was gone, Ranma parted from Akane, declaring he wanted to go for a walk. Akane accepted that, still bothered greatly by the words Ukyō and Shampoo had spoken to her the previous two days.

She needed a chance to be alone, too.

Once they were separated, Ranma proceeded to a playground to gobble Ukyō's okonomiyaki before he headed to Tampopo's to spend some time with his new friend. There was no way he was going to insult the older chef by bringing samples of Ukyō's cooking into her restaurant. And besides, he had enough room for whatever Tampopo might make him, plus any surprises that might be waiting for him back at the Tendō home. Before leaving the chef for the day, Ranma received several special packets of a homeopathic cure Tampopo had once given Moroboshi Ataru in case he had to deal with Lum's cooking and couldn't duck out of his home to avoid it. "It should be more than enough to deal with whatever Akane might want to prepare for you," she advised him.

Ranma certainly appreciated that.

* * *

The Tendō home . . .

"She said that to you?"

Genma stared hopefully at his wife and his best friend. Nodoka nodded. "Yes, she was quite boisterous about it, my husband. It appears that, even if they are uncomfortable openly expressing it, they do feel it."

Sōun sighed. "I do agree, Saotome-kun. Perhaps you were right, but I do want us to wait until this weekend before we approach them. And we keep the wedding date as flexible as possible. Let them decide when they want to wed."

"That sounds more than fair enough," Nodoka mused.

Genma blinked before sighing. "Alright, I can go along with that. I'll keep an eye on the boy anyway, just in case. I still haven't figured out where he goes to when he parts from Akane after school."

"Spying on our son, Genma, may not be the wisest thing to do."

"Yes, Saotome-kun, he might take it the wrong way."

"Still, I want to make sure he isn't slacking off." Genma held up a hand to forestall any protests from Sōun or Nodoka. "Don't worry. I won't press anything with the boy, but I don't want him to lose his edge."

Sōun and Nodoka stared at him, and then they nodded.

* * *

"Oh, my!" Kasumi whispered; she was in the kitchen, having been there since before Genma had got together with his wife and the Tendō patriarch.

_Saturday_, she mused with a grimace, and then she sighed.

She had to talk to Nabiki about this as soon as possible.

* * *

Wednesday was a quiet day, save lunchtime. Like the day before, Shampoo came to Fūrinkan High with lunch. When she got there, a trivial annoyance imposed himself on her. "De Big Kahuna say there be NO take out in the . . .!"

_CLONG!_

"This one doesn't care what you say, Palm-Tree Man!" Shampoo snapped before swatting the tree-topped school administrator into the afternoon sky with her bonbori. With that, she marched into the cafeteria. "Nǐhǎo, Àirén!"

The warrior-maiden was quick to notice that Ukyō had already given Ranma some okonomiyaki to enjoy for lunch. Even more so, there was a bowl of some brown-grey sauce – curry? – too. Who had . . .? Her eyes then fell on Akane, she having a very expectant look on her face. Oh, no!

"Oh, hi, Shampoo!" Ranma perked up. He then noticed her staring warily at the bowl of curry rice Akane had made the previous evening. "Oh, relax! Relax!" He waved her down as Shampoo came up. "This is pretty okay!"

Shampoo stared intently at Akane, who gave her a neutral look in return. "Akane's never cooked good food before, Àirén."

Ranma sighed before taking his chopsticks, forking out a small hunk of curry rice for Shampoo. "Here! Try it."

Everyone stared at the warrior-maiden. Shampoo blinked. Then realising that Ranma would NOT try to intentionally poison her with bad food, she took the curry rice into her mouth. Munching it, her eyes widened as the spices hit home, and then she swallowed it. "You're right, Àirén! This IS good curry!" She nodded, gazing at Akane. "There might be hope for you yet, Akane!"

Akane grinned. "I am trying."

"And ya gotta keep ON trying, Akane," Ukyō moderated. "And listen to your sister and Ran-chan's mom, too. Remember, they've been at this a lot longer than you have. You can't get it right overnight."

Hearing that, Akane nodded. "Yeah, that's true."

The other students watching this scene then exchanged worried looks. Many of them were clearly wondering when Rod Serling was going to show up and tell them that they just took a trip into the Twilight Zone. By then, Shampoo had served out the lunch she made before heading out. Just as she was about to mount her bicycle for the ride to the Nekohanten, she noticed a folded note tucked into the frame. Drawing it out, she opened it to read:

_Shampoo,  
Come to Hikarigaoka Park, near Yamada Fred's yatai, tonight at eight o'clock. Don't be late. Ukyō and Kodachi will be there, too. It's about something you all need to know about Ranma and Akane.  
Feel free to tell your great-grandmother, but DON'T let Mousse know. You'll understand when you hear what I have to tell you.  
Nabiki_

Shampoo stared at the note. Nodding, she hopped onto her bicycle.

* * *

Thursday and Friday buzzed past almost in a blur . . .

Matters between Ranma and Akane remained cordial, which pleased Genma very much. Sōun and Nodoka also accepted what was happening, realising that if things were to happen between the two, they best happen very soon.

Genma didn't bother to report his failure to trace Ranma when he went off to "clear his head." Try as the Saotome patriarch might, he couldn't trace his son several blocks before losing him. How was that possible?

Was the boy keeping an eye out for him?

School was still boring for Ranma, though he did try to pay attention to the lectures. Lunch and physical education classes remained his favourite times in the day. Noting that, his classmates were comforted by one seemingly "normal" thing. Though lunchtime did stretch it a bit. On both days, Ukyō and Shampoo showed up with fresh meals for their fiancé. Akane also added in her curry, plus a reasonable attempt at a stir-fry she made with Kasumi's help.

Seeing Ranma's conditional approval – some habits DO die very hard! – made Akane's smile glitter like the sun.

After school, Ranma parted from Akane and made his trek to Tampopo's for dinner and chat. He had been quick to notice Genma trying to track him down when he started to do this, which forced Ranma to dip into his knowledge of the Umisen-ken to ensure the panda didn't learn of Kamekichi Tampopo. Hearing what Ranma had been doing on her behalf, Tampopo could only smile, telling him that it was no real problem. She was prepared to stand at his side against Genma. Noting the chef's obvious martial art skill, Ranma could agree, but still felt it was only proper. One just did NOT put one's friends into danger like that!

During his times with Tampopo, Ranma soon evolved a basic strategy to get some control over his life and resolve a lot of the outstanding issues hanging like Damocles' sword over his head. Indeed, Akane's father had it exactly right the day after the wedding attempt; things could NOT happen with the extra fiancées, not to mention all those other hangers-on, looming over Ranma's head.

And Ranma certainly could do with some peace and quiet.

First priority was Ukyō. He had to do something to repay the debt his family ultimately owed hers. This basically meant that he couldn't use the actions of the Gambling King concerning the Kuonji family yatai. The infamous gambler WAS a well-known cheat and Ukyō had only been five years old when she "gambled" the yatai away. Kuonji Haruka, as head of Ukyō's family, would have been within his rights to ignore what had happened between Ukyō and the King – and since Genma had taken the yatai shortly afterward . . .!

There was one possible solution concerning Ukyō: Finding the Kuonji yatai and returning it to her in the same or better condition that it had been when it had been taken. Regardless of which, he was not interested in marrying her. Ranma just couldn't envision doing something like THAT with his friend. He wanted his "U-chan" back, the person he trusted so much when they were kids. He didn't want her as a wife. And he sure as hell didn't want a mistress, even if that might be something Nodoka would consider proper.

If Nodoka wanted to press an insane idea like that, Ranma would refuse.

It was just unfair to all concerned, especially Ukyō.

Next would be Shampoo. Ranma would have to spend some time looking over the Nǚjiézú laws to find some loophole in the Kiss of Marriage. If not . . .! Well, Ranma couldn't think of much beyond that point. He did owe Cologne a lot for teaching him the Chestnut Fist and the Rising Dragon Ascension. Could his actions on Mount Phoenix be parlayed into something for both Ranma and Shampoo?

That would have to be investigated.

Then there was Kodachi, but that had an easy answer: The gymnast needed therapy and couldn't be allowed to duck out of it until she agreed to get it. How that could be done, Ranma had no idea, but he'd try to figure it out.

With that done, he'd have to decide what to do with Akane. Ranma liked her very much. He cared for her a lot and certainly didn't want to see her hurt. But the whole matter with the Nanniichuan still bothered him. Yes, Akane had admitted she loved him just before the wedding. But with the revelations that came after that event, he was unsure of what sort of love she meant.

Ranma sighed while he was considering that point. He didn't want things to go back to the way they were when he first met Akane. Yes, he instinctively knew that he could, if he wanted to, avoid her punches and mallet strikes – how he let that keep happening, he didn't understand – but if he did that, what would happen? Would Akane be so offended by his "avoiding his just punishment" that she'd want to end the engagement once and for all?

Did he want that to happen?

What would his mother think?

Nodoka did like Akane and Ranma didn't want to disappoint her.

"I want to learn how to love her, Tampopo-chan. That much I think I want to do with Akane," Ranma admitted to the chef Friday night before he headed back to the dōjō. "But I gotta know first what her feelings are."

"Do you think you should tell her that soon?" she asked.

"No, not yet. I gotta clear the air with all the others first before worryin' about that. I'll talk to her about the cask soon, though. Maybe when I find out about that, I'll decide what to do then."

"That sounds pretty rational," Tampopo admitted.

* * *

Saturday . . .

"Tadaima!"

"Okaeri nasai," Kasumi called out as Ranma, Akane and Nabiki stepped into the sitting room after classes. "How was school today?"

"It was alright," Akane admitted before she noticed Sōun, Genma and Nodoka awaiting them by the dinner table. The determined looks on their faces made the youngest Tendō blink. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, Akane, but there is something we should talk about," Sōun declared, waving them to the floor mats across the table from them. "Please sit down. The sooner we get this over with, the better for everyone."

Akane and Ranma exchanged a look. _Uh-oh!_ they thought, though they sat themselves. "What's this about?" Ranma asked.

The adults exchanged a look. Sōun sighed. "Ranma-kun, two weeks ago, I promised you that we'd set aside all talk about weddings until such time as all the potential suitors have been fully dealt with."

Ranma nodded. "Yes, that's true."

The Tendō patriarch took a breath, glanced at Genma, and then he carried on, "Well, when we made that decision, we didn't take into account you aren't . . . well, trained to deal with this sort of thing. Since you came, we've assumed you would do the right thing. Clearly, you don't fully and properly understand what the right and honourable thing is in this case. For that . . . " – he bowed his head apologetically – " . . . I personally apologise to you for making so many assumptions about you in the past. It was wrong and it brought a lot of disharmony and mistrust between yourself and my daughter, Ranma-kun."

Akane's eyes widened. "Dad . . . "

"I . . . " Ranma blinked. He hadn't expected this. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "It's okay. You did what you thought was best."

Sōun and Genma brightened. "Well, you might be pleased to hear this," the latter declared. "Son, when we made our decision two weeks ago, we assumed the problems were many and difficult. We were wrong to assume that, and then mislead you and Akane-chan. The problems are actually quite trivial."

The younger people blinked. "I wouldn't think of them as 'trivial,' Oyaji," Ranma protested. "They do matter, you know . . . "

"No, my son, you're wrong," Nodoka spoke up. "You've only been led to believe they are more than what they seem." She held up a finger. "Outside the Tendō Clan, you have an engagement with Kuonji Ukyō. After her actions, in the matter when our house was destroyed, then two weeks ago, she clearly demonstrated she would not respect the family she supposedly wishes to marry into. I won't have her be part of our family. Yes, she will be compensated for her dowry, but she will not be, from today on, recognised as your fiancée."

"Ofukuro, she deserves more than that," Ranma automatically countered. "Yeah, I don't want to marry her, but she spent ten whole years actin' as a boy so she could get her revenge on us for what Oyaji pulled on her. And I want her to be my friend. I'm not gonna cast her off like Oyaji did."

Nodoka stiffened. "I'd hardly call someone like her worthy to be your friend, my son, much less a fiancée," she frostily intoned.

Ranma shuddered, ducking Nodoka's look. Akane sighed. "Dad, what about Shampoo? What do we do about her, then?"

Sōun snorted. "She's an outlander, Akane, trying to impose her laws on a place where they have no effect. She has no right whatsoever to think of Ranma-kun as her husband, 'Àirén' or what have you!"

"What happens if she goes back to her village empty-handed?" Ranma demanded. "You know how harsh their laws are!"

"That is her problem, not ours," Nodoka stated. "Perhaps if she is punished because of her 'failure,' then her people will see reason at last and learn to treat other outsiders much better than they treated you."

Genma snorted, he nodding in agreement. "Agreed. The Kunō Clan has no claim on Akane-chan or yourself, so anything they say is worthless. And if they try to press the point, we'll deal with them. Outside that, there is nothing else to worry about. Now, given that we know what to do, we can get on with the wedding preparations and see you both finally married."

Silence.

More silence.

Still more silence.

Then . . .

"SAY WHAT?" Akane and Ranma screamed.

"Of course!" Sōun nodded with determination. "Please. We realise how much you don't like to be pushed into this, but we DO want to see you wed. And we DO know that you two love and care for each other a lot. We are all in agreement about that, so why delay it anymore? Everything else can be brushed aside if you just let your hearts guide you to where you should go."

"It's the right thing to do, Ranma." Nodoka gazed on him, her hands squeezing the katana in her arms. "It's the manly thing to do."

Ranma jolted. Kasumi sighed. "Oba-san . . . "

Akane blinked as her mind rolled through what everyone had just said. A smile then crept across her face, the same smile she had shown Ranma when he saw her in her wedding gown two weeks ago. Seeing this, Nabiki and Kasumi blinked before they exchanged a look. Why was she smiling? Did she WANT this to happen? Did she really mind being forced into this as soon as possible?

And what of Ranma . . .?

Ranma?

Ranma was still staring at Nodoka, a lost, hurt look etched on his face. As if he was asking himself who this woman was and what the hell had she done to his mother. Nabiki gazed on Nodoka, who was looking towards Sōun and Genma, not taking notice of how much she had just hurt her son. Damn it, did she HAVE to bring that rotting old seppuku agreement into this damned mess?

"Akane?" Sōun probed.

Akane jolted, flustering. "Dad, I . . .!"

The door to the sitting room flew open as twin bonbori sailed in. Sōun and Genma didn't react fast enough before they were knocked out. Nodoka bolted to her feet, her hands moving to unwrap her katana. A throwing spatula slammed into her wrist, making her drop the blade. A ribbon snapped up the katana, yanking it from Ranma's mother to dunk it into the koi pond.

"Just before you say anything, Akane, we got something ta say to these jerks!" Ukyō growled, battle spatula at the ready.

Kasumi smiled. "Oh, we have more guests."

She headed into the kitchen, quickly followed by Nabiki. "What are you guys doing here?" Akane demanded, bolting to her feet.

"Stoppin' something that has no right to happen, sugar," Ukyō snarled before she spun on the adults. "Did you really think you'd get away with it so soon after we stopped you the first time?"

"You have no right to be here, girl!" Nodoka snapped. "This is an honourable arrangement between two families, neither of which you belong to nor will you ever be ALLOWED to belong to . . .!"

She gasped as a throwing spatula wings past her, cutting several strands of her hair. Nodoka staggered, and then she turned to Ranma, who sat where he had been since the meeting started. Ukyō lunged in, whipping her battle spatula in an overhead strike. Genma smashed his fist into Ukyō's chin, sending her flying over Akane into the wall. Kodachi's clubs and another of Shampoo's bonbori slammed into Genma's head. By then, Sōun was on his feet, he moving to disarm the girls and throw them out of his house.

The wall behind Nodoka exploded inward, the force staggering the older woman. "SHĀNPÚ!" Mousse screamed out.

Shampoo back-pedalled from Sōun's fist before driving her bonbori into his stomach. "Stupid Mùsī! What are you doing here?"

"Doing something that needs to be done!" Mousse focused on what he thought was Ranma – his glasses were on his forehead again – and then he lashed out with a storm of chains and knives. "DIE, SAOTOME!"

"Hey! You're aiming at ME, you idiot!" Akane screamed as she danced clear of the weapons-master's onslaught. "Get out of here!"

Shampoo grabbed one of her bonbori and flung it at Mousse. Nodoka was in her line-of-fire; the spheroid-hitting tool winged her in the side, sending her into a wall. Ranma, seemingly uncaring of what just happened to his mother, grabbed it out of mid-air, and then he fired it at its intended target. Mousse screamed out as the bonbori slammed into his head, sending him flying out of the house. Thunder then echoed from the direction Mousse vanished. "HOLD!"

Akane rolled her eyes. "Oh, shit! He's back!"

People turned as Kunō Tatewaki stormed in, bokken in hand. "I did not grant permission for this unholy union between my fair Tendō Akane and the foul sorcerer Saotome Ranma to occur! HAVE AT THEE, SORCERER!"

He wound up slamming into Mallet-sama. "Get it through your head finally, jerk! YOU HAVE NO SAY IN OUR MARRIAGE!"

"Beautiful Akane . . . " Kunō groaned, dropping to the floor.

Akane shuddered before she spun on Ukyō, Shampoo and Kodachi. "And that goes for you too! I've HAD it with you blasting your way into places where you don't belong! Ranma is MY fiancé!" She thumbed herself, and then she pointed accusingly at Ukyō. "Not yours . . . " – then to Shampoo – " . . . not yours and especially not YOURS!" She pointed at Kodachi before she pointed at herself again. "I would have been married to Ranma had it not been for you!"

Ukyō tensed herself. "Well, I'm afraid that it ain't gonna happen, sugar! If Ran-chan's gonna marry anyone, it'll be me! You got your dowry! I had mine stolen! So you better cough him over right now!"

"Not a chance!" Akane snapped before looking over. "Ran- . . . huh?"

Everyone stopped on seeing an empty space where Ranma had been sitting not seconds before. "Where did Àirén go?" Shampoo demanded.

"I think he left when you started arguing over who was going to marry him," Nabiki announced, she standing at the kitchen doorway.

The four girls exchanged a shocked look. Ukyō grunted. "Damn it! We better find him before he gets too far away . . .!"

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone spun on Genma, who was now staggering to his feet. "My son will marry Akane even if it's over your dead bodies!" the Saotome patriarch growled.

He gasped as a ribbon snared him by the throat. Kodachi yanked Genma into the yard, sending him face-first into the cherry tree by the koi pond. Before he could recover, a storm of bokken strikes followed. "HOW DARE YOU PRESUME YOUR FOUL MAGUS OF A SON WILL MARRY TENDŌ AKANE?" Kunō thundered.

Shampoo looked at Ukyō. "Let's go find Àirén!"

"Right!" The chef nodded, and then she screamed as chains wrapped around her. "Hey! What the hell are you doing, Mousse?"

"Ensuring Saotome will NEVER have my Shānpú!" the weapons-master vowed.

He then screamed out as Shampoo's bonbori slammed into him. "Stupid Mùsī! Mind your own business for once!" Shampoo growled, and then she screamed out as Sōun lunged at her with a table. "Aiyah!"

He unleashed the Demon Head. "RANMA WILL MARRY AKANE!"

That caused Mousse to release Ukyō. He then fired a storm of knives at Sōun. "HOW DARE YOU THREATEN SHĀNPÚ?"

Sōun's battle cry turned into a panicked yelp. Ukyō growled, lunging into the front lawn before taking a look around. "Akane?" she whispered before cursing herself. "Damn! She must've gone after Ran-chan!" Her eyes fell on Genma, who was being deluged by a joint assault from the Kunō siblings.

"Well, might as well get some practice in," she declared.

* * *

"Ranma! Ranma, where are you?"

Ranma looked over as Akane ran toward the bridge over the Shakujii where he normally came when he wanted to be alone. He remained quiet as she jogged up. "Baka! There you are!" she breathed out. "Why'd you run off like that?"

He looked nowhere in particular. "I didn't want to get involved this time. Doin' that doesn't do spit for any of us, so I decided ta do something else. Feels nice not to be in the centre of some useless fight like that."

Akane sighed. "Ranma . . . " she whispered, and then she took a deep breath before continuing, "Ranma, they're not going to stop just because you left. Don't you understand? It's YOU that they're fighting . . . "

"**_THEN IT'S THEIR PROBLEM!_**"

Akane gasped, her eyes widening as Ranma's battle aura clicked on, surrounding him in a sea of pure crimson fury. "R-r-Ranma . . .!"

He pointed at her. "Is that all I am to you? Just a THING for all of you to fight over? Somethin' nobody, EVEN YOU, really cares a flying DAMN about? Is that all I really am to you? IS IT? WELL?"

She shuddered, her mouth fluttering as she tried to give him an answer. Staring at her, Ranma growled. "Fine! Since I'm not bein' given any chance to decide anything for myself, then I say this: You can beat each other senseless for all I care now! Hell, you can KILL each other for all I care! Either way, I'll be rid of you all! When you FINALLY decide ta treat me like I'm a person, THEN talk to me!" And with that, he stormed off.

Akane was rooted in place, her eyes wide as those words echoed inside her mind. Suddenly, a storm of anger welled in her as she felt Mallet-sama materialise in her hands. Growling, she lunged after him.

"**_RANMA NO BAKA!_**"

The mallet slammed home on the back of Ranma's head.

And then it shattered!

Akane gasped as the pieces cascaded around his head. He turned around to glare at her, clearly not the least bit affected by her attack. Her eyes then locked on his face as a grip of mortal TERROR snared her heart.

The look there . . .!

Oh, no!

Oh, Kami-sama, please, no . . . not this . . .!

Don't let it end like THIS!

Ranma shuddered. Then a strange calm crossed his face. "Fine," he declared before turning around and walking away.

Akane stayed rooted in place as he turned a corner and vanished. She then blinked as a voice in her mind began to warn her that what she had just done was probably the most STUPID thing she had ever done with her fiancé.

"Ranma." She shuddered, turning away. "I'm sorry."

* * *

"I'm surprised he didn't kill her for that!"

"For all his faults, Cologne-chan, the boy is not THAT!"

Cologne blinked, and then she stared at Happōsai before a slow nod shifted her head. She then glanced in the direction Ranma had disappeared. "He's going to that new restaurant that'll open this week," she reported.

"Smart, given who runs the place," the grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū calmly noted as he drew his pipe and took a puff.

Cologne looked at him. "You know her?"

A grin split his face before he whispered something into the Nǚjiézú elder's ear. She blinked, and then her eyes went totally wide. "GODDESS! Happy, you m-MUST be j-joking!" she sputtered, staring at Happōsai.

He shook his head. "Nope." A deep breath. "It's time for some damage control here, Cologne-chan. I'll worry about the two dunderheads and the fool's wife. Keep Shampoo-chan and Mousse occupied for the time being." A tired sigh. "Maybe the boy will listen to us with them out of the way."

She watched him go, nodding. "I hope you're right, Happy."

* * *

"So, you are the one, aren't you?"

Chikage drew out a tarot card from her pocket to look at it.

The Fool, herald of new beginnings.

A befitting card indeed.

"Ane-kun?"

**_To be continued . . ._**

* * *

**WRITER'S NOTES:**

1) Yamada Fred is a character from Robert Haynie's wondrously funny _Girl Days_, which is listed as one of my favourites at this website.

2) The term "Nerima Wrecking Crew" to identify Ranma et al is a common fanon phrase used in many fan fiction stories. The term "Mallet-sama" as applied to Akane's ki-mallet was first coined by the Eternal Lost Lurker in his very remarkable fanfic _Her_, which can be found at the RAAC archives.

3) Translations (all from Japanese unless otherwise noted):

**Nanniichuan** (Japanese)/**Nánnìquán** (Mandarin) – _Spring of Drowned Man  
_**Jusenkyō** (Japanese)/**Zhòuquán-xiāng** (Mandarin) – _Valley of Sorrows  
_**gaijin** – _outside person_ (euphemism for a foreigner)  
**Oyaji** – _old man_ (slang way of addressing one's father)  
**Àirén** - _Beloved_ (Mandarin)  
**Mōko Takabisha** – _Pride of the Fierce Tiger  
_**bokken** – _hardwood practice sword  
_**kendō-ka** – _practitioner of kendō  
_**bentō** – _box lunch  
_**Nǚjiézú** – _Tribe of Heroic Women_ (Mandarin)  
**koi** – _carp  
_**Ofukuro** – _slang way of addressing one's mother  
_**Kahuna** – _expert in any profession_ (Hawai'ian)  
**iinazuke** – _fiancé/fiancée  
_**chō** – _name suffix for a city district  
_**dōri** – _name suffix for a road  
_**Rōmaji** – _Roman alphabet  
_**kaffeeklatsch** – _private meeting where coffee is served_ (German)_  
_**soba** – _thin buckwheat noodles  
_**shiatsu** – _pressure-point healing  
_**giri** – _duty and obligation  
_**Nǐhǎo!** - _Hello!_ (Mandarin)  
**tadaima** – _I'm home/I'm back  
_**yatai** – _mobile "restaurant on wheels"  
_**okaeri nasai**/**okaeri ne** – _welcome home/welcome back  
_**seppuku** – _ritual suicide by self-disembowelment  
_**Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū** - _School of Indiscriminate Grappling_


	3. 1st Part: Solitudes

Somewhere in the Korea Strait, off Tsushima . . .

_Tell me that you love me!  
I cannot stand that you're never mine!  
You really break my heart!_

_Tchajŭngnaego hwarŭl naedo  
Tto n__ŏŭi__ misoman pomyŏn  
Pabo kat'ŭn na._

_Nŏn nuga pwado aju yeppŭgo  
T'amsŭrŏun sagwa kat'a  
Kkaemurŏ chugo ship'ŏ anajugo ship'ŏ  
Nŏŭi p'ingk'ŭ pit hwasare kkojŏssŏ._

_N__ŏ__n moduege nŭl ch'inj__ŏ__rae  
Kŭraes__ŏ__ ch'akkakdŭl haji  
Namanŭi aeinin'g__ŏ__l ijji an'atdamy__ŏ__n  
Naege t__ŏ__ isang changnanch'ijinŭn ma._

_Yokshimi chinach'in k__ŏ__lkka chashini  
Oumneun k__ŏ__lkka puran'an maŭm ppunya . . ._

The crowd in the snack bar aboard the _Ferry Pukwan_ laughed and clapped as the bearded traveller by the karaoke machine crooned the notes of _Misoch'__ŏ__nsa_. Most of the crowd on this evening's run from Pusan to Shimonoseki was composed of Koreans taking advantage of winter vacation to spend time abroad. Imagine their surprise on meeting the singer, a native of Japan despite his fluency in the tongue of the Land of the Morning Calm. Given the centuries of blood hatred between the nations bordering the shores of the Tonghae – what Japanese insisted should be called the "Nihon-kai" – to encounter one of Japan willing to learn Korean was shocking.

As the song came to a close, the traveller smiled, handing the microphone back to the bartender. "You sing well," one of the women, an office lady from Sŏul, noted with a laugh as he stood up, turning to leave.

The traveller paused, sensing that some of the women there, all in their twenties and thirties, would gladly have wanted him to continue to sing. If not engage in other activities best done behind closed doors and with the lights turned down way low. Damn, if this had been weeks before . . .!

"Kamsahamnida," he thanked her in Korean with a bow before he turned to leave. "Forgive me, but I'm travelling with my sister. She doesn't like sea voyages. I'd better check on her. Good night."

He bowed before stepping out. "Awwwwwwwwwwww . . . " some lamented.

Walking forward, he then ascended a gangway to where first class quarters were located. Drawing a key, he opened the door to one room. Glancing in, he tried not to grin on seeing a woman under the covers. Despite the aura of physical fitness that cloaked her, her skin was pale and clammy, sweat pouring from her shaggy head of chestnut hair. Her eyes, brown, were squeezed shut.

"You okay, Onē-san?" he wondered, sitting on the bed as he gently brushed away her perspiration with his hand.

A tired breath escaped her. "Why did you insist on taking _this_ route back to Japan?" she hissed through gritted teeth.

"You hate flying as much as travelling by boat. This was cheaper. And you didn't want to travel back through Sanctuary." He shrugged before kissing her cheek. "Relax, Onē-san. They'll be dropping anchor outside Shimonoseki in a few hours. The waves should be calm there. And, just in case the waves pick up, all they have to do is take the ferry into the Kanmon Strait."

"What time is it?"

"About eleven-thirty."

She faintly nodded. "Nine hours," she exhaled. The ferry docked at the Shimonoseki terminal around 8:30 in the morning. She opened her eyes to gaze on him. "You seem indifferent about returning to Japan, Ataru."

"Thanks to you." He clicked his tongue, staring through the window. Points of light on the horizon indicated fishing boats plying their eternal trade. "Right now, there's nothing that'll force me back into that hellhole, especially after getting together with the girls. Nothing at all . . . "

He fell silent. Negako stared at him before closing her eyes anew. "I see you have finally dismissed Lum from your thoughts."

He tensed on hearing that name. "No sense lamenting on what no longer is." He rose to undress. Even if they were "brother" and "sister" to the public, they had become used to sharing a bed depending on circumstances. "Lum's gone. Nothing I can do will change that. If I kept weeping over her, I'd be no different than the goons who flocked around her in Tomobiki."

"I wonder if she would have been able to prepare herself to accept what has ultimately happened to you." Negako smiled as Ataru, in boxers, slipped in beside her. In deference to modesty, she wore a tank top and panties.

They embraced as Ataru drew the blankets over them. "Yeah." He cut out the lights. "Besides . . . " A faint glow illuminated his left eye. "She was not the Other. The Other is elsewhere." The glow faded as his eyes closed.

"Elsewhere . . . "

* * *

**_Lonely Souls  
_**by Fred Herriot

_Misoch'ŏnsa_, performed by Sŏng Shigyŏng, lyrics by Yi Hoejin, music by Hwang Sŏngje

Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.

Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

* * *

**_NOTE_**_: This part of the story begins four weeks after the end of the "R" Side of the Prologue._

* * *

**THE FIRST PART - SOLITUDES**

"Ohayō, Onē-chan. Where're Ranma-kun and Akane?"

Kasumi smiled as Nabiki sat at the dinner table, having already dressed for breakfast. "Akane-chan's at school with her friends preparing for the drama class play in the spring term. I'm not too sure where Ranma-kun is, however."

Nabiki shook her head. "Those idiots just don't know when to leave it alone, eh?" she muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Unfortunately. And pretending to have Saotome-obasan's support on their side doesn't help matters, I'm afraid," Kasumi noted.

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Tell me something I don't already know."

* * *

_People in Nerima had come to call it the "Second Wedding Attempt."_

_In truth, no wedding was planned for that Saturday four weeks before, just a little over two weeks after the attempted wedding between Saotome Ranma and Tendō Akane. But what happened that day was just as profound, if not more so, in the eyes of those who had linked their destinies to Ranma or Akane._

_Things finally settled down in the sitting room by mid-afternoon. By then, Sōun, Genma and even Nodoka had been waylaid by Ranma's other would-be fiancées, with help from Kunō Tatewaki and Mousse. How those idiots learned of this, Nabiki had no idea. She soon suspected – confirmed when she talked to Kunō about it later – that Mousse had been spying on Shampoo the Wednesday evening prior to the big fight. That was when Nabiki met Shampoo, Ukyō and Kodachi in Hikarigaoka Park to discuss the parents' latest plan to get Ranma and Akane married. Once he heard what he needed to hear, Mousse sought out Kunō to give the kendō-ka a heads-up._

_Regardless of which, Nabiki's plan, secretly backed by Kasumi – to put a stop to any talk of impending weddings for Ranma and Akane – had gone off like clockwork. No doubt, that fight had left a lot of people's feelings very raw, but that didn't bother the middle Tendō daughter. It was sheer LUNACY to force two seventeen-year-olds into something as wide reaching as marriage. For Kami-sama's sake, this was the TWENTY-FIRST century, not the FIFTEENTH! Hopefully, Nabiki thought at the time, the lessons would be learned, not just by Sōun and Genma, but also by Nodoka. Nabiki didn't want to do that to Ranma's mother, but she had to be smacked out of her Tokugawa-era worldview if she was going to make any headway into forming a family with her son._

_Her son . . ._

_Ranma._

_A Ranma that, for reasons no one had yet determined, had started to change in a direction NO ONE expected, much less predicted._

_A Ranma that was no longer playing by anyone's rules . . ._

_Save his own._

* * *

_That Saturday night, it started._

_The sitting room, save for dents in the walls, one wall with a man-sized hole in it (that was covered by a blanket) and a wrecked table, had been cleaned up by Kasumi. The fiancées left an hour ago, apologizing to the Tendō daughters for bringing disharmony on the household. They didn't apologise for their desires for Ranma, of course. Kasumi or Nabiki couldn't fault them for that. Shampoo and Kodachi had also apologised for Mousse's and Tatewaki's presence (the weapons-master had destroyed the wall), the latter vowing to help finance repairs as soon as Nabiki made the necessary arrangements._

_Nodoka was in bed, recovering from several near misses from throwing spatulas and being winged in the head by a bonbori. Kasumi had salvaged the Saotome honour blade from the koi pond, and then she hid it. Sōun was also in bed, he having got worked over nicely by the fiancées. Genma had been rushed to the hospital; he had been pounded to within an inch of his life. Akane, who returned after the other fiancées left, had gone straight to her room, having said nothing about what might have happened to Ranma._

_Ranma had not been seen since after the fight began._

_"Tadaima!"_

_"Ranma-kun!" Kasumi walked in from the kitchen, forcing herself to smile. What happened earlier hadn't been his fault, so she didn't want to project any negative feelings. "Oh, Ojii-san!" she called out on seeing who was with Ranma. "There you are! We've wondered where you've been!"_

_"Sorry I've been out for a while, Kasumi-chan." Happōsai smiled before giving the room a close inspection. "Whoo-ee!" he breathed out. "When you said there'd been a fight in this place, my boy, you weren't kidding!"_

_"Yeah, you can say that again, Jijii," Ranma, in female form, replied before she stared at Kasumi. "Where's everyone?"_

_"Your mother and my father are in bed now. Akane's in her room, as is Nabiki. Your father . . . " Kasumi's smile slipped from her face. "He's in the hospital now. Your other suitors were not kind to him."_

_Ranma sighed. "Don't blame them. Can you get Nabiki? I've an announcement to make and I want to make it just to you two."_

_Kasumi blinked. "I . . . why not Akane-chan?"_

_"Forgive me, Kasumi, but since she is one of my 'fiancées' . . . " – one could coat the floor with the scorn that word produced from Ranma's lips, Kasumi mused – " . . . she has no right to hear this. Just you and Nabiki."_

_"I . . . yes, of course."_

_She headed upstairs. Ranma watched her go before turning to the grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakut__ō-ryū. "You sure this won't be any problem with you, Jijii?" she asked as they sat down where the table once was._

_"Oh, relax, son." Happōsai waved her down. "It'd do those two morons good to face some REAL humility for once in their lives!"_

_"Yeah, ya got a point." Ranma winked at him, and then she perked as Nabiki and Kasumi came down the stairs. "Hey, Nabiki!"_

_"Hey, Ranma-kun, welcome back," the middle Tendō daughter hailed. "You don't have to worry about Akane. She's asleep right now."_

_"Good." Ranma sighed as they sat before her. "I've some announcements to make. I ask you both to give me the benefit of the doubt, since that seems to elude everyone that lives here. If you feel my ideas have no place here, I'll look upon that as your family formally breaking the engagement between Akane and I. If that's the way you want it, I'll leave and never return."_

_Kasumi's eyes widened in shock. "Ranma . . .!"_

_"What the hell brought THAT out?" Nabiki demanded._

_Ranma glared the middle Tendō daughter down. "After all the times you took advantage of me, you have the nerve to ask me THAT?"_

_Nabiki moved to reply, but was rendered silent by a wave of Kasumi's hand. "Ranma-kun has a right to say that," the elder sister declared before staring at her would-be sibling. "Ranma-kun, if you feel right now that none of us ever gave you respect, I am sorry you've come to feel this way. Please, I DO want to know what you're feeling and what you want to do with yourself."_

_"Alright, then." Ranma sighed. "Had I the right ta do this, I'd put an end to the engagements right here and now. And yes, that includes the one to your sister. Why? 'Cause I believe your sister looks on me the very same way Ukyō and Shampoo do. Not as a person with his own feelings and dreams . . . but as a puppet, a prize for her to win and hold onto at any cost. It certainly explains much of her behaviour when she tried to force my other fiancées away from me despite all her words about not caring a bit for the engagement. Therefore, until the time comes that she decides to respect me as a person, I'll treat her the same way I now treat Ukyō and Shampoo. And if either of you believe that because of that decision, I don't deserve to remain here, I'll respect your desire and leave. Again, never to return."_

_Kasumi and Nabiki exchanged a look. The former then sighed. "No, you don't have to go, Ranma-kun. But . . . " She blinked back tears. "Several weeks ago, you sacrificed so much to save my sister's life. I can't begin to thank you enough for that. But please, tell us what made you come to think THAT about Akane-chan?" A pause, and then her eyebrow arched. "Is it because of the Nanniichuan water that was sent from Jusenkyō for the wedding?"_

_Happōsai perked. "Nanniichuan water? What Nanniichuan water?"_

_"The cask you drank, Ojii-chan," Nabiki provided._

_He blinked, and then he breathed out, "Oh, ye gods! I can't believe that!" He slapped his forehead, and then he paused._ Odd! If that WAS Nanniichuan water, why didn't I sense it . . .? _he wondered before shrugging._ Guess I drank too much before the party started . . . _he then lamented._

_"Don't worry about it, Jijii." Ranma waved him down before turning to Kasumi. "And yes, that's where it started. If that cask was a present to ME, who the HELL gave your father the right to take it away from me? And if your sister really DID love me, why the hell didn't she give him a kick in the ass and take the cask from him? Hell, why didn't she tell me your father was using that cask as a bribe to make me marry her? You all KNOW how much I wanted to be rid of this curse! Didn't Akane understand? Or did she even care?"_

_"She did!" Kasumi replied, shuddering. "Ranma-kun, she told me that she didn't think about telling you ahead of time. But it wasn't out of malice, not one bit. She . . . " She paused. "She felt that because you confessed your love for her in China, it didn't really matter. To her, the Nanniichuan was . . . " Here, she bowed her head ashamedly. "Icing on the cake."_

_Ranma nodded. "I see."_

_"What do you feel about her now?" Nabiki asked._

_"I dunno. Back in China, I thought I loved her. Even with the cold feet I got at the wedding, I thought I loved her. But for some reason, I can't bring myself ta say it, ta admit it to myself, now. And that's one of the reasons I haveta leave this place for a bit. For the next couple of weeks, I'll be on a training trip. I won't tell you where I'm goin'. I hope no one . . . " – her eyes locked on Nabiki – " . . . will try to follow me. If that DOES happen and if I get wind it originated from this house, I'll forever renounce the agreement between our families. If it becomes necessary, I'll renounce all ties to my family if that's what it takes to drive the point home."_

_The sisters' eyes went wide. Nabiki gaped. "You'd actually become rōnin? Ranma-kun, for heaven's sake, I'd never thought that . . . "_

_"What? That I'd finally get tired of taking this crap from all of you?" Ranma glared at her. "Well, too bad! I AM tired of it!"_

_Nabiki ducked his look. "I can't blame you, Ranma-kun," Kasumi mused. "I'm also getting very tired of this. Please, go on."_

_Ranma sighed. "I've asked Jijii to help," she continued with a wave to the man beside her. "To make him answer for all the crap he's brought onto this household, I've decided Oyaji will be subject to BOTH the strength-sapping moxibustion AND the full-body cat tongue. It won't be permanent; Jijii's got a Phoenix Pill ready when we feel Oyaji's learned his lesson. I leave the time he'll be stuck, however, to you." She waved to the sisters._

_Kasumi and Nabiki blinked as they considered that. The latter then nodded. "Well, we could send him to the zoo for a while," she mused. "I talked this over with the curator at the Ueno Zoo. I could have your dad shipped there for a few weeks for the right price, probably enough that we could do some serious remodelling. The savings in food costs alone . . .!"_

_"Fine. Decide what you want to do with the fool. Then make sure your father can't interfere," Ranma declared. She then closed her eyes. "Much that I'd wish I didn't have ta say this, I'm gonna." The eyes opened again as she glared at Kasumi. "I hold no respect for your father now. He broke his word to me. He deliberately prevented me from receiving something that was meant for me. Please feel free to tell him this if you wish. If he decides that he doesn't want me to marry any of you because of that, that's fair enough. It solves some of my problems right then and there."_

_Kasumi nodded. "I can't blame you for that, Ranma-kun."_

_"Alright, then." Ranma moved to head upstairs. "I'm gonna pack and head out tonight. I'll see you in a couple weeks, Jijii."_

_"Fair enough, my boy! Have fun," Happōsai declared._

* * *

_Sōun and Nodoka stayed in bed throughout the next day. Akane left first thing in the morning to spend the day with her friends, she not once asking about Ranma. That allowed Kasumi, Nabiki and Happōsai to make preparations._

_Like his son, Genma could heal rapidly, so his hospital stay was brief. It didn't do him any good when Happōsai ambushed him just as he was escorted through the front doors, he nailing him with cold water, and then the cat tongue and moxibustion attacks. Once done, he was trucked to the zoo. Kasumi and Nabiki decided to keep him trapped there for three weeks._

_Monday revealed the changes to the remaining adults in the house. Naturally, Sōun didn't take to what happened to Genma at ALL. Neither did Nodoka, but after Nabiki laid down the facts about how much the "lazy panda" drained the family budget with his appetite, Ranma's mother relented._

_And then came the second bombshell. Sōun railed at Ranma's "failure" to fulfil his duty, but Kasumi cut him off: "Otō-san, what would happen if Ranma-kun decided he didn't want to marry Akane? After all, you deceived him. You went back on a promise you made to him. You took away his PROPERTY to force him to marry Akane-chan. Right now, Ranma-kun doesn't care about what you might want."_

_Another Niagara Falls-scale wail resulted from her words._

_Kasumi's comments caught Nodoka short. Sometime after, they spoke about what had happened. Hearing how angry her son had become, Nodoka fell silent. That night, she announced that, while she supported Ranma's fulfilling the pledge to the Tendō Clan, she wouldn't press him into marriage until such time as he felt ready. Sōun launched into another "Now the schools will NEVER be joined!" fit. Happōsai silenced that by flipping him into the koi pond._

_"That, Otō-san, you had coming to you!" Kasumi scolded._

* * *

_The remainder of the week was filled with a series of remodelling days. With the money from the Kunō Clan to pay for the damage to the sitting room (plus some "hush" money to repay the Tendō Clan over Tatewaki's drawing a sword at the first wedding attempt), added to the "rental" money on Genma from the Ueno Zoo plus money pitched in by Happōsai, the house was quickly refurbished._

_The changes were like a fresh wind._

_Ceilings, walls and floors without temporary patches installed after people were smashed by Akane's mallet. Windows no longer cracked by vibrations from fights inside and out. A replanted lawn, lush with fresh grass. Save for the dōjō itself (which still bore some scars from the first wedding attempt), everything in the Tendō home was practically as good as new._

_"A new beginning for us all," Kasumi mused to Nabiki afterward._

* * *

_The first indication of anything concerning Ranma came the Friday after the fight. At school, Akane and her classmates were informed that someone – who exactly, no one had ANY idea! – had delivered Ranma's make-up assignments to the school. To Ninomiya Hinako's shock, the assignments had been done correctly and it appeared he might even get a decent mark. Hinako also announced that in a note attached to those assignments, Ranma had a private tutor who was volunteering her time to help him catch up on his schoolwork._

_Hearing the "her" didn't sit well with Akane or Ukyō. Later, both confronted Nabiki about sending out some search party to locate Ranma. The middle Tendō daughter refused to do anything even when Ukyō offered to pay for her services. "Don't you want Ranma around so you can go make some money off him like you've always done?" Akane then snidely growled._

_Nabiki responded to that with a slap to her sister's cheek before she stormed off. Akane, stunned that her sister had responded THAT way, ran home crying. She wouldn't speak to Nabiki again all weekend._

_"What was THAT all about?" Ukyō wondered after seeing that._

* * *

_On Saturday, a mysterious courier left an envelope in the Tendō mailbox, addressed to Nabiki. Opening it, she was stunned to see that it contained a banker's cheque for ten million yen. With it was a note from Ranma. Details were sparse. Ranma had earned the money. Nothing illegal was involved in the earning of that money. It was to repay the Tendō Clan for anything he might have caused in their home since he came. No, he wasn't going to pay a single yen for what Genma's expenses were. Nabiki was free to use the money in what way she felt proper. The only condition: Sōun could NOT touch the money._

_Hearing that, Sōun bewailed that Ranma had become so disrespectful of his elders after all they had done for him. "After what you did, what did you expect my son to do?" Nodoka frostily asked on hearing that. Naturally, the Tendō patriarch cried some more at how much Ranma was ruining relations between the families and threatening the union of the schools._

_"_What_ schools?" Happōsai muttered on hearing that._

_Nabiki used the money to pay off Ranma's debt to her, and then she put the rest into a fund for herself and Kasumi. When Sōun demanded to know when money would be used for the dōjō, Nabiki warned that since Ranma put a condition on the money not being meant for Sōun – which included any expenses concerning the dōjō – why, she couldn't think of using Ranma's money for THAT!_

_He was treated for dehydration in the wake of that announcement._

* * *

_School shut down for winter vacation to allow the teachers the chance to rest for three weeks. Life at the Tendō home became very quiet, almost too quiet. Sōun would sit at the shōgi board, staring blankly at it. No one would play a game with him, not even Happōsai. The aged grandmaster would be off on his many panty raids, but he didn't drag any "admirers" to the dōjō determined to recover their "silky darlings." Kasumi would keep the house clean and even try to do some repairs on the dōjō. Nodoka helped out in the house if she wasn't off supervising the repairs of the Saotome home, which were progressing slowly but steadily. Nabiki would handle any financial problems. Akane, who didn't seem to say anything about Ranma's prolonged absence, spent most of her time with her best friends, Asano Sayuri and Tokoro Yuka._

_The second Wednesday after the big fight saw Hibiki Ryōga in Nerima for the first time in three weeks. He had made it to Unryū Akari's farm. The young sumotori pig farmer sent her best to everyone in Nerima. He talked with Akane, soon learning of what happened with Ranma. Hearing that Ranma had, in effect, rejected Akane sent Ryōga over the edge. He stormed out, vowing to find Ranma and upbraid him for what he did to "hurt" Akane._

_While he was there, Akane forgot to ask Ryōga why he joined the fight with Mousse and Genma over the Nanniichuan cask._

_Two days later, Nabiki got a call from one of her friends with news: Ranma was back in town. Even better, he came bearing a gift._

* * *

_"Here it is, Ukyō-san."_

_Ukyō was speechless as her eyes danced over the cleaned yatai, folded up and ready to be taken somewhere to be put to use. Walking around it, she bent down to give the equipment a close visual inspection. Then staring at the noren hanging off the roof, she asked, "Ran-chan, where did you find this?"_

_"It was buried near Ōsaka," he replied. "I figured Oyaji must've put it there after we got done eating the supplies that were left in it. The stoves needed replacing, the wiring had to get fixed and the noren was rotted right through because it was low, wet soil that Oyaji buried it in. But, as you can now see, it's all in working order." He waved to the yatai in emphasis._

_Ukyō took that in, and then she got to work unfolding the yatai. As soon as everything was in place, she stepped in behind the stove. She then got to work getting equipment ready to start cooking. Once it was in place, she took a deep breath before staring at Ranma. "Ran-chan . . .?"_

_He sighed. "If you need to call your father about the problem between us, I'll come here for your answer tomorrow at noon."_

_With that, he left. Ukyō screamed for him to stay. It was to no avail._

* * *

_Saturday came. No one had any idea where Ranma had stayed overnight. Sure enough, when he came to Okonomiyaki U-chan's, others showed up, too: The Tendō family and Nodoka. Seeing Ranma, Sōun launched into his Demon Head. Ranma answered with a Shishi Hōkōdan, sending him flying into a telephone pole! Everyone else was stunned; Ranma had rarely been able to muster the necessary depression ki to make use of what many saw as Hibiki Ryōga's signature attack. Realising that Ranma was in NO MOOD to deal with them, the others fell silent._

_He then stared at Ukyō. "What's your answer?"_

_Shuddering, the chef asked in turn, "Do you love me, Ran-chan?"_

_"No, Kuonji-san, I don't," Ranma responded. "What's your answer?"_

_Ukyō winced at the double-blow of his formal mode of address to her, plus his answer. "I can't renounce it, Ran-chan. I'm sorry."_

_Nodoka decided to step in at that time. "I do not recognise your engagement to my son, young lady . . . "_

_"I do," Ranma instantly cut her off._

_Nodoka spun on him. "You don't have a say in this matter, Ranma."_

_"If that is your opinion, you will be childless."_

_Nodoka gasped, she faltering away from her son. Ukyō sighed. "I spoke to my father about your mother's attitude towards our engagement." She glared at the mother in question as she added, "For one who supposedly prides herself on being honourable, she's as selective about it as your dad."_

_Hearing that, Nodoka winced. "Yes, she does seem that way, doesn't she?" Ranma mused, his words making his mother pale in stunned shock._

_Ukyō smirked on seeing how much Ranma's words were hurting Nodoka. Time to go for the kill. "My dad says if you're forced out of your family, you can be adopted into ours. Given how much he hates Genma, I'm sure Happōsai won't make you stop practising your Art. As to what our relationship will be . . . " – a pained look then flashed in her eyes – " . . . well, it'll be up to us. If you refuse me, I won't be as lucky as you might be."_

_Ranma took a moment to consider that before he asked, "What if I adopted you as my sister and you become part of the Saotome family? What happens?"_

_"I'd be forced to stop being an okonomiyaki chef unless I became an apprentice under a new teacher. But given that I'd be renouncing my Art if I tried to side-step our engagement THAT way, the chances of my getting a new teacher are slim to nil," Ukyō reported, shaking her head. "And I can't give it up, Ran-chan." She shrugged. "Just like you can't give up your Art."_

_"Understandable," Ranma conceded with a nod, and then he perked. "What if we actually did get married? Would your family allow me to continue in my Art without any interference if I married you, Ukyō-san?"_

_Ukyō sighed. "I know how much the Art means to you, Ran-chan. I'd certainly want you to be comfortable with your life. But I'd also want you to remain close to me, not pull jackass stunts like your old man did! And I wouldn't want you to pull any of that crap on any children we might have."_

_"What about all the strange things that tend to fly my way?" Ranma then asked. "Would you be willing to tolerate anything like that? Would you be willing to tolerate things like that around any children we would have?"_

_"I . . .!" Ukyō stuttered._

_Ranma sighed, a tired look crossing his face. "That's the problem. You've automatically assumed that if I married you, I'd fit into the world you've envisioned for us – in truth, for yourself – like a hand into a glove. It doesn't work that way. Not with me. And while I don't love you, Ukyō-san, I do happen to care for you very much. I also happen to know that you wouldn't ultimately want to deal with all the disruptions that tend to haunt my life. And to be frank, what you envision for me rather makes me sick, Ukyō-san."_

_The chef jolted, and then her eyes blazed. "Now, hold on here . . .!"_

_"No, YOU hold on here!" Ranma snapped as he bolted to his feet, glaring her down. "That's the reason I say that I don't love you, Ukyō-san. Because you don't give a DAMN about what **I** might want!" He thumbed himself. "Yes, I want to help you out of this mess! I want you to be able to keep doing what you want to do! But NO, I don't want to marry you! I really don't want to think about marriage, not after what I've been through!"_

_"Then leave them!" Ukyō pointed to Nodoka and the Tendō sisters. "Walk away from them, Ran-chan! If you don't want to marry anyone, let alone Akane, why the HELL are you still staying with these people?"_

_"If they want me to leave, I'll leave," Ranma flatly replied. "I've told them that. But even if I did, I won't come here. I don't feel welcome here anymore. Why? Because my oldest, dearest friend U-chan, the one I felt safe confiding my problems to . . .!" He shrugged before carrying on, a derisive tone in his voice, "Well, she just turned out to be yet another fiancée my stupid father stuck me with. And I've had my fill of fiancées. If you can't respect that, I don't want anything to do with you. And if it comes to that, whatever happens to you will not bother me at all. That's the way it is."_

_Before anyone could say anything, Ranma vanished behind the null-chi cloak of the Umisen-ken. Everyone remained still for a moment before Nodoka stared wide-eyed at Ukyō. "Would your father really do that? Banish you from your family? Strip you of everything you worked so hard to achieve?"_

_Ukyō glared at her. "Yes. See what your husband did? Not just to me, but to who knows HOW many other people he ran across while he was tryin' to make your 'man above men?'" She pointed accusingly at Nodoka. "Before you start saying I'm not worthy to be Ran-chan's wife, you better realise that_ thing _you married has no right to think of himself as a father to your son. And you really better ask yourself if you're worthy to be his mother."_

_Nodoka blinked as the chef's accusation struck home, and then she tried to smile. "I'm wondering that now," she then confessed._

_The chef stared at her for a moment, and then she sighed. "Saotome-obasan, I know that Ran-chan doesn't hate you. He wants to be with you again, be a son to you again instead of a near stranger. But . . . " She took a deep breath, waving to the spot where Ranma had stood. "As we just learned, he doesn't want to be pushed around. I . . . " She shrugged. "I can delay it, but I can't escape it. I'm not at the point of desperation, but I'm sliding towards it."_

_Nodoka placed a reassuring hand on Ukyō's shoulder. "Then we have time to determine what we can do for everyone's benefit."_

* * *

_Later, everyone returned to the Tendō dōjō. Stepping through the gates, they stopped on seeing Ranma standing there. On seeing him, Sōun went into Demon Head mode. "**RANMA, YOU WILL MARRY AKANE AND THAT'S FINAL!**"_

_He then screamed when Ranma responded with his own Demon Head, one that had a mixture of horns, blazing suns and hissing cats! "**SHUT UP AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS FOR ONCE IN YOUR USELESS LIFE, YOU COWARDLY WHOREMONGER!**" he roared, making Nodoka and the Tendō sisters scramble for the darkest corner of the property and turning Sōun into a babbling wreck at Ranma's feet._

_Ranma relaxed before turning as the Tendō sisters approached him anew. "R-Ranma, wh-when did you l-learn THAT?" Akane stuttered._

_Ranma crossed his hands behind his back. "Oh, a friend taught me. Always wanted to give your ol' man a taste of his own medicine."_

_"Alright, WHO are you?" Nabiki growled, though there was a playful tone to her voice. "What have you done to the real Ranma?"_

_"Oh, I trapped him as a girl and sold him off to the House of Jade in Hong Kong," Ranma immediately confessed. He then sighed, scratching the side of his mouth. "Funny. He actually liked me doing that."_

_Nabiki and Kasumi gawked, and then they giggled. Akane snorted. "Figures a pervert like you would say something like that."_

_"Akane!" her older sisters gasped._

_Ranma sighed. "Very well, Tendō-san, if that's the way you feel about me, there is no engagement between us anymore."_

_Silence._

_Akane blinked, her eyes wide at his icy assertion. "R-Ranma . . . "_

_With a shriek, she ran into the house. Seconds later, the sound of her slamming her bedroom door shut echoed from the second floor. Seeing what he had just done to his little baby, Sōun launched into another Demon Head. "**HOW DARE YOU MAKE AKANE CRY, RANMA? APOLOGIZE TO HER NOW!**"_

_"No."_

_A sputter floated from Sōun's lips. The Demon Head vanished, leaving him staring wide-eyed at the man who would have been his son-in-law. "Ranma . . .?" he whispered before wordlessly walking into the house._

_Ranma watched him go, shaking his head. "Don't you think you're being a little too harsh with him, my son?" Nodoka asked._

_He gazed at her. "No. I don't respect him anymore, Okā-san." Hearing Ranma use the more formal term for one's mother than his usual "Ofukuro" made everyone else blink. "I don't fear him anymore. Hell, I don't LIKE him now. He's a coward . . .! Hell, worse than that!" A growl entered his voice. "He's a PIMP! A real pimp! Acting like he's king of the world and selling off his flesh-and-blood so he could enjoy a cosy retirement, just like Oyaji's done to me!"_

_Hearing that, Kasumi and Nabiki gaped at him. "Ranma-kun . . . "_

_Ranma shook his head. "I'm sorry if that offended you, but it's true. At first, I tried to respect him given that he's a widower and that he put so much into uniting the schools. But with him grovelling to Jijii all the time, ignoring the garbage I've been through because of Oyaji and saying that the other engagements don't count – while he LIES and STEALS from me – and THEN he has the audacity to DEMAND I give him respect?" He stared at his mother, an eyebrow arching. "Would you respect him?" he then asked._

_Nodoka said nothing in response. Ranma sighed before reaching into his pocket to draw a pair of cushioned envelopes, handing them to the Tendō sisters. "I believe the saying is, 'Beware Greeks bearing gifts.'"_

_They take them, and then they opened them. Inside are account books from the Koshin Bank, in their names. The amounts cause both of them to gape in stunned disbelief. "Five million yen?" they whispered, awe-struck._

_"Ranma, where did you GET this money?" Nodoka demanded._

_Ranma winked. "That . . . is a secret."_

_Nodoka huffed, though there was a flash of amusement in her eyes. He waved his hands. "It's alright. Nothin' illegal about this money whatsoever. I earned it fair and square, but I'm not gonna say how I got it, not yet. Besides, given how their lives were badly affected by what Oyaji and I brought on them, it's only fair." He then stared at the Tendō sisters. "Here's your chance to get away from this place once and for all. Go to university and make something out of your lives. Hell, with the amount there, Nabiki, you could probably go abroad, say to America, to get your degree. I squared it with the bank to make sure your dad doesn't have the power to touch this money."_

_"I . . .!" Kasumi blinked as her mind wrapped around what just happened. She stared at Ranma. "I can't accept this!" She flustered. "What about the ten million you sent? Unless you want that to go to Akane . . .?"_

_"Well, if that's what you want to do with it, Kasumi-san, I can understand that. But I hope you'll still adhere to what I said about your dad not touchin' that money." Ranma held up a finger before staring at the dōjō. "But if you want to use the money to fix THAT up, maybe you should get control of the property. Then I wouldn't mind it so much."_

_"Ranma, you have no right to demand THAT!" Nodoka objected._

_"Okā-san, I didn't demand a thing from them. I merely made a suggestion based on what my views of their father are," Ranma icily retorted. "That's what a friend is supposed to do for his friends, isn't it?"_

_Kasumi and Nabiki's cheeks suddenly reddened. "Ranma-kun . . . "_

_Nodoka nodded. "Yes, my son. You are in the right. I apologise. Though I hope you're not giving all the money you've earned away."_

_"No, but I'm not gonna say how much I've got in front of Nabiki here." He gazed in amusement at Nabiki, who gave him an annoyed look. "My present commitments will keep me from Nerima until the early evening of the second Friday from today. That's when I'll come back. If, however, I am no longer welcome in this house, please send me a warning note to this address. It's a post office box." He drew out a folded sheet of paper to hand to Kasumi. "I will respect whatever decision you make in that regard."_

_Kasumi smiled. "You'll always be welcome here, Ranma-kun."_

_"Hopefully, your father and sister will agree to that." Ranma sighed before turning to leave. "I'll see you all later. Ja!"_

_He lunged for the nearest telephone pole, and then he raced off. They watched him go, and then Nabiki stared at Nodoka. "You didn't try to stop him or say anything to him, Oba-chan. You're not angry at him, are you?"_

_"I . . . no, I'm not angry at him. I just believe that, deep down, he doesn't trust me anymore. If he ever did." Nodoka shook her head before she sighed, adding in a mutter, "That is another thing my husband will have to answer for in the long run. I confess that divorce seems a wonderful option to me now. Nabiki-chan, will you make sure that Genma remains where he is now until the night my son returns from wherever he's gone off to?"_

_"No problem."_

* * *

_Least Auntie's on Ranma-kun's side no matter what that dork Genma says_, Nabiki mused with a sneer. "Where's the newspaper?"

Kasumi pointed. "It's over by the television."

Nabiki nodded, rising to pick up a copy of the _Yomiuri Shimbun_. She sat as Kasumi headed into the kitchen to prepare tea. Flipping through the pages, she then stopped as her eyes locked on a headline from the local news:

**ALIEN PRINCESS DEAD! TOMOBIKI IN MOURNING!**

Knowing the _Yomiuri Shimbun_ didn't do flashy tabloid headlines, Nabiki plunged into the article. _'It has today been confirmed by the principal of Tomobiki High School that the Oni princess Lum, who resided in that town for the past eighteen months, was killed three weeks ago by enemies of the Oni race,'_ she read. _Oh, shit! This isn't going to do _me_ any favours. 'Lum, who was well liked among people in Tomobiki despite the "Second Tag Race" of two months ago, was forced to leave Earth, along with other alien residents of Tomobiki, when reports came of the Oni race's war with another race, known to United Nations authorities as the Noukiites. While exact circumstances of Lum's death still remain unclear, it is presently rumoured that she may have been assassinated because of her high standing in Oni society._

_'When news of Lum's death reached Tomobiki, the resulting expression of grief at her tragic loss, especially among the high school-age population, was unprecedented. Already, there is a movement to erect a memorial to Lum at Tomobiki High School, financed by the Mendō Conglomerate at the behest of Mendō Shūtarō, heir to the Conglomerate's leadership and a close friend of the late Oni princess. A special memorial service in Lum's honour will be held on Monday morning around 12:00 PM at Tomobiki High School._

_'Furthermore, Moroboshi Ataru, Lum's common-law husband, has been missing from Tomobiki for the past six weeks, his disappearance coinciding with Lum's expulsion from Earth. His whereabouts, much less the circumstances surrounding his leaving Tomobiki, remain a mystery.'_

Nabiki put the paper down. She had invested in parts of the Mendō family empire for some years now, those investments growing considerably thanks to a sizeable chunk of the ten million yen Ranma sent her some weeks ago. Further, her intelligence network was fully linked into the Tomobiki student grapevine. She had learned right away about Lum's departure, along with that of the Oni's cousin, Ten, and a former junior high classmate of Lum's, Ran. She also knew of Ataru's disappearance. The latter concerned her to an extent; like Ranma, Moroboshi Ataru seemed to be a magnet for trouble.

Trouble, Nabiki long ago learned, generated profits.

The middle Tendō daughter headed into her bedroom. Picking up her cell phone, she dialled a number. A second later, a young woman's voice called back, "Moshi-moshi, Marubeya residence."

"Momoe-san, it's Nabiki."

"Oh, Nabiki-san!" Marubeya Momoe then laughed. "I didn't do it."

Nabiki snorted. "Funny, funny! Listen, you got any more titbits about why Moroboshi skipped town six weeks back?"

A sigh. "He renounced his parents."

Nabiki gaped, wide-eyed. "What?"

"Truth. Turns out that it's because of THAT, Lum got thrown off the planet. When he said _adios_ to his parents, he said _adios_ to whatever agreement they made with Lum's parents about their getting married. When the United Nations got wind of it, they decided Lum no longer had any reason to stay. With the crap with these Noukiites starting at the same time . . . "

"No shit!"

"Got that right."

"People around town know about this?"

"Nope. And before you ask, I'm sitting on this one. I don't care about what Megane might do, but if Mendō-san found out . . . "

Hearing that, Nabiki grinned. Momoe, like most girls attending Tomobiki High (to say anything of almost all of the girls attending the five other high schools in town, Butsumetsu, Butsumetsu Girl's, Shakkyo, Sanrinbō and Taian), harboured a long, deep crush on Mendō Shūtarō. That she clearly wanted to look out for Mendō's "better" interests was understandable. Despite his middle-class extraction, Ataru had proven to be a formidable class rival to Mendō. What could happen now, with Lum dead, with so much in Tomobiki now in question, was debatable. Best to err on the side of caution.

"Yeah, I hear you. All right, keep me up to date. How's the mood?"

"It . . . " Momoe paused as she considered that question. "Hard to say, Nabiki-san. I mean, regardless of how you feel about her, Lum left her mark on this place. Most of the guys are . . .!" Another pause. "Shit! It's starting to get scary! I think we're gonna see some suicides out of this!"

"Run a pool on that one. My money's on Megane."

"I'll have to keep it quiet," Momoe warned. "And well . . . " Another pause. "Look, I hate the idiot for the crap Megane's stirred up because of Lum, but I don't want to wish him dead! He's a jerk in the long run, but . . . "

"Yeah, I gotcha. What about the girls?"

"Well, the biggest impact's been on Shinobu, but I told you that."

Nabiki nodded. Immediately after Lum left Earth and Ataru vanished from Tomobiki, Miyake Shinobu's strange ability to summon vast levels of strength in times of great stress also vanished. "I guess with Lum gone, she might think of trying to get back together with Ataru-kun again," Momoe added.

"Really hard to predict that one. The guy's been gone for six weeks. Besides, thanks to him, Lum got the boot off the planet. If he's smart, he won't show his face around town for a while. Still . . . " Nabiki then trilled as something came to her. "Look, run a wager to see if he shows up at the memorial on Monday." It was Saturday. "Usual odds and fees, okay?"

"Hai, gotcha," Momoe replied.

* * *

West of Ōsaka, that moment . . .

"Shit! They sure got that wrong AGAIN!"

Negako glanced over her brother's shoulder to read the article that caught Ataru's attention. She then turned to gaze out the window as the RailStar whipped through the countryside at three hundred kilometres per hour, it now an hour out of Shin-Ōsaka station. "Unless you make a public statement about what happened between you, Kinshō and Muchi and how that affected Lum, they will continue to make that mistake," the grandmaster then noted.

Ataru folded the paper. "No, not yet. Now that someone's broke the news to those idiots in Tomobiki, I won't be able to say a thing without it being twisted and turned every which way possible." He then paused before turning to gaze on his sister. "By the way, did you sense who brought the news to Earth?"

"Oyuki," Negako confirmed after her mind took a moment to focus on the "ghost ki" emanating from various dragon lines flowing into, out of and around Tomobiki. Given what she had once planned to do while she had inhabited Ataru's body, her ability to sense past and present events – as well as predicting future events – around that town was deadly accurate. "Benten can be easily stopped by the Zephyrites if need be. Jariten also, IF his parents would allow him to come to Earth now that Lum is dead. And as long as Rei is engaged in combat against the Noukiites, Ran will remain close to him."

His eyes narrowed. "Yeah, the Zephyrites might be loath to try to stop a _princess_ from visiting that zoo. Too many diplomatic implications. Besides, if we close Earth off to the Federation, Triton's going to be in a spot."

"They may try to seek you out," Negako warned. "You know very well that none of Lum's friends have really liked you."

He crossed his arms. "As of now, the feeling's very mutual. And you're right, Onē-san. They may try to seek me out." An icy smile crossed Ataru's face, his eyes narrowing. "Will they succeed in doing whatever they might want to me in 'punishment' over what happened to Lum? That's another story."

"Indeed." Negako perked as a buzzing sound echoed from her pants pocket. Sitting up, she drew out a BlackBerry palm-top. Gazing at the notation on the screen, she announced, "Tampopo just sent me some electronic mail."

Ataru blinked. "Tampopo-chan? What does she want?"

"I will ascertain that." She rose, slipping past Ataru to head to the washroom. "You best contact our siblings."

"Hai, hai."

As Negako left, Ataru reached into his backpack and drew out his personal laptop computer. Built by Rinrin five weeks ago, she christened it the "Aniki Special." As laptops came, it was quite unique. Atop the standard Internet connections, wireless modem and all the other bells and whistles, the Aniki Special also had a real-time wireless audio-visual link to the Rinrin Viewer in Welcome House's rotunda dining room. Tapping controls to access the Viewer's central processor, he waited for a response. A minute later, a synthetic version of Rinrin's voice called out, "_No one's answering the Rinrin Viewer right now, Aniki. Would you like to leave a message?_"

"Yes. Record message, mark." He tapped ENTER. "'Hi, girls. We just got back. Onē-san had me blitz through the DMZ on the way to Pusan, then we took the ferry to Shimonoseki. Sorry we've been gone so long, but a lot of things happened while I was in Sanctuary. Right now . . . '" He took a deep breath. "'I need to feel my sisters' hugs. Onē-san and I are on the Shin-kansen right now, west of Ōsaka. I'll tell you where we'll be as soon as we get close to Tokyo.'" ENTER was tapped again. "Mark, end message."

"_Message transmitted, Aniki_," the computer announced.

* * *

Promised Island . . .

"The Viewer's beeping. Someone left a message."

"I hope it's Onii-sama or Onē-sama," Sakuya muttered as she and Karen stepped into the dining room. The former tapped controls to flick on the television. "Viewer, mark my voiceprint. Who just called?"

"_Aniki just called, Sakuya-chan. There is a message_."

"Play it."

The screen flicked fully on, revealing their beloved brother sitting in the passenger cabin of what appeared to be a Shin-kansen train. Surprised to see his beard, moustache and much longer hair (tied in a ponytail), Sakuya and Karen exchanged a look. Both then tensed on hearing him say "I really need to feel my sisters' hugs." "Onii-chan," Karen whispered, her eyes misting.

"What happened to him?" Sakuya wondered.

The dining room doors opened, revealing Haruka and Shirayuki. "Oh, Sakuya-chan! Did Nii-sama call?" the young chef asked.

"Hai, he did. Get everyone rounded up, Haruka-chan. And someone find Chikage-chan! We're going to the mainland . . . "

"You need not shout my name, Sakuya. I'm right here."

Everyone cried out at a certain sorceress' entrance. Sakuya put fists to hips as she tried to glare Chikage down. "Damn you, Chikage-chan!" the elder sister shrilled. "Will you QUIT doing that finally? What are you trying to do? Give us all heart attacks, for Heaven's sake?"

Chikage chuckled as she turned to head out the door. "The travelling rainbow will be ready in one hour. We'll go to the Toranoseishin Finances tower in Tomobiki, and then proceed to meet Ani-kun and Ane-kun from there."

She left. "Hime better get some bentō boxes ready for Nii-sama and Nē-sama," Shirayuki reported before racing into the kitchen.

"I'll call Onii-chan and ask him where we'll meet," Karen added.

"Alright." Sakuya waved Haruka with her. "C'mon."

"Hai!" The martial artist ran out after her half-sister.

* * *

Now passing Ōsaka . . .

"Nerima?"

Ataru stared confusedly at Negako. "Tampopo has relocated her business to Kasuga-chō," the grandmaster announced. "It is over eight kilometres from the border with Tomobiki and twelve from Tomobiki High School. I do not foresee problems from your former classmates, especially given Lum's demise."

He sighed. "Onē-san, it's not just those dorks I have to worry about. There're all the martial arts loons in Nerima, too!"

"You may benefit from dealing with them," she reported with a smile. "Besides, Tampopo has taken one of them under her wing."

"She has? Which one?"

"The 'cream of the crop,' so to speak: Saotome Ranma."

Ataru blinked as he recalled the name. Even with the problems he had to deal with in Tomobiki over the last year and more, he had been somewhat aware of events in bordering towns and districts. "The guy with all the beautiful fiancées, the Niángnìquán curse from Zhòuquán-xiāng in China, the one who has to deal with more martial arts challengers than you could shake a stick at?"

"The very same."

"Oh, man! Tampopo-chan's reaching far, isn't she?"

"Perhaps. Tampopo desires me to consult with her on matters afflicting Ranma. Given her raw talent alone, I would certainly desire to meet her . . . " Negako's voice trailed as the Aniki Special buzzed. "The sisters."

Ataru flipped up the screen, tapping controls. A sea of warm faces stared at him from Welcome House. "BIG BROTHER!"

He waved at them. "Hi, girls!"

"Onii-chan, are you alright?" Karen probed. "Why didn't you come back on Monday? We've been worried sick about you!"

"And what's this about you blitzing through the Korean DMZ of all places, Anii?" Mamoru demanded before looking at Negako as she leaned into viewing range. "What're you trying to do, Anē? Get him killed?"

"If I did not have confidence in Ataru, Mamoru, I would not have allowed it," Negako reported. "In the meantime, we have been summoned to Nerima in Tokyo by Kamekichi Tampopo concerning a new friend of hers, Saotome Ranma. I believe Ranma will benefit greatly from making your acquaintances as well as Ataru's." Her eyebrow then arched. "Will you be there?"

Stunned silence fell as the sisters took that in. Marie leaned close to the screen. "You mean THE Saotome Ranma, Aneue-sama? I . . . oh, my!"

"Kaho would LOVE to cheer Ranma-san!" Kaho shook her pom-poms before she blushed. "But Kaho will always cheer Onii-chama and Onē-chama first!"

"Oh, it would be an HONOUR to meet a martial artist of his calibre! P-poh!" Haruka drew her gunsen, fanning herself as she stared apologetically at Ataru. "N-not that I wouldn't demean your own skills, Anigimi-sama!"

Ataru waved her down. "Relax! Ranma can have all the credit he wants. From what I've heard, he seems to thrive on it!"

The sisters laughed. Rinrin turned to Shirayuki. "Hey! We can get the spare tractor with the mobile kitchen out of the tower in Tomobiki. You can cook up a big feast there for Aniki, Aneki and Ranma-san!"

The chef shuddered. "Oh, Hime would LOVE to do that!" She then sobered. "But Hime doesn't want to insult Nii-sama's friend . . . "

He waved her down. "Relax. I'm sure Tampopo-chan would love to get help in a picnic like that. Look, when you girls get the tractor and mobile kitchen from Reigi-kun, DON'T spend any more time in Tomobiki than you have to, okay? I don't want any of those guys to learn of your connection to me. ESPECIALLY with the news about Lum's death getting out and about now. You understand?"

Sakuya nodded. "We'll be careful. I'm really sorry about what happened to her, Onii-sama. I hoped she could've come back."

He sadly nodded. "So did I, Sakuya-chan. But as they said it in that one TV show, there are two rules in war. And that applies everywhere."

The sisters then jolted on hearing a weak "Kusun!" from the back of the crowd. Ataru paled. "A-a-Aria-chan, wh-what's wrong?" he stuttered.

The young Parisian gazed at him. Even if there were no tears, the instant you heard "Kusun," you KNEW Aria was upset. And no one, not even Chikage, liked to deal with an upset Aria. "Aria doesn't like Nii-ya's beard."

"How long DID you stay in Sanctuary anyway, Aniki?" Rinrin asked.

Ataru sighed. "Hopefully long enough. We'll see you soon, okay?"

"Hai!" the sisters chimed together.

The link was soon cut. Negako slipped back into her seat. Ataru sighed, leaning back in his own chair as he stretched himself. "We'll have to let them learn of things very slowly and carefully, Onē-san."

"Agreed. What of _them_?"

"Your discretion, Onē-san."

"Very well, then."

* * *

Tomobiki, an hour later . . .

Located in the heart of Tomobiki were triple towers, twenty floors high each, arrayed in a triangular formation pointing to the north. All the floor space of the northern tower was rented by the Toranoseishin Financial Group, Japan's largest banking company that was not allied with an industrial group (though the company was part of a larger conglomerate of businesses known as the Inshin Group, headquartered in Sendai). In this age, with the traditional links between big business, the banks and the government being called into question, Toranoseishin was often quick to capitalize on fiscal uncertainty to wedge itself deep into the national economy. Companies that had in the past taken questionable loans from Toranoseishin automatically faced bankruptcy if they defaulted. The company was not, in the words of its operations chief, "In the business of propping up useless, wasteful companies whose existence cannot be justified by economic logic." Because of that approach to business, Toranoseishin had recently attracted much in the way of foreign investment, ensuring it would remain near the top of its game for a long time to come.

Yumoa Reigi sighed as he looked through the monthly balance reports from various banks affiliated with Toranoseishin. A knock echoed from the doorway. "Yes?" The orphaned half-American twenty-something looked up, smiling on seeing his senior secretary. "What is it, Yumi-san?" he asked.

"Sorry to bother you, Reigi-san. Sakuya-sama just called. She and her sisters will be arriving at the tower shortly. They'll be taking the tractor and mobile kitchen to meet Ataru-sama and Negako-sama at Nerima station."

Reigi blinked. "I thought Ataru-kun didn't want any of the girls to come anywhere close to Tomobiki, especially after Lum left," he mused before he nodded. "Oh, alright. Get the duty driver down to the garage, and then notify the police about what's going to happen."

"Hai, right away."

Reigi watched her leave, and then he opened a side drawer to draw out a file. Opening that, he gazed on the pictures posted on the first page. Twelve girls, blood daughters of Moroboshi Nagaiwakai's youngest son even if they all were technically born out of wedlock. In their hands, especially in the hands of the woman born Sukeyama Sakuya, would rest the dreams, hopes and destiny of the Moroboshi Clan. "How ironic." He shook his head. "Other clans allowed themselves to die because Bushido forbade them from strengthening their numbers with new blood. How stupid can people be at times? Even now . . . "

He put the file back in its drawer. Standing, he walked to the window to gaze on the cityscape. A glance south revealed a slender beam of white light heading in the direction of the tower. Yumoa Reigi had been quite lucky to be taken on as one of Moroboshi Komeru's wards. He couldn't be directly adopted into the Clan; only married members could do that and Komeru, a man born near-sterile thanks to the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, never really wanted to marry. But still, being a "son" in all but name to Komeru had done wonders for Reigi. What might have happened if he had languished in that orphanage in Ishikawa?

He shuddered. He didn't want to think about that!

The beam passed overhead. As the aft end of Chikage's travelling rainbow caught up with the prow, Reigi left his office, heading to the stairwell leading to the roof. Once there, he smiled as the sisters dusted themselves off. He hadn't made use of the sorceress' travelling rainbow before, but from what others told him, it was loads of fun. "Hi, girls!" he hailed with a wave.

"Oh, Reigi-san, hi!" Rinrin waved as Hinako, Kaho and Aria swamped the financier with warm hugs. "Got the tractor set up for us?"

"It's being readied . . . awk! Hey, Kaho-chan! Go easy!" Reigi gasped as Kaho nearly bowled him over with her running tackle embrace. As soon as the younger sisters pulled away from him, he stared at Sakuya. "How's Ataru-kun?"

"We're not sure." The eldest sister – Sakuya was born on the twentieth of December after Ataru's birth, with Chikage, Marie, Haruka and Karen being born on the following sixth of March, fourth of April, sixteenth of May and twenty-third of September – shook her head. "When he called us, he was on the Shin-kansen to Ōsaka. Onē-sama had him go through the DMZ in Korea."

"He didn't seem well," Karen added before she stopped and considered something. "Reigi-san, do you know what's going on here? Could it have been something _they_ . . . " – her normally timid voice became Arctic ice for a second as she glanced towards Ataru's old home – " . . . could've done?"

Reigi shook his head. "Not those two. Kinshō stopped coming by to harass us a week ago. She hasn't talked to anyone else who might want to cause Ataru-kun or any of you trouble, at least as far as I know."

"Let's just hope the fools learn to mind their place from now on," Haruka noted, wishing that Sakuya was of legal age so, as the properly acknowledged Matriarch of the Clan, she could expel them both and be done with it finally.

Rinrin shook her head. "Never mind them. C'mon, girls! Let's get to the tractor and go see Aniki and Aneki!"

"Hai!" the others chimed as they headed for the stairs.

* * *

Mendō Ryōko was bored.

Boredom for THIS lady, the younger child of the Mendō Clan of Musashino (the pre-Meiji name for Tomobiki), often spelt trouble for many, chief of which would be Ton-chan and her own Onii-san. But neither was available for her to play with. Mizunokōji Tobimaro was on another wild training journey in Shikoku. Shūtarō was at Tomobiki High, preparing for Lum's memorial service on Monday.

Remembering Lum, Ryōko sighed. She currently was sitting in her own private command car, a birthday present from her Onii-san, heading towards Butsumetsu Girl's High School. Like Shūtarō, Ryōko had been sent to a normal school, but her mother insisted she attend an all-girl's institution. That was all right. Within the walls of Butsumetsu Girl's, she could drop the mask she presented to others and try to be normal. She had help to that end thanks to the Kuroko, a group of Kabuki and Nōgaku actors and stagehands who had been transformed into her personal troupe of bodyguards and servants.

"Are you alright, Young Mistress?" the driver, a Kuroko in his full raven-black stagehand's uniform with tubular facemask, asked.

Ryōko perked, and then she sighed. "There are times I wish we were still using the palanquin," she lamented, tracing her finger on the windowsill.

"Your father and mother were quite adamant about remaining in a car, ma'am," the driver reminded her. "Especially given the outpouring of grief being felt by many in town because of Lum-sama's death."

"True." Ryōko then perked. "Any news of Moroboshi-sama?"

"None, Young Mistress. I am sorry about that."

"It's alright . . . eh?"

Both perked as the driver stopped by a red light. Driving by along the main street leading from Tomobiki into Nerima was what looked like a mix of old-style railroad engine and farm tractor. That pulled a trailer shaped like a streetcar, that pulling a mobile kitchen. Ryōko blinked as the road train passed by. She blinked again as her eyes picked up a flag flying from the smokestack. A black flag emblazoned with a curled, snarling tiger over a nest of exploding stars, its forepaws grasping the Imperial chrysanthemum. "The Toranoseishin Finances flag," she whispered on recognising it before peering into the passenger compartment. A group of people, all clearly female, were relaxing there. "Strange," she trilled before ordering, "Follow them."

"Hai."

The command car peeled into the left-turn lane. When the lights changed, it made the turn and fell in several cars behind the road train. It was easy to keep them in sight; the kitchen's chimney stabbed into the air over the cars using the road. "Who might they be, Mistress?" the driver asked.

"I don't know, but given what we've just learned about Moroboshi-sama's connections to Toranoseishin, the chances are that those ladies might know where he is," Ryōko replied. "Try to not attract attention."

"Hai."

The heiress to the Mendō fortune relaxed, a mirthless smile crossing her face. It amused her that Shūtarō had not ONCE picked up the all-too obvious connection between his classroom rival and the company whose numerous loans helped the Mendō Clan keep their paramilitary forces in tip-top shape. Even now, with him now hovering on the edge of despair over never trying to challenge Moroboshi Ataru again, he had yet to send someone to the latter's home to determine what exactly happened the nights before Lum was exiled from Earth.

Ryōko HAD done that. And what she had learned from that reconnaissance disturbed her. Supposedly, five years ago, Ataru's mother did something that forced a type of amnesia on him. Details were scant, but it appeared that some kami or other bodiless spirit had inhabited parts of Ataru's mind since he was six. When said spirit was discovered, he wanted it to have its own life. That spirit now lived as a woman named Moroboshi Negako, who acted in public as Ataru's elder sister and was listed as such on the Moroboshi Clan register.

How THAT happened, Ryōko's agents had yet to discover.

Angered at his parents' betrayal, Ataru left the house, vowing he would wait until he was of legal age, then, as a potential heir to his grandmother's seat as leader of the Moroboshi Clan, he would make his parents rōnin. After Lum was sent home, Ataru and Negako simply vanished without a trace.

Ryōko's agents soon discovered that Ataru had transferred out of school. The Education Ministry, pending the time when he would choose a new school to finish off his high school education, was holding his records. One of Ryōko's agents overheard two of the Ministry staffers indicating Ataru might transfer to an all-grade "ladder school" named Stargazer West College. That was located on an island in the Sagami Sea known as Ōmure-jima, though it was always called by the English phrase "Promised Island" by natives and visitors alike.

One of Ryōko's agents was dispatched to Promised Island to look in on Ataru. Not that she wanted to disturb him, much less have information about him leaked to Shūtarō . . . but just to ensure he was all right. While she, like most in Tomobiki, didn't like Ataru's lecherous behaviour, Ryōko did like him as a person. Any boy who could stand up to Shūtarō, especially when it came to interfering in Shūtarō's desire to win a girl, was okay in her books.

Reports poured in. And they were baffling to say the LEAST of it. Ataru and Negako were residing in the island's hostel, Welcome House. They were often seen interacting with twelve female residents of the House, ranging in age from eight to seventeen. Even stranger, Ataru had not ONCE made any pass with them. The girls didn't do anything harsh to him in return. And strangest of all, when the girls' backgrounds were investigated, NONE were reported to have a father. Yes, they had stepfathers. But on the birth records in the Health Ministry, the **FATHER'S NAME** entry for all of them was blank.

What did it all mean?

* * *

Meanwhile, in Nerima . . .

"And that's it! Okay, Ranma! You can relax now!"

Ranma breathed out. "About damned time," she muttered, reaching over to slip a housecoat over the bathing suit she was wearing for this photo shoot. "Is that all the shots you need, Kenji?" she then asked.

"Yeah, that should do it for this month's issue." Seijō Kenji nodded as he rewound his camera. "Usual payment plan, Ranma?"

"Yeah." She tied her housecoat down, moving to head into the washroom to change back into her normal clothing and her normal gender. "Make sure you use my Korean name there when you sell those pictures off, Kenji. I don't want some dork connecting me to what you're putting out. Okay?"

He winked at her, laughing. "Sure thing, 'Yŏ-san!'"

Ranma headed into the washroom before slipping off the housecoat and bathing suit. She tied her hair in the normal pigtail she preferred; acting as "Yŏ Ranja" (as a girl) or "Nam Ranma" (as a boy), she wore her hair loose or in a ponytail. Once the Dragon's Whisker was in place, she got a glass of hot water to change into a man. He quickly dried himself off before dressing in a white tang and black trousers. Once again projecting the image of the invincible martial artist, he slipped his belongings into a duffle bag before heading to the basement studio Kenji used. "When will you need me next time?"

"I'll contact Tampopo-chan and tell her since you still haven't told your folks or the Tendō family about it," the photographer replied with a smile, his eyes taking in all the changes Jusenkyō unleashed in Ranma. "Damn!"

"What's wrong?" Ranma asked.

Kenji smirked. "I'm NEVER gonna get used to seeing how much you change when you switch from guy to girl! It's a wonder to me how you've been able to adjust to switching around like that at ALL."

Ranma laughed. "Wonder to me, too! See you later!"

"Take care!"

With that, Ranma stepped out of the Seijō home, and then he made his way to the Fuji-gaidō, which would take him to Tampopo's. He'd have lunch there before heading back to the Tendō dōjō. Hopefully by the time he arrived there, Akane might have calmed down from last night (if she still wasn't off spending the day with Sayuri and Yuka to avoid facing her would-be fiancé).

Truthfully, Ranma hadn't wanted to return to the Tendō dōjō. Thanks to Kamekichi Tampopo and arrangements she made to help him earn some money, he had become used to travelling around Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore and the Philippines, seeing the sights while he was working, catching up on naps on the flights taking him from one place to the next.

And what had he done?

Musing on that as he walked to the Tendō compound last night from his new friend's restaurant, Ranma could only tip his hat to Nabiki and the things she did with a camera to earn money for the dōjō. To believe being a fashion model was so EASY. Yeah, it wasn't martial arts, but when Tampopo explained that models had to display a discipline before the camera that was no different from the Soul of Ice Ranma used in battle, it became a challenge. And no matter what else had happened to Ranma during the month he stayed away from the Tendō home, THAT had not changed. He delighted to be challenged and Tampopo was, as a friend, challenging him to be truly something different for a change.

Besides, the people Ranma had worked with were also Tampopo's friends, or their relatives. How a ramen shop chef got to know SO many people, Ranma had yet to figure out. And in truth, he avoided thinking about it. He wanted to keep Tampopo's trust and probing into her past was a good way of destroying that. Even more so, with Tampopo keeping an eye on things to ensure he wasn't being taken advantage of, it was lucrative. To the order of forty million yen to date. And best of all, thanks to the in-house rules of the bank he used, that money was HIS, sealed away from any embezzlement by Genma or Nodoka.

Still, given the feelings everyone must have held towards him these days, Ranma had more than enough reason to be cautious. He wasn't worried about Oyaji or Sōun. By learning how to do the Demon's Head, he had a weapon to keep Sōun in his place. With Nodoka around, Genma could be kept in line. If that failed, Happōsai was available to teach his students respect. And if all else failed, Ranma could challenge both of the idiots for control of their respective schools. If they refused him, Happōsai could damn them as cowards and strip them of their teaching licenses. Not even a visit by a Dōjō Destroyer could be as final to one's career in the Art as THAT!

Even more, Ranma had won over Kasumi and Nabiki. While he didn't trust Nabiki when it came to keeping his personal life personal, Ranma knew she valued independence. Thanks to the money he gave her, she had the ability to seek that without being tied to the dōjō. With that, she could break free of anything Sōun might try to keep her around in case he needed her to be Ranma's fiancée. Ditto with Kasumi. Given how much the elder daughter had slaved on her family's behalf, it was only proper. Hopefully soon, she'll take it.

No, the problem was Akane, along with Ukyō, Shampoo and (to a much lesser extent) Kodachi. If what happened at the failed wedding and the family meeting two weeks after that didn't hint at how much they were determined to keep fighting over him, nothing would. And he didn't want that anymore. He was just sick and tired of it all. Tired of all the assumptions, the demands for attention, the petty bickering and everything else. What was worse, they didn't seem to care a whit about what he might want.

Oh, no! No! No!

That just wasn't RIGHT after all.

Saotome Ranma wasn't supposed to think for himself, it seemed.

It just went against all the laws of the Universe.

* * *

_The previous night . . ._

_Reaching the gate, he tapped at the door. It soon opened, revealing a smiling Kasumi. "Welcome back, Ranma-kun!" She embraced him._

_"It's good to be home, Kasumi." He pecked her cheek before he gave her a curious stare. "If this STILL is a home to me, of course."_

_"Yes, it is," Kasumi declared. "Your father was brought back from the zoo today. He's with Otō-san in the sitting room. Your mother and Ojii-san are keeping an eye on them just in case they do something foolish."_

_"What of Akane and Nabiki?"_

_"Akane prepared dinner. I kept an eye on her." Kasumi waved her hands in reassurance before she gestured to follow her inside. "It looked alright. Nabiki's been using the money you gave the family to invest it in several places so it could generate some interest for us to live on until we head out."_

_He grinned. "So you ARE planning to go to college, aren't you?"_

_Her eyes turned down. "I'm still uncomfortable leaving the house like that, Ranma-kun. I've worked so long to keep it together."_

_"I know. I guess because I've been on the move most of my life, I don't fear shifting to a new place as much as you might."_

_"True. Oh, Ukyō, Shampoo and Elder Cologne will be here soon."_

_"Your dad or Oyaji know?"_

_"No, not yet."_

_Ranma laughed. "You're cruel, Kasumi! Let's go in."_

_They stepped into the sitting room. Awaiting them were Nodoka and Happōsai. "Welcome back, my son." The former rose to warmly embrace him before she gave him an appraising gaze. "You're looking quite well right now."_

_"Arigatō, Okā-san. How are you, Jijii?" Ranma asked._

_"Pretty good, boy. Seems you got in some decent training while you were away," Happōsai stated before he gazed on Sōun on Genma._

_Staring at them, Ranma inwardly winced on seeing the drawn look on his father's face. No doubt, being stuck as a panda in a zoo for nearly four weeks – that tacked to experiencing the strength-sapping moxibustion AND the full-body cat tongue at the same time – had hit hard. Sōun didn't look better; without Genma present to back him, the Tendō patriarch had quickly learned that he had no real power or influence over Ranma. "Yes, welcome back, Ranma-kun," Sōun then said. "We're just about to have dinner."_

_"Yes, come sit, boy," Genma grumbled, failing to hide the wounded rage – no doubt at his son's "betrayal" – flashing in his eyes._

_Ranma exchanged a look with Nodoka, and then he placed himself by the table. The kitchen door opened, revealing Akane, she carrying a tray of food. "Dinner's on . . . oh!" she gasped on seeing who was there. "Hello, Ranma."_

_Ranma nodded back. "Akane-san."_

_Sōun and Genma paled on hearing such a formal mode of address. Akane tried not to drop the tray and run off. Cautiously, she placed the tray on the table. "It looks good!" Kasumi mused. "We'll just wait for the others."_

_Sōun and Genma jolted. "'Others?'" the former demanded._

_"Yes, my boy," Happōsai declared, the stern look in his eyes warning his students that no disagreements would be tolerated from either of them this evening. "Cologne-chan, Shampoo-chan and Ukyō-chan will be coming by since they wanted to see my heir as soon as he was back in town."_

_Sōun sputtered. He then paled on seeing his teacher's eyes narrow. As he wisely shut up, a voice called out, "Hey! Is anyone inside?"_

_"Come in, Ukyō!" Kasumi called back, her smile broadening on seeing who had come with the chef. "Oh, Elder! Shampoo! Hello."_

* * *

_The dinner passed under a tense atmosphere. To Ranma's surprise and delight, Nodoka readily engaged in very meaningful conversation with Shampoo and Ukyō, not to mention Cologne. A glance at Sōun and Genma revealed that neither man approved whatsoever, but Ranma knew they wouldn't upbraid Nodoka about it. No, they would come straight to him in hopes of forcing him to not recognise the others' interest in him, affirming his love to Akane instead._

_Speaking of which, the fiancées had done their best to be civil while, at the same time, engaged in the one-upmanship they got into whenever it involved him. Ranma tried not to scream about it. He would save that until when he got them alone. Given the fates Ukyō and Shampoo faced if they chose to forego their claims on him, he could understand why they were determined to succeed._

_And Akane?_

_Akane . . ._

_Once dinner was done, Ranma turned to her. "That was really good, Akane-san. You've been improving a lot lately."_

_"I . . .?" The youngest Tendō daughter's cheeks flushed. "Um, th-thanks! Onē-chan helped me tonight."_

_"I know. It takes time and practice. That's where Kasumi has it over you. It's nothing to be ashamed of." He turned to his other fiancées. "And the okonomiyaki and the nikuman were really enjoyable, Ukyō-san, Shānpú."_

_They both looked down. To Ukyō, having Ranma address her so formally still hurt. Shampoo was shocked that her Airen addressed her by her proper name, not by the Japanese bastardization most people in Nerima regularly used._

_"So what did you do over the last month, boy?" Genma cut in to ensure Ranma didn't pay too much attention to Ukyō or Shampoo._

_A level stared responded. "None of your business. Since you chose never to tell me about things you did supposedly on my 'behalf' during the training trip, I choose not to speak to you about my recent activities."_

_"Ridiculous! I'm your father! I demand to know . . . urk!"_

_Everyone blinked on seeing Genma grasp his throat. The others quickly noted that Ranma's fingers were curled around a small marble; another one just like it was clattering on the floor near Genma. "Saotome-kun, what's wrong?" Sōun demanded before spinning on Ranma. "What did you do to him?" he barked._

_Ranma glared at the Tendō patriarch. "Oh, just a little shiatsu I used to shut him up. I'm not in his presence for more than an hour and I'm already tired of listening to him." He sighed. "In the meantime, I wish to speak to my suitors ALONE. Jijii, Elder, can you make sure they don't interfere?"_

_"No problem." Happōsai winked before glaring at the fathers. "Let's go, boys. If I'm nice, I'll unlock your throat, Genma."_

_"But Master . . .!" Sōun wailed._

_Happōsai's battle aura clicked in. "MOVE, YOU IDIOTS!"_

_The fathers ran out, Happōsai following them. Cologne watched that, smirking, before she turned to gaze on Ranma. "I'll make sure Mùsī remains where he is for the time being, Son-in-law."_

_She left. Quickly, Nodoka, Kasumi and Nabiki headed into the kitchen. Once they were alone – though Ranma was quick to sense that his mother and the elder daughters were trying to listen through the door – he shifted so he could face the others. Seeing the neutral look on his face, Akane shuddered. No matter what, she had to stake her position with him. "Ranma?"_

_"Yes, Akane-san, what is it?"_

_"I . . .!" The youngest Tendō daughter took a breath before bowing. "I want to apologise. For not telling you about what Dad did with the Nanniichuan water. He had no right to do that with something meant for you. And I . . . " She paused before looking at him, her eyes misting. "I didn't intend anything malicious about that. You . . . said what you felt about me on Mount Phoenix. I was prepared to go through with the wedding, Nanniichuan cask or no."_

_Ranma nodded. "I can accept that, Akane-san."_

_"Ran-chan, will ya quit being so formal, for Heaven's sake?" Ukyō demanded. "You're spooking the hell out of us both, you know!"_

_His eyes narrowed. "I have to be, Ukyō-san. If you or Akane-san both happen to have a problem with that, that's just too damned bad."_

_They shuddered, shocked he would say THAT. "Further, I've grown sick and tired of the assumptions you've all made about me," he frostily added. "If I had the power, I'd end this farce once and for all, then take a long vacation from ALL of you! Unfortunately, I can't do that. You, Ukyō-san, would be made rōnin because of it. You, Shānpú, would most likely be expelled from your clan, frozen in your cursed form or put to death if you went home empty-handed. And I believe you, Akane-san, would likely wind up being married off to Kunō Tatewaki, knowing how desperate your father's become in seeing his dōjō continue." He gave them an understanding nod. "I know that. I understand that. And I want to help you girls out of this. I really do."_

_They bolted to their feet, glaring intently at him. "The only way that can happen, sugar, is if you marry me!" Ukyō snarled._

_"You're already married to this one! You've no choice but to come back to village with this one, Àirén!" Shampoo asserted._

_"Ranma, you're MY fiancé and that's final!" Akane snapped._

_Instantly, Sōun appeared behind his daughter, waving a fan as jets of tears poured from his eyes. Thankfully, the water didn't strike Shampoo. "OH, JOY!" he screamed out. "AKANE'S ADMITTED SHE LOVES RANMA-KUN!"_

_Ranma went into Demon Head mode. "**GET LOST, YOU IDIOT!**"_

_The fiancées screamed as they rapidly backed away from that snarling image. Sōun collapsed into a sobbing heap on seeing Ranma use HIS attack on himself once again. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Ranma-kun's scary!"_

_"Aiyah! When did Airen learn the Demon Head?" Shampoo screamed._

_"Why the hell didn't you tell us, Akane?" Ukyō whimpered._

_"R-r-Ranma . . .!" Akane sputtered._

_"ENOUGH!"_

_The Demon Head vanished as Ranma gazed tiredly on Genma. "Who the hell gave you your voice back, Oyaji?" he snarled._

_The Saotome patriarch lunged at his son. Ranma's fist smashed into Genma's face, dropping him on the table. It broke in half. Noting that, Ranma sighed. "Nabiki, I don't think you kept him at the zoo long enough," he called out towards the kitchen. "He didn't lose a damned kilogram of fat!"_

_"Sorry!" Nabiki called back._

_Genma staggered to a kneeling position before glaring at his son. Ranma returned that with a mildly bored look. Quaking with rage, the former pointed at the latter. "Boy, you listen to me and listen to me good!" he rasped. "You can't escape this no matter how much you try! Even your mother wants you to marry Akane! Do you understand me? You can't escape . . .!"_

_A ki ball exploded in his face. Ranma's fist slammed into the back of Genma's neck, making the latter kiss the floor. The former's hand blurred over Genma's back, hitting shiatsu points to make sure he couldn't speak, much less move, from that position. Ranma grasped Genma by the throat, elevating his head to the level of Ranma's eyes. Given the locking of the older man's joints, that movement elicited some sharp cracks from his bones. Hearing that, the fiancées and Sōun shuddered, all of them horrified at Ranma's actions._

_He glanced at Sōun. "Leave. Now."_

_The Tendō patriarch scrambled out of the sitting room. Ranma turned to the fiancées. "I've decided that as soon as the repairs on my family home are done, I will move out and live there. With Akane-san's actions since the day we met, I no longer feel welcome here. That should make it fair. It will be a level playing field. Does this meet with your approval? Ukyō-san? Shānpú?"_

_Ukyō nodded. "Th-that's no problem, Ran-chan."_

_"This one agrees."_

_"Good. But I warn you this: If ANY of you pull the same crap on my home that you did before Mount Phoenix, I will consider your claim on me invalid and I will NOT shed a tear over what might happen to you. Know this, too. I do not know what love is at the end, but I have come to realise this: I will NOT marry anyone to fulfil agreements meant to filled this fool's stomach or those he made when he was drunk . . . " – with that, he tossed Genma out of the room – " . . . much less archaic laws imposed on unsuspecting travellers by a village that too scared of the outside world for its own good." He glared at Shampoo before he vanished behind the Umisen-ken's null-chi cloak._

_The fiancées remained frozen in place. Akane hissed, "He h-hates us!"_

_"I can't believe it came to this," Ukyō whispered._

_Shampoo looked nowhere in particular. "What do we do now?"_

* * *

The streets of Nerima . . .

Ranma sighed as he walked toward Tampopo's. Waking up this morning, he had nearly been tossed into the koi pond by Genma before a Mōko Takabisha made the latter go for an early-morning swim. Coming down to breakfast later, he found his father ready to force him outside for a thorough morning spar. Since everything had been served, Ranma responded by taking his plate of food and dumping it atop Genma's. "Since you care more for food than respecting what I might like to do with my life, here! Eat all you want."

He then vanished behind the Umisen-ken just as Happōsai came in from his morning panty raid. Seeing the heaping plate of food there, the grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū quickly downed it before the shocked Genma could fully interpret what Ranma had done. To Ranma's mirthful delight – he had remained in the sitting room while his father was bellowing about his son's disrespect – Kasumi refused to cook him anything until lunch. And Genma was so mistrustful of Akane's cooking that, when she said she wouldn't cook for him, he asserted that he wouldn't eat her cooking even if his life depended on it!

Result: Demon Head from Sōun and Mallet-sama from Akane!

As Ranma headed down the Fuji-gaidō, he blinked on hearing a _toot!_ Turning to see what made that noise, he stopped beside a puddle as his jaw dropped on seeing what looked like an old-fashioned railroad engine towing a passenger car and a caboose heading his way. His surprise was so complete, he didn't notice the potential danger until the tractor's wheels splashed into the puddle, dousing him with a quick waterfall of spray. Sputtering angrily, she gazed down at herself before breathing out. "Damn!" she grumbled.

"Ah! Sorry about that!"

Ranma saw that the road train had stopped, some of the passengers staring at her. "It's okay! It's okay!" she assured them before one of the passengers stepped down from the cab, towel in hand. "Oh, you don't need ta do that!"

"It's alright," the purple-haired girl in the black cape, red jacket and grey, ankle-length skirt asserted. "Though it appears that no matter how far you travel, Saotome-san, Jusenkyō never lets you go."

"Huh?" Ranma sputtered before peering at the younger woman. "You know about Jusenkyō . . .? Hey! How'd you know who I am?"

"Chikage-chan, is that Saotome-san?" a black-haired girl in a pink-and-black hakama gasped. Seeing the purple-haired girl nod, she scrambled out of the cabin, another towel in hand. Approaching Ranma, she came to attention, and then she bowed low. "Saotome-san, it is an honour to meet you. My name is Tenhiro Haruka. I'm a student of the Ōmure-jima Tenhiro-naginata-ryū. I am also a student of kyūdō and the use of the gunsen. Oh . . . p-poh!" She clapped her cheeks excitedly as they reddened. "I trust y-you weren't hurt?"

"I . . . ah . . . w-well . . .!" Ranma's eyebrow began to twitch as she found herself stunned this woman was greeting her so ENTHUSIASTICALLY. Then an old suspicion reared itself: "Um, we aren't engaged, are we?"

Haruka considered that for a moment. "Not that I'm aware of."

Ranma breathed out, "Oh, phew! I was worried that I might've missed one of the girls Oyaji tried to engage me to on our training trip!"

Chikage chuckled. "No doubt, you took much advantage of the time you spent with Ani-kun's friend Kamekichi Tampopo." She absently patted her cape. "Were you proceeding to her establishment in Kasuga-chō?"

Ranma nodded. "I . . . um, y-yeah, I was!" She then perked. "Hey, how d'you know Tampopo-chan anyway? Are you friends with her?"

"Actually, our brother has the honour to address Kamekichi-san as his friend," Haruka replied. "His name is Moroboshi Ataru."

Ranma's eyes widened. "Moroboshi Ataru? You're his . . .?" She shook her head. "I didn't know he had sisters!"

"Neither did Ani-kun until six weeks ago," Chikage said. "Our story is, in its own way, as unique as yours. Meanwhile, we will be heading to Tampopo-san's establishment once we have picked up Ani-kun and Ane-kun at the train station." She indicated the road train. "Would you like to come with us?"

Ranma considered that. "Sure! Ever since I became friends with Tampopo-chan, I've always wanted to meet your brother . . . "

A creaking sound then echoed from her stomach. Hearing that, a girl with a big bow tie in her mauve hair leaned out of the passenger cabin. "Aaah! Sounds like Saotome-san's a little hungry!" she noted with an amused chuckle.

"I . . .!" Ranma flustered. "Um, y-yeah! I skipped out on breakfast this morning 'cause I got in a fight with my old man . . . "

"Shirayuki-chan, do you have extra bentō boxes?" Haruka wondered.

"Hai desu no! Hime _always_ has lots of extra bentō boxes!"

Hearing that, Ranma grinned. "If there's one thing Oyaji taught me right, it's to never refuse free food!" she quickly asserted.

Everyone laughed.

* * *

Nearby . . .

"Young Mistress, do you recognise that . . . er, person?"

"I believe that is Saotome Ranma," Ryōko answered. The command car was currently sitting five vehicles back from the road train. "And these ladies, who most likely are the same ones Moroboshi-sama associated with on Promised Island, have just taken him – er, _her_ – aboard. I wonder why."

"I should have learned how to read lips," the driver lamented.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Stay with them."

"Hai!"

* * *

Nerima JR station . . .

"So your brother's been off on a training trip, huh?"

"It's a very intensive one Onii-sama has to deal with," Sakuya nodded as people stepped off the road train, now parked beside the main train station for Nerima.

"Really?" Ranma blinked. "'S funny. From what I've heard of him, your brother didn't strike me much as a martial artist."

"Personally, I don't think Onii-chan thinks of himself as a martial artist either, Ranma-san," Karen noted with a giggle. "But then again, someone once told me that I'd never learn how to play the piano."

Ranma's eyebrow arched. "You took it as a challenge?"

Karen flustered. "Somewhat."

Ranma chuckled. "Oh, there's nothin' wrong with that. After all, I've taken loads of challenges in my lifetime. Some of them really helped me a lot. And some were just . . . " She shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Dumb?" Rinrin asked.

"Stupid. Believe me, I couldn't even BEGIN to believe some of the weird martial art forms I've run across since I came here. I mean, could you honestly believe there's a Martial Arts Tea Ceremony out there?"

"My stepfather told me about that," Haruka noted. "I mean, I understand when people seek to turn daily activities into kata as a way of disciplining oneself. After all, the great masters copied forms from animal movements. But to transform a tea party into a martial arts drill? It's utterly ridiculous!"

Sitting beside Marie, Michael perked, whining. Marie gazed on her dog. "Michael, do you see Aniue-sama?"

"Ah! Onii-tama!"

Hearing Hinako's cry, eyes locked on the youngest of the sisters, and then they focused on the gate. Sure enough, two young people in black T-shirts and walking pants, both lugging backpacks, stepped through. Instantly, their eyes locked on the road train. They headed over as Hinako and Kaho ran up to embrace them. "Hey!" the young man – given his beard and moustache, Ranma was hard-pressed to recognise him as the same Ataru she had seen in the picture at Tampopo's – called out as he scooped Hinako up. "How are you guys?"

"Waaa! Onii-tama's beard tickles!" Hinako cried out.

She was then shifted onto one of Ataru's arms as the other sisters came up to add their hugs and kisses. "Oh, we missed you two, Onii-chan, Onē-chan!" Karen said. "How long were you in Sanctuary, anyway?"

Mamoru gently stroked Ataru's sideburns. "Not that long by the looks of it! How the heck did you grow a beard anyway, Anii?"

"A little accident I had . . . eh?" Ataru was quick to notice the redhead standing by the road train. "Who . . .?"

"Ah!" Negako lowered Kaho to the ground before walking over.

Ranma tensed as Negako approached. On the road train, she had been told Ataru had been training with an older sister. This had to be her. But . . .! Her eyes narrowed as she tried to analyse the latter's ki. What Ranma got in return was a bemused stare, not to mention a ki-cloak that shrouded the latter like an Afghan burqa' from head to toe. Almost as effective as – No! Even MORE so! – the Umisen-ken technique. Once the cloak was set, it was as if Negako would be invisible if someone had blindfolded himself (or was blind) and only depended on ki scanning to sense his surroundings.

By then, Ataru had come up, slipping off his backpack. Dropping that to the ground by his feet, he offered his hand. "It's a wonder we haven't met before, Saotome-san. I'm Moroboshi Ataru and this is my sister Negako, Grandmaster of the Moroboshi-Hana Saikō Jinseijutsu-ryū."

Ranma jolted, staring at him for a second. Her eyes fell back on Negako. _She's MUCH more than she seems, especially if he's calling her the grandmaster of her Art!_ echoed from somewhere deep inside the transformed martial artist's mind before she caught herself. Grasping his hand, she nodded. "Um, y-yeah! S-sorry about that! Pleased to meetcha, Moroboshi-san . . . "

Then her eyes locked with his.

They froze. Time became meaningless as the panorama of emotions one's eyes can reflect on viewers transformed into an open book for them both. In what seemed an eternity, all the pain, suffering, confusion, misunderstandings, dreams, nightmares, the loneliness - it is as if they, who had just met now, had actually known each other since they were born. Another eternity flashed past, and then Ataru's hand came up to encompass Ranma's. She reflected his action with her own hand, their eyes never wavering from the other's.

You, too?

Yeah, me too.

I lost mine to a war.

I lost mine to something like that.

But you've got others.

Not like yours.

They're my family.

I'd like a family like that.

Friends can be family.

I can't consider what friends I've got left as family.

You're afraid they'll be hurt because of you.

So are you with your friends back home.

Are they my friends?

Even if you don't think so now, you still care for them.

So do you with the ones who love you.

I got no choice but to care. It goes beyond honour.

I understand that. Would you love them?

I can't see myself doing that. Not now, perhaps not ever.

But they disagree with you.

What do you think?

Life really sucks at times.

You damn hell got that right.

Want to be friends?

I can use a friend right about now.

So can I.

Can you tolerate my curse?

I'd call it a blessing.

It's not been much of a blessing to me.

Depends on how you take it in the long run.

I've come to understand that.

I'll try to help.

What about you? What happened?

It's still too soon to talk about it.

Sorry to hear that. But you can't keep it inside you.

Neither can you.

I don't think I've gone through the same amount you have.

We'll have to see about that I guess.

I guess we will.

Friends?

Friends.

"Onii-sama . . .?"

They jolted, and then they noticed Ataru's sisters staring at them. "Onii-tama, Onē-tama, are you okay?" Hinako asked.

Both noticed they were clasping hands. They took that in, and then they drew back before Ataru placed a reassuring hand on Hinako's shoulder. "It's okay, Hinako-chan. You just brought your Onii-tama a new friend, that's all."

The youngest of the sisters cheered, waving her hands. "Yay! Hina helped Onii-tama and Onē-tama become friends!"

Laughter filled the parking lot.

* * *

_«_Did you sense it?_»_

Chikage's eyes narrowed. _Yes. Their bond's growing stronger._

_«_There are very firm blockages on Ranma's side preventing it from forming correctly,» Negako telepathically mused as the other sisters helped Ataru hoist backpacks onto the road train. «Tampopo was wise to contact me about her. She needs a considerable amount of assistance to that end.»

_Including her sense of self. She still thinks she's a boy_.

_«_Understandable. That is courtesy of Saotome Genma's most foolish mistake when it came to training his so-called 'heir.'»

_I'm afraid to ask._

«Do you like cats, Chikage?»

_Eh? What do cats have to do with Ane-kun?_

«You would be very surprised.»

* * *

Nearby . . .

"Did that girl just call Moroboshi-sama . . .?"

"They ALL did, Young Mistress! Save for Saotome-sama, of course."

Ryōko sat back in her chair. "Kami-sama! I should've realised . . .!"

She covered her mouth. "Blood-relations?" the driver wondered.

"On the father's side. That's why their birth records don't have a father listed. They're illegitimate, but . . . " Her eyes narrowed as all the implications sank in. "Oh, yes! It all makes sense now! I can see why Moroboshi-sama chose to leave Tomobiki. If Onii-san got wind of this . . . "

"Much less Moroboshi-sama's _ex_-parents?"

"Indeed," the heiress of the Mendō clan fortune replied. "As soon as they head off, let's go home. I might want to visit Toranoseishin Finances, but I want to do it without alerting Onii-san. Given how much Moroboshi-sama's clearly changed, if my brother does something foolish with those girls as a way of provoking Moroboshi-sama into a fight, especially with Lum gone . . . "

"That's a frightening thought, Young Mistress."

"Yes. And it's best to see to it that does NOT happen."

"Hai!"

* * *

In Kasuga-chō . . .

"Ataru-chan! You're back!"

"Hiya, Tampopo-chan!" Ataru grinned, hopping off the road train before he shared an embrace with the proprietor of Nerima's newest eatery a half-hour later. "Hai, I came back finally! You remember Onē-san, don't you?"

"Indeed, I do!" Tampopo gently grasped Negako's hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "Thanks for bringing him back in one piece, Negako-san! I'd be put off if he didn't survive the tortures you planned for him."

Negako lightly smiled. "It was required."

Ataru indicated his sisters, doing the introductions. Shirayuki produced a wrapped box for the older chef containing rare spices and food mixes the younger chef prepared for this occasion. Everyone then headed inside as the Toranoseishin driver guided the road train into an empty lot to get it out of traffic. As everyone sat down in three conjoining booths, Tampopo and Ataru gazed on Ranma. "You were pretty quick to pick up a new one after I left," he mused before gazing with exaggerated annoyance at their host. "Why? Didn't I provide enough entertainment for you when we were living in Tomobiki?"

Laughter filled the room. "No. In many ways, Ranma-chan here's in the same boat you were in back in Tomobiki," Tampopo replied as she glanced in amusement at the transformed martial artist. "Usual, Ranma-chan?"

Ranma nodded, taking her place at the counter. "Hai, please. And make it quick so I can try to duck Ataru's verbal bombardments."

More laughter echoed from the others. Haruka and Kaho sat to both sides of Ranma. Negako and Ataru placed themselves in the booths, allowing the other sisters to surround them. Orders were made, and then they relaxed. Ranma glanced at Negako. "So you're the grandmaster of your Art, eh? I've never heard of Saikō Jinseijutsu-ryū before. Is it an in-family sort of thing?"

"It is," Negako said. "Traditionally, only members of the Moroboshi Clan may practice it. However, certain exceptions can be made in special circumstances. Happōsai, for example. I taught him several things when we first met in Sendai in the thirtieth year of Emperor Mutsuhito. He used that to serve as the base for what he eventually called 'Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū.'"

Ranma's eyes widened as her mind did a calculation. The sisters giggled. "Eighteen-ninety-two? You don't look a day over twenty! How . . .?"

Sakuya smirked. "You wouldn't believe how old Onē-sama is."

Negako pointed to herself. "I do not recall the day the seed that became my sentience was forged, but it was during the reign of Emperor Mitsuhito. I myself became sentient in the twenty-ninth year of Emperor Tomohito when my host at the time was forced to absorb an entity like myself from the War Lord of the Hana Clan after he was killed in a storm. When the two parts that became me merged as one, I 'woke up.' However, it was not until Ataru was in the sixth year of being my latest host that I was given the body I have now."

"Are you some sort of kami?" Ranma wondered.

"You might think of Aneki here as Earth's first-ever non-corporeal artificial intelligence. Though she was created by magic and psionics, not any sort of computer technology," Rinrin provided with a warning finger.

"Wow!" Ranma stared anew at Negako. "And you know Jijii?"

"Yes, I do. I also know Kělún. How is she, anyway?"

"Um . . . well, she's okay, I guess. How'd you meet her?"

"Our clan is allied to the Nǚjiézú, though it has not, as yet, become a blood-alliance. Kelun knew one of my previous hosts – Ataru's grandmother Nagaiwakai, to be exact – for a very long time."

"Oh!" Ranma sensed that, by the looks on the sisters' faces, Nagaiwakai was no longer among the living. "Sorry to hear that. If you're going to stick around, I'm sure Jijii and the Elder would love to see you again."

Negako seemed to smile. "Happy would be pleased to see me, I am more than sure. Kelun would believe that Ataru had totally lost his mind in allowing someone such as myself to have my freedom."

"Eh?"

"What Onē-san's trying to say is that between the time she 'woke up' and when she did get free of my head, she tried her damnedest to get control of her host's body by whatever means possible," he said. "But then again, should we be surprised? She was treated like a slave when she was non-corporeal and . . . well, you know the history of the American Civil War and how that started."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Here we go, everyone!" Tampopo called out.

Everyone perked as the chef brought in a large tray. Along with the beefbowls and other snacks was a kettle of hot water. "Here you go, Ranma-chan," Tampopo declared. "I think you'd want to change back to normal, eh?"

The chef handed the kettle to the martial artist before moving to distribute the food to her other customers. "You're the greatest, Tampopo-chan." Ranma scooped up the kettle, and then poised it over herself.

People gaped in shock as Ranma seemed to grow forty centimetres and gain twenty kilograms all at once. Mamoru whistled. "Whoa!"

"That's impossible!" Rinrin asserted.

"It's magic, Rinrin. Very ancient magic at that. And yes, it IS possible," Chikage corrected the young inventor.

"Kusun!"

Eyes locked on Aria. "Kusun!" The young Parisian stared wide-eyed at Ranma, lips trembling as wild fear flashed in her amethyst eyes. Seeing her panic, he paled, and then he grabbed a glass of cold water on Tampopo's food tray. "Kusun!" Aria burbled as Ranma doused himself with the water to transform back. She then glanced expectantly at Aria. The young girl blinked before a calm smile crossed her face. "Nē-ya." She beamed, reaching for a tablecloth so she could wipe Ranma's hair clean. "Nē-ya is all wet."

Ranma lightly smiled. "Sorry about that, Aria-chan," she apologised. "I didn't mean to freak you out when I changed."

Aria gazed on her nonplussed before she returned to her chair. Ranma watched her, and then she gave Ataru a "What's with HER?" look. Ataru shook his head, shrugging in return. Seeing that, Ranma sighed before blinking on feeling Tampopo's hand on her shoulder. She stared at the chef, and then she nodded before scooping up her chopsticks to dig in. "Itadakimasu!"

"Itadakimasu!" the others chimed.

* * *

The Nekohanten . . .

"Gone?"

Cologne shuddered as she tried to focus in on the intensive ki nexuses she initially perceived a half-hour before. Whoever, WHATEVER, one of them were, it outstripped both her and Happōsai when it came to experience, not to mention Ranma in potential. Trying to keep track of it as she was monitoring lunch, the elder lost the trail when it stopped near the Nerima train station.

What was worrisome was that whatever this newcomer was, she (the Nǚjiézú elder believed the newcomer was female) was accompanied by a man whose ki levels were on par, though his experience was minuscule. Even more, Ranma had met them at the train station. As to what Ranma was doing down by the station, Cologne had no idea. Then again, given the sheer metamorphosis her "son-in-law" had experienced under Tampopo's guidance over the last month, it was hard if not nearly impossible to predict what was going through the poor lad's head.

A tired sigh escaped her. It was now QUITE obvious everyone's pushing on Ranma was about to provoke an explosion at the level the battle with Saffron unleashed. Thank the heavens Kasumi, Nabiki and Happōsai had decided to back off and let the boy try to decide what life he actually wanted to live. And Cologne couldn't disagree. The time HAD come for Ranma to take control of his life. If it wasn't worries about the fiancées, it was dealing with the effects of Genma's training. If it wasn't trying to evolve a relationship with Nodoka, it was worrying about when the next odd thing might come to challenge Ranma.

Privately, Cologne concluded before the Mount Phoenix battle that pushing for a marriage between Shampoo and Ranma was out of the question. Regardless of the feelings he might have for the Tendō girl, to force Ranma into the world of the Nǚjiézú would, after all he had been through, be inhumane. Yes, Nǚjiézú laws were harsh and tilted to uphold the female, but Cologne's native society wasn't as absolutist as what the idiots running the "People's Republic" out of Beijing's Zhōngnánhǎi governed. There were escape valves built into all the Nǚjiézú laws, even the combat-for-marriage and the Kiss of Death laws.

Ranma needed them. Cologne knew Shampoo was too headstrong to accept Ranma didn't want her as a wife. If Cologne spoke up against it these days, however, Shampoo would charge on ahead. No, to deflect Shampoo away required the help of the Council. Sadly, Mist's letter to Shampoo showed that Cologne's fellow elders didn't appreciate the danger bringing Ranma to the village could present. However, after Ranma's victory over Saffron, she was confident that even the conservatives on the Council would go along with her reasoning.

After all, to actually bring in a potentially unstable male who had killed an IMMORTAL of all things into the Nǚjiézú . . .?

* * *

Tampopo's . . .

"Damn! I'm sorry about that, Ranma. I didn't realise Aria-chan would find it so hard to accept seeing you as a guy."

"Hey, it's cool!" Both stood close to the washroom doors at the back of the restaurant. "Though I gotta admit, I am curious about why she freaked out THAT much. Doesn't she get out as much as possible or she autistic?"

Ataru shook his head. "Oh, I don't think it's an actual medical problem. Aria-chan's main problem is that she's been sheltered almost all her life. Even when her parents left her behind at Welcome House on the island, they left a governess behind to keep an eye on her. Aria-chan's never done much in the way of normal kid things; her governess won't allow it."

"She's spoiled, you mean?"

"Yeah, she is, but I do care for her, so I can make myself bend for her." Ataru winked, holding up a finger as he grinned.

"I suppose I can do that, too," Ranma responded with a chuckle, and then she sighed. "They're so beautiful, Ataru. You're really lucky, you know."

Ataru rolled his eyes. "They're the lucky ones. They didn't have to put up with Muchi or Kinshō while they were growing up."

"Yeah, Tampopo-chan told me about the crap they pulled on you. Shit, it was like listening about a mirror version of my parents."

"Are they bad?"

Ranma smirked. "Well, when it comes to greed, Kinshō and Oyaji probably came straight out of the same school." She knew not to address that particular woman by the appellation "your mom" in front of Ataru. "And given how much Tampopo-chan told me Muchi bends for his wife . . . cripes, it's like Ofukuro can be around Oyaji at times. Though I think Mom's trying to be better."

"Well, maybe you'll get something out of it in the long run." Ataru then blinked as Negako approached them. "Onē-san?"

"Is there something wrong?" Ranma wondered.

Negako clasped her hands behind her back. "Ranma, would you consent to having yourself temporarily locked as a woman today?"

Ranma's eyes went wide. Before a flat-out denial roared up her throat, she paused. Why was she getting so angry? Negako had just ASKED her about locking the curse in place, temporarily at that. She hadn't done like Cologne or Herb had done in the past and FORCED a lock on her. All she could do if she wanted to was say "no" in the end. "Why do you want to do that?" she asked.

"For your convenience. And your safety." Negako seemed to smile. "You have taken note of Aria's reaction to your transformation. I sense Hinako and Kaho might want to 'experiment' with cold and hot water to see you change, most likely for the fascination factor. And I believe you would not wish to arouse Rinrin's curiosity in that matter. She can be dogged in her determination to fully understand something that defies all logical, scientific explanation."

"Oh, one of those types who doesn't believe in magic, huh?"

"Rinrin has her doubts." Negako then shrugged. "It is somewhat surprising, given that Chikage is her half-sister."

"Right!" Ranma shuddered. "How can you do that?"

"You have some background energy from your exposure to the Chiisui-ton and the Kaisui-fū within you," the grandmaster explained, keeping to the Japanese transliterations of the actual names for the devices in question so as to not confuse Ranma. "What I would do is use some ki to enhance the Chiisui-ton's influence to the point where it would be no different than if you were just splashed by water from it. When you wish the curse to revert to 'normal' mode, I take the energy away from you."

"Sounds simple," Ranma mused before she stared at Ataru. "Are Hinako-chan and Kaho-chan gonna get upset if they splash me and I don't change?"

"Let me worry about them," Ataru assured her.

* * *

Hikarigaoka Park . . .

"Akane-chan, are you alright?"

Akane sighed, gazing on Asano Sayuri and Tokoro Yuka, the two people who had been the closest to her since the start of high school. They were enjoying some fresh hamburgers courtesy of the district's lone American hamburger yatai owner, Yamada Fred. "Not really," she confessed.

"Is it because of Ranma?" Sayuri wondered.

The youngest Tendō nodded. "Yeah."

"What are you going to do, Akane-chan?" Yuka asked.

"Why don't you just dump him and get it over with, Akane-chan?" Sayuri proposed. Almost right from the beginning, she, who had actually known Akane pretty much since kindergarten, hadn't really approved of her friend's iinazuke. "After all, if he was damned willing to say you weren't engaged to him anymore, it's obvious that he really doesn't care for you."

Akane shook her head. "Th-that's not true. Ranma DOES care for me. It's just that . . . " She paused, biting her lip before she sighed. "He doesn't care for me like he did before this all started."

"What do you mean?" Yuka asked.

Akane explained what Ranma had told her, Ukyō and Shampoo the previous night. Hearing that, the others blinked, exchanged a look, and then they turned back to Akane. "Well, maybe he's got a point, Akane-chan," Yuka mused. Unlike Sayuri, Yuka had always tried to keep a more positive attitude when it came to discussing Akane's relationship with Ranma. "I mean, given all the dumb things his father did to him while they were on their training trip . . . well, if it happened to me, I'd be ROYALLY pissed! And he said he didn't want it to wind up with Ukyō and Shampoo becoming rōnin and you being engaged to Kunō or some other fool like that. That's a good point . . . "

Sayuri shook her head. "Forget it! Ranma's being a typical man, no different than Kunō. He doesn't care what Akane-chan feels whatsoever. He doesn't care that everything he does – Hell! Everything he's DONE since he came here! – has hurt her! Oh, no! That's just not right!" she finished in a mock-gasp. "The whole world's GOT to revolve around Mister Super-Macho Saotome Ranma! No one else!" She then wagged her finger at Akane. "If you want to really hang onto the guy, Akane-chan, you better assert yourself real fast!"

Yuka nodded. "Yeah, you seemed able to do that beforehand."

"I don't think it'll work now," Akane admitted. "There's something about the big fight at the dōjō I didn't tell you about."

"Being?" Sayuri wondered.

Akane sighed. "When everyone got to fighting everyone else, Ranma used his dad's Umisen-ken technique and ducked out. I went after him. Found him on the bridge over the river where he normally goes to when he wants to be alone. I told him no one was going to stop fighting over him because it WAS him they were fighting for. And then he said . . . " She paused. "He said that it was their problem now. He didn't care what happened to them. We could've DIED for all he cared at that point! And hearing that, I got angry . . . "

Sayuri nodded. "And you nailed him with your mallet, right?"

Akane nodded, the image of the incensed look Ranma gave her that day flashing through her mind. "Yes. And the mallet exploded when it hit his head, Sayuri-chan. He didn't feel it. Not at all."

The other girls' eyes widened. "No w-way," Yuka sputtered.

"You've always hurt him with that!" Sayuri asserted.

"It didn't affect him then," Akane noted. "And the LOOK he gave me . . . " She shuddered, a chill warping through her. "Gods, I never thought he'd ever get THAT angry at me!" She shook her head. "For the first time, I was SCARED of him! I never felt that before because of Ranma! I . . . "

Her voice failed, and then she threw up her hands helplessly. "Did he try to hurt you, Akane-chan?" Sayuri wondered.

"No! He didn't! He . . . " Akane shook her head again before looking down. "He just looked at me. Then he said 'Fine.' Then he walked away. And that was the last time I saw him until he brought Ukyō's yatai back."

"And that's when he said you weren't engaged to him anymore when you called him a pervert, right?" Yuka asked.

"Yes. And that's when we also found out that he'd mastered Tō-chan's Demon Head and Ryōga-kun's Shishi Hōkōdan attack . . . " Akane sighed. "I couldn't believe it when I saw him do THAT! I never thought Ranma of all people would feel depressed enough to use one of THEM on Tō-chan!"

"You m-mean he h-hit your f-father with a-a ki blast?" Sayuri stammered.

"Yes!"

"Why didn't your dad throw him out of the house?" Yuka wondered.

"I think it's because Tō-chan realises Ranma won't give him any more chances. If he tries to throw Ranma out of the house, Ranma will walk away from us once and for all. Ranma told Kasumi-nēchan and Nabiki-nēchan that he didn't respect Tō-chan anymore! I guess he sees Tō-chan as being no different than Oji-san! He . . . " She shook her head. "Would you believe he even called Tō-chan a PIMP?"

"You're kidding!" Yuka blurted.

"It's true! He says that Tō-chan was a pimp because he was treating us like his property, trying to sell us off to the highest bidder!"

Considering that, Yuka hummed. "Maybe he's right."

"Come ON!" Sayuri snapped. "Can't you see what's going on? All Saotome's trying to do is hurt Akane-chan by going after her dad!"

"Yeah, but don't you think pressing an arranged marriage between Ranma and Akane-chan in spite of all the trouble they've had is smart? Especially now? And Ranma IS trying to help Ukyō and Shampoo, too. He respects what they're going through. Hell, I think he's always respected that, but he didn't know what to do about it until the wedding pretty forced the whole issue!"

Sayuri shook her head. Yuka pressed on, "And look what he's done. He's found Ukyō's yatai, got it working again, and then he returned it to her. He's earned money to help repair the house and pay back the hospitality Akane-chan's family gave him. Hell, he even GAVE Kasumi and Nabiki money so they can go to university without getting a student loan! That's decent of him, don't you think?" She then shook her head. "It's not his fault that Ukyō's dad and Shampoo's tribe are being a bunch of total lunkheads about this!"

"Oh?" Sayuri turned to stare at Akane. "Akane-chan, if Saotome gave you five million yen to go to university, would you take it?"

"I . . . " Akane sighed. "I don't know. I mean, if he did it to help me start my own life, I COULD understand it. Then again, Tō-chan might say he was buying his way out of the engagement. And . . . " She shuddered. "What if Tō-chan was right? If Ranma gave me money, would I ever see him again? I . . . "

Akane shrugged. Sayuri sighed. "Akane-chan, you better do something to put Saotome in his place sooner or later, or he's gonna leave you high and dry and you'll get NOTHING to pay you back for all the crap he's caused you!" She wagged her finger at her friend. "Trust me on this one, girl! Don't let him get away with this! If you do, you'll be the one hurt by it at the end!"

Akane gazed on her before slowly nodding.

* * *

Tampopo's . . .

"Hina's sorry."

A sniffing Hinako got a bemused smile from Ranma in the wake of the former splashing the latter with hot water to see her transform into a man. The others stood around her, Ataru keeping a supportive hand on his youngest sister's shoulder. Aria handed Ranma a tablecloth to dry herself. "It's okay, Hinako-chan," the martial artist replied as she leaned down to stare into the young girl's eyes. "I know you're kinda curious, but I just wasn't in the mood to get splashed again and again. That REALLY gets tiring after a while. 'Sides," – she indicated Aria – " . . . Aria-chan didn't like it when she saw me change, remember? Don't you want to keep your sister happy?"

Hinako gazed on her, and then she smiled, nodding. "What does it feel like, anyway?" Rinrin wondered. "I mean, when you change?"

Ranma sighed as everyone else relaxed at the tables and booths. This time, Aria sat closest to her. Hinako sat in Ataru's lap. "Well, I dunno. It's really hard to describe and all that, but . . .!" She paused. "When the water hits you, you just feel WRONG for a second. Your sense of balance goes nuts 'cause the heavy parts of the body are different between a guy and a girl. If you're in a fight, your strength fades, but your speed picks up automatically because you're in a lighter body that can move faster. Then . . . " She paused again. "The wrongness fades and then you feel so RIGHT. That THIS is the shape you should be in. And that's the scary part! At least it was for me for a real long time, Rinrin-chan. But now . . . " She shrugged.

"You just got used to it," Sakuya finished.

"Yeah! In fact . . . " Ranma impishly smiled. "I can get loads of free ice cream and other snacks when I'm looking like this!"

"Aria likes ice cream."

"Ice cream! Ice cream!" Hinako chanted.

The others laughed. "So being a girl's not so bad in the end, eh?" Mamoru wondered, crossing her hands behind her head.

Ranma sighed. "I dunno. I mean, I was born a boy. And for a long time, Oyaji was on my case about actin' like a boy. Every time I complained about something, he always said 'Stop acting like a whiny girl! You're a man!'"

Rinrin sneered. "I haven't met him yet, but I hate him already!"

Karen shook her head. "You can say that again."

Mamoru laughed. "Hey, Anii! Why don't you tell Anē about what Zephyrites do to jerks who abuse their children?"

Ranma stared at the young sportswoman. First Hinako, then Aria and now Mamoru were calling her "big sister." Yeah, she looked like a girl, but they knew of her curse even if Aria had a lot of trouble trying to fully accept it. Why were they doing that? Even more, why was she NOT raising a fit about it? Yes, if Aria looked on her as "Nē-ya," that was okay. But still . . .

"Yeah, maybe Genma might actually benefit from facing Zephyrite justice." Ataru smirked before his voice went cold. "For the few seconds he'll remain alive once he's lead into the excommunication chamber."

Ranma jolted. "Eh?"

"On Zephyrus, child abuse and abandonment are considered serious crimes, Ranma," Ataru explained. "Wilful child abuse is always punished by death on that planet. Wilful child abandonment is treated the same way. And trust me on this one, Ranma: Capital punishment – it's called 'excommunication' there – is not something for the faint-hearted." He wagged his finger at her.

Ranma considered that before she chuckled. "Yeah, I guess if he heard that, Oyaji might have cause to think. Then again . . . " She scratched her cheek. "Thinking's never been his real strong suit."

The others laughed.

* * *

The party continued.

Ranma was apprised of the sisters' histories, interests and how they reacted to learning they were related to Ataru. As the morning lead into the afternoon, Ranma proposed a cooking contest between Tampopo and Shirayuki. Sensing she was being good-natured about it, the chefs readily agreed.

For fairness, Ranma and Negako were made the judges; Ataru didn't want to be put into a position to judge between one of his half-sisters and one of the few friends he had. Four dishes were selected: Shrimp beefbowl, ramen, kalbit'ang and vegetable okonomiyaki. To make it more interesting, all dishes were to be prepared simultaneously. Tampopo would use her stove inside her restaurant while Shirayuki would use the mobile kitchen. To ensure the test wasn't disturbed, the CLOSED sign was hung on the door.

And they were off! Everyone remained quiet as Mamoru handled timekeeping. The kalbit'ang would take the longest, about three hours or so.

The ramen came first. Ranma was surprised to discover that Shirayuki put in some cut red peppers to spice the broth. Tampopo's was more traditional Hakata-style ramen, which did well to cool her mouth off.

Next was the beefbowl. Shirayuki fried her shrimp in sesame oil while Tampopo used barbecue sauce and butter.

Sometime after came the okonomiyaki. Tampopo was a greens lover, while Shirayuki made use of carrots, red peppers and sesame seeds in the batter.

Finally, by the time the sun was setting past the mountains to the west, the kalbit'ang was served. Shirayuki slipped in some clear vermicelli noodles in her broth while Tampopo put in finely cut rice cakes in hers.

Result?

Well, we'll let you guess.

* * *

The Tendō home . . .

"Yes, Ranma-kun, I understand! We'll see you tonight. 'Bye."

Kasumi hung up as Nabiki stepped into the sitting room. "What'd he call about, Onē-chan?" the latter asked as she sat at the table.

"Ranma-kun won't be home until late tonight," Kasumi reported as she relaxed by the table. "Turns out, he's made some friends today and he wants to spend time with them. Some of them came up from an island in the Sagami Sea to visit their brother and older sister. They'll be staying in Nerima for a while. By the sounds of it, most of Ranma-kun's new friends are girls."

Nabiki perked. "Really? Well, that's a switch! Are any of them unknown fiancées Oji-chan hasn't bothered to tell us about yet?"

Kasumi smiled. "No, Ranma-kun made sure of that."

"What girls?"

Both turned to see Akane step into the sitting room. "Oh, Ranma-kun called to tell us he won't be back until late tonight," Kasumi repeated her report. "He's made some new friends, including some girls he's met."

Akane sighed. "Oh? What sort of girls are we talking about here, anyway?" She crossed her arms. "If they become more fiancées, maybe we should take Ranma up on his suggestion and ask him to leave!"

Kasumi gasped, staring at her. "Akane! What was THAT about?"

Akane shook her head as she headed to her room, not bothering to answer. Kasumi and Nabiki watched her go before exchanging a look. "I think Asano and Tokoro were pouring things into our sister's mind today," the latter mused.

"Sayuri-chan and Yuka-chan? Why would they do that?"

"Sayuri's never been a fan of Ranma-kun's whatsoever, Onē-chan. I'm not too sure about Yuka. And given some of the things Ranma-kun's been saying as of late, if Akane starts putting her friends' suggestions into practice . . . "

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Kasumi's eyes widened. "Oh, my!"

* * *

Tampopo's . . .

"So you guys are gonna stay in Tomobiki tonight?"

"We'll be alright, Onii-sama," Sakuya replied with a chuckle as the sisters gathered by the doorway. "Don't worry about it. We'll keep away from the loons you had to deal with when you were living there."

Ataru sighed in obvious relief. "Okay."

"Tampopo-san, are you sure you can obtain use of this old shrine you wanted Anigimi-sama and Anegimi-sama to stay in?" Haruka asked.

"It's no problem," Tampopo replied with a nod. "Even if some people have been keeping the building itself in good shape, it has been desecrated by what the last priest who lived there did. I doubt there'll be any problems with the local priests." An impish shrug then twitched her shoulder. "At the same time, there might be ghosts there; at least, that's what the neighbours say!"

"Hina doesn't like ghosts!" Hinako moaned.

"Do not concern yourself with that, Hinako," Negako declared as she knelt beside the youngest sister. "If there are disobedient spirits in residence, Ataru, Chikage and I will deal with them soundly and thoroughly."

Hearing that, Hinako beamed, waving her hands. "Yay! Onii-tama, Onē-tama and Chikage-chan will make the ghosts go away!"

Everyone giggled. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Onē-sama," Sakuya stated as she gently gripped Ranma's hand. "I'm so glad you're willing to be Onii-sama's friend. Onii-sama really needs them these days."

Ranma chuckled. "I need 'em, too! 'Sides, any friend of Tampopo's – and family of same, of course! – is always a friend of mine!"

"Nē-sama?"

"What is it, Shirayuki-chan . . . EH?"

Shirayuki handed Ranma a large, wrapped bentō box. "This is Hime's present for Nii-sama's new friend," the chef announced. "Some bentō for Nē-sama, Nē-sama's mother and Nē-sama's friends Kasumi-san and Nabiki-san, plus some spices and soup mixes for Kasumi-san."

"I . . .!" Ranma beamed. "Dōmo, Shirayuki-chan!"

The bentō boxes were handed over. Ranma then felt her free hand grasped by Karen for a moment. "It's alright, Onē-chan." The latter leaned up to whisper into the former's ear, "We all understand. Even Aria-chan."

She joined the others. "Gambatte, Onē-chama!" Kaho called out as she waved her pom-poms before the sisters headed out to board the road train – it minus the mobile kitchen – for the trip back to Tomobiki.

Ranma waved. "See you tomorrow, girls!"

"Bye-bye, Nii-ya. Nē-ya. Nē-ya," Aria called out as the driver guided the vehicle away from Tampopo's.

Ataru, Ranma, Tampopo and Negako watched them go. "You got a nice family, Ataru. You know that?" Ranma mused, staring at him.

"I keep reminding myself of that every day," he replied, winking back at her before he waved her inside. "C'mon, let's have some tea before you go home. You don't want Shirayuki-chan's bentō to spoil, ne?"

"Good point," she noted with a laugh as they headed inside.

* * *

Minutes later . . .

"So what're you and Negako-san here gonna do now?"

Ataru stretched. "Get a hotel room." Tampopo was clearing the teacups. "If we're gonna be here, I'll get Reigi to have me registered at your school. Even if high school isn't mandatory, I don't want to twiddle my thumbs."

"Yeah, you'll be a real hit with the principal," Ranma mused with a snort, nodding to Ataru's beard and ponytail-styled hair.

"Oh?" His eyebrow arched before a knowing look crossed his face. "Sounds like you can give some advice about what I could expect."

"I could."

She rose. "We'll chat some more about it tomorrow, okay?" he promised.

"Right on! I'll be here. 'Night, everyone!"

Ranma left, heading back to the Tendō home. Ataru and Negako shifted themselves back to the counter so they could talk to Tampopo. "You know, you don't have to go to the expense of getting a hotel, minshuku or ryokan room. I've got room here if you want to stay," Tampopo proposed.

"Would you mind?" Ataru asked.

"For my real friends, not to mention my favourite customer? Of course not!" Tampopo chuckled for a moment before sobering. "It's good that you came, Ataru-chan. I'm starting to get worried about Ranma-chan. Even if I've been helping him get some control over his life, it's not enough. If I didn't know better, I'd swear he was a combat soldier just back from World War Two."

"Even with the 'break' you have given her, she shows signs of combat fatigue." Negako sipped her tea. "Perhaps her battle with Saffron and its aftermath was the right impetus. Unless she alters her strategy concerning her rivals soon, she will lose control of herself. Given her skill and experience, it could easily result in the deaths of many of those she cares for."

Ataru stared at her. "Are you saying Ranma's really a girl?"

"When she was first immersed in the Niángnìquán at Zhòuquán-xiāng, she did not revert to her birth-form until twenty minutes afterward," Negako reported. "Given the mental damage she sustained because of the Neko-ken training, the psychological change Zhòuquán-xiāng's power unleashes in that instance could not latch on. Ranma could withstand that transformation indefinitely . . . " – she then gazed at Ataru – " . . . but what if she finds herself in a less stable situation emotionally than what she possesses now?"

His lips twisted into a frown. "Oh, terrific."

* * *

The Tendō home . . .

"Tadaima!"

"Oh, Ranma-kun! Okaeri nasai!" Kasumi looked up from the sitting room table. She then blinked on seeing the wrapped bentō box in the transformed martial artist's hands. "Oh! What do you have, Ranma-kun?"

Ranma sat down. "Gifts from a new friend I made today, Kasumi."

She opened the box. Reaching in, she pulled out a smaller box, this one with a note bearing Kasumi's name. The box that followed also had Kasumi's name. The next one had Nabiki's. The next was marked **NĒ-SAMA'S MOTHER**. The last, **NĒ-SAMA**. "Oh, my!" Kasumi whispered as she opened the first box, and then she gaped on seeing the spice bottles and soup mix. "This is so sweet!"

Ranma smirked. "Yeah, Shirayuki-chan is that!"

"'Shirayuki?'"

"Oh, yeah! I met twelve girls today who turn out to be half-sisters. They got the same father, you see. They came up here to meet their older half-brother and adopted sister." She then smirked. "Would you believe that their older brother is none other than Moroboshi Ataru himself?"

"Moroboshi Ataru . . .?" Kasumi's voice trailed off, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You mean from Tomobiki? THAT Moroboshi Ataru?"

Ranma nodded. "The very same! He's a pretty okay guy . . . "

Kasumi touched her lips with a warning finger to cut off her voice. "Ranma-kun," the oldest Tendō daughter whispered. "You don't know this, but Nabiki-chan is very interested in finding Ataru-kun, especially now that poor Oni girl is dead and people in Tomobiki are taking the news of her death very badly. I really don't think Ataru-kun would appreciate that. Would you?"

Ranma sighed. "Gotcha. She got this room bugged?"

Kasumi smiled. "No, I made sure of that."

Footsteps. "Oh, Ranma! There you are!" Nodoka called out before noticing the bentō box. "Oh, my! Where did you get this, Ranma?"

"One of my new friends made it special, Ofukuro. Here you go."

"Thank you!" Nodoka then quickly noticed the note. "'Nē-sama?' Don't tell me you were as a girl when you met them!"

"Y-yeah, I was!" Ranma stuttered. "You know how I am with puddles and all that. I . . . " She stopped, her eyes widening. "Oh, no!"

Kasumi perked. "Is there something wrong, Ranma-kun?"

Ranma sighed, slapping her forehead. "I forgot!"

Nodoka tensed. "Forgot what?"

"One of the girls I met today is named Aria. She's about ten, I think. I changed back into a guy in front of her and she REALLY freaked out about it, Mom. So Aria's older sister Negako – Ofukuro, she's one heck of a martial artist! BELIEVE me at that! – offered to lock my curse in case Aria or one of her other sisters freaked out again in case hot water hit me! You know how it is!"

Nodoka blinked. "And you had it locked?"

"Yeah, I did . . .!" Ranma chuckled, staring apologetically at her. "And I forgot to ask Negako to unlock it when I left her tonight!"

Kasumi covered her mouth to hide her smile. "Oh, dear! That's awful!"

Ranma scratched her head. "It's okay! I can go see her tomorrow and get it fixed! After all, it isn't like I've never been locked before." She waved Kasumi down before noticing the look on Nodoka's face. "Hey, Ofukuro! You okay?"

"I . . .!" Nodoka nodded. "No. Much that I prefer my son to stay as my son, you did act out of profound concern for a girl's well being. I guess that's why Aria's relatives decided to address you as 'big sister' like on this note. That was a manly thing to do. In the meantime, you best hide the bentō. Your father's been acting surly because you've been gone all day."

"Um . . .!" Ranma stared askance at her. "Yeah, you're right, especially since one was made for Nabiki."

"Good point. Anyhow, I'm going to bed."

"Alright. 'Night, Ofukuro."

Nodoka headed upstairs. Ranma watched her, and then she sighed, staring at her bentō. "Are you alright, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked.

Ranma gazed on the oldest Tendō daughter. "It's nothing, Kasumi." A pause. "I just wish Ofukuro would stop bothering me about being 'manly.' I mean, what's 'manly' about being forced into three engagements at the same time?"

"She is trying to understand what you're going through, Ranma-kun."

"Can she?" Ranma wondered. "Kasumi, today, I met someone who probably would understand me much better than anyone I know. You wanna know something? When his parents got on his case once too often, he walked away from them, once and for all time. And he feels a lot better doing that, believe it or not." A pause. "I don't hate Ofukuro, Kasumi. I really don't. And in a way, I don't hate Oyaji either. But I am really getting sick and tired of being treated like a brainless fool because they're my parents. And what's worse, they don't even realise what they're doing to me. And I HATE that, Kasumi! I really do!"

Kasumi gazed on her. "I can't blame you for that, Ranma-kun." She looked down at the bentō boxes. "Being forced to live under a virtual death-threat from your own mother would hurt a lot."

"Damn right it does. Wanna know something? If I can't do anything to help Akane, Ukyō and Shān – or if Oyaji does something to make things worse – walking away from him and Ofukuro once and for all doesn't look so bad now."

"Let's hope it doesn't go that far," Kasumi lamented.

**_To be continued . . ._**

* * *

**WRITER'S NOTES:**

1) Translation of _Misoch'ŏnsa_ (Angel's Smile), thanks to Yi Kyŏnghwa:

_Tchajŭngnaego hwarŭl naedo tto nŏŭi misoman pomyŏn pabo kat'ŭn na.  
_(When you're angry and irritated at me, I see you smiling once, I'm very happy.)

_Nŏn nuga pwado aju yeppŭgo t'amsŭrŏun sagwa kat'a kkaemurŏ chugo ship'ŏ anajugo ship'ŏ nŏŭi p'ingk'ŭ pit hwasare kkojŏssŏ.  
_(You're very beautiful, like a red apple. I want to give you a hug. I'm falling in love with you.)

_Nŏn moduege nŭl ch'injŏrae kŭraesŏ ch'akkakdŭl haji namanŭi aeinin'gŏl ijji an'atdamyŏn naege tŏ isang changnanch'ijinŭn ma.  
_(You're very kind to everybody, so you make them believe they can love you.)

_Yokshimi chinach'in kŏlkka chashini oumneun kŏlkka puran'an maŭm ppunya . . .  
_(I wonder if I'm very greedy or if I'm not confident. I'm very nervous.)

2) The _Ferry Pukwan_ was one of the two passenger-and-car ferries connecting the metropolitan city of Pusan at the southeast corner of the Korean Peninsula with the city of Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture at the western end of Honshū; the other ferry is the _Hamayū_. The former ferry was registered in Pusan while the latter is registered in Shimonoseki. Both operate under the Pugwan (in Japanese, "Kampu") Ferry company; the company's name switches the Chinese characters 関釜 (Kampu/Kwanbu) to 釜関 (Pukan/Pugwan) depending on country of usage. The _Ferry Pukwan_ was decommissioned some years ago, replaced by the more modern _Sŏnghŭi_.

3) Mitsuhito, given the posthumous name "Shijō," was the 88th Emperor of Japan, ruling from 1233-42 in the time of the Kamakura period. Tomohito, given the posthumous name "Kōkaku," was the 119th Emperor of Japan, ruling from 1780-1816. The 29th year of his reign corresponds to 1808. Mutsuhito is known by his posthumous title "Meiji." The 30th year of his reign was 1896. Negako's use of their real names in lieu of their posthumous names goes along with her personal beliefs, which also sprout her always telling people to not call her "sensei."

4) Marubeya Momoe is a minor character from the _Yatsura_ manga; she first appeared in the manga episode "Even Though I Wait for You" (manga episode #27). Mendō Ryōko, for those who don't know, is a semi-regular in _Urusei Yatsura_; she first appeared in the manga storyline "The Mendō Family" (manga episodes #121-122). The Kuroko ("black clothes") retainers are Ryōko's personal servants and bodyguards, just as the Kuromegane ("black glasses") serve her brother. Yumoa Reigi was a minor character in _The Senior Year_; he first appeared in the story "Sakura's Class Reunion."

5) The RailStar is the model name for the 700 Series Shinkan-sen train unit that was deployed first in 1999. It's maximum known speed is 285 kilometres per hour (177 miles per hour) on the San'yō Line between Shin-Ōsaka station in Ōsaka and Hakata station in Fukuoka.

6) What Negako implied concerning Ranma is inspired from the short story _The Truth #1: Ranma the Girl_ by the Deadly Nightshade. Unfortunately, that story has pretty much disappeared from the Internet, so I can't say where you can find it.

7) Translations (all from Japanese unless noted):

**Tonghae** – _East Sea_ (Korean)  
**Nihon-kai** – _Sea of Japan  
_**kamsahamnida** – _thank you_ (Korean [formal])  
**shōgi** – _general's chess  
_**Koshin** – _Tiger Cub  
_**noren** – _restaurant banner  
_**Shishi Hōkōdan** – _Lion's Roar Shot  
_**Umisen-ken** – _Thousand Fists of the Sea  
_**ja!** – _good-bye!_ (informal)  
**nikuman** – _steamed buns with meat, vegetable or fruit paste filling  
_**Shin-Ōsaka** – _New Ōsaka  
_**Shinkan-sen** – _New Trunk Line_ (euphemism for Japan's bullet train service)  
**gunsen** – _hand-held metal war fan  
_**Inshin** – _Tiger Spirit_ (**in** is another way of reading the kanji for **tora**)_  
_**yŏ** – _woman _(Korean)  
**ranja** – _wild child_ (Korean reading of the kanji for "Ranko")  
**nam** – _man_ (Korean)  
**gaidō** – _name suffix for a city street_  
**kyūdō** – _Zen archery  
_**hai desu no** – _yes/okay_ (Shirayuki-speak)_  
_**burqa'** – _whole-body garment with hood_ (Arabic)  
**itadakimasu** – _I am about to partake_ (said before the start of a meal)  
**Zhōngnánhǎi** – _Central and Southern Seas_ (Mandarin)  
**gambatte** – _do your best  
_**ryokan** – _traditional inn  
_**minshuku** – _budget version of a ryokan, like a bed-and-breakfast  
_**Nyanniichuan** (Japanese)/**Niángnìquán** (Mandarin) – _Spring of Drowned Woman_


	4. 2nd Part: Walls

"So . . . we are ready?"

The men sat around the low table. All were smoking. Given the nature of their mission, combating nervousness was a necessity. They were devout. They were determined. And they were human. Fear – of failure, of discovery by the infidels around them, of facing the ultimate unknown – was a strong emotion. To deny it meant being a fool in the eyes of God and dishonouring the memories of those whom had fallen in God's service in the past.

To control it meant embracing martyrdom with an unfettered soul.

One of the men nodded. "We are."

"What of contacts with our friends in Afghanistan?" another asked.

Concerned looks were exchanged. "None in the last six months," a third answered with a shake of his head. "I've used all the established channels. I even risked speaking to several of those whom I believe might have sold themselves to the Great Satan and its allies across the planet. It's as if our brothers among the Base have all vanished from the face of the Earth."

"How is that possible?" the first demanded.

"I cannot say, my friend."

They considered that. One looked up. "It is time. Regardless of what might have happened to our friends – and I pray to God they are safe and not in the hands of our enemies – we have a mission to perform. Shall we choose?"

Another drew a deck of cards. Shuffling it, he placed the deck in the middle of the table, face down. "The highest card will lead the attack. The next two highest will be back up to the lead. May God guide our hands."

Everyone nodded. People reached for the deck. The choices were soon made. For those with "winning" cards, fists of Antarctic-cold ice materialised in the pits of their stomachs. The "losers" gazed on their companions with a mix of respect and sadness. They all hailed from different lands in the Middle East, but the bonds of the Faith had made them brothers in a united cause.

"May God guide your hands," one of the "losers" declared. "And may all the martyrs who went before you welcome you to Paradise."

"God willing, we will succeed," the lead attacker vowed, placing his card on the table. "It is a pity that the devil-girl herself has died. It would do us all so much better if we delivered her to God ourselves."

"God HAS judged her, my friend," one of the back-up men reminded them. "Did you not read the story in the news? He acted through another race that was once oppressed by the devil-girl's people. Never fear that! No doubt now, Lum is burning in Hell! Along with all those who supported her from Uru!"

"May God make it so," his fellow back-up attacker added.

"Come, my friends." One of those who would remain behind stabbed out his cigarette. "It's time for morning prayers."

The others nodded.

* * *

**_Lonely Souls  
_**By Fred Herriot  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.

Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

* * *

**THE SECOND PART - WALLS **

"Ohayō, Ranma-kun. I saved some breakfast for you."

"Dōmo, Kasumi," Ranma replied as she sat at the dinner table. Outside the eldest Tendō daughter, the heir of the Saotome-ryū was alone in the sitting room this beautiful morning. "Where'd everyone else go off to today?"

"Otō-san and Oji-san got themselves drunk last night while you were away. Your mother had to go retrieve them sometime after midnight. I believe they're asleep in the dōjō. Your mother's still in bed, but she told me early this morning that she'd look in on repairs at your house. I believe Ojii-san's on his rounds." Kasumi's face twisted into a noticeable frown. Ranma understood that expression very well; no one really cared for what Happōsai did. "Nabiki is with her friends, as is Akane. How do you feel today, Ranma-kun?"

"Better than average," Ranma admitted. "Gonna meet Ataru and his sisters later on to help him move into his new house."

Kasumi perked. "He's coming to live here now?"

"Just him and Negako. His younger sisters are gonna stay on Promised Island." With that, she dug into the miso soup. Ranma then perked on tasting something that reminded her of a cooking contest she had judged yesterday. "Hey, you using Shirayuki-chan's spices?" she asked.

"Hai. When you see her, tell Shirayuki-chan that I really liked her mix. I DO want to meet Shirayuki-chan soon, Ranma-kun," Kasumi declared as she wagged her finger at her would-be sibling. She then sighed. "Ranma-kun?"

"What is it?"

"There's a problem with Akane-chan."

Ranma sighed. One didn't have to be a genius to figure out what the problem was. "She's not taking well to what I'm doing?"

"Not well," Kasumi confessed. "She learned about Ataru-kun's sisters last night. She then mentioned that if any of them turned out to be your fiancée, we should . . . " – she frowned – " . . . ask you to move out."

"Did anyone try to tell her that wasn't the way it was?"

Kasumi shrugged. "We tried. She didn't really listen, I think."

Ranma shook her head. "Damn."

"You might have to talk to her about what you've been up to over the last month, Ranma-kun. Try to make her understand where you're coming from. Try to show her that you still care for her very much."

Ranma's eyebrow arched. "But will she listen to me then? I've tried to talk to her. I know I'm not the world's greatest when it comes to speaking my heart without making an ass of myself. But even when I've tried, she's never allowed herself to listen to me, Kasumi. And I'm not going to allow myself to become her personal punching bag again. I'm VERY tired of that."

"Akane-chan's not that bad, Ranma-kun . . . "

"Kasumi!" A sharp bite appeared in Ranma's voice, causing the elder Tendō daughter to jolt. "Don't make excuses for her anymore. I'm very tired of THAT, too." With that, she rose to leave. "Have a good day."

She stepped out. "Ranma-kun," Kasumi whispered, looking down.

* * *

The Kasuga-chō section of Nerima . . .

"Oh, damn! I forgot to get Onē-san to unlock your curse!"

"Relax, Ataru, it's all right!" Ranma assured her host with a chuckle as she stepped into Tampopo's. She then placed herself at the counter. "How come you're working here today? Couldn't you and Negako get a hotel room?"

"No, Onē-san and I were given the chance to stay in the guest room here." Ataru nodded to the back of the restaurant. "So I paid Tampopo-chan back by helping with the morning shift. Want something to warm up?"

"Please."

"Hai, coming right up."

A cup of cocoa sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with marshmallows was soon in Ranma's hands. "Oh, that just hits the spot!"

He smiled at her. "Glad you liked it."

"How soon will your sisters be here? And where's Negako?"

"Onē-san's off somewhere. Don't know where; she never tells me these things unless she feels I have to know about it."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Not really. Given what she is, she doesn't fully appreciate what being with family is like. I don't press her on that. Heaven knows, when she was just the _Saikō Jinseijutsu_, my family did their best to keep her 'dumb.' She's been improving, especially since we all came together, but it's been slow." A pause. "The girls left the Toranoseishin Tower sometime ago. They'll be here in about a half-hour, I think. Tampopo-chan's gone off to talk to the real estate agent who's been keeping an eye on that shrine we'll use."

"What's the story about that place?" Ranma asked.

"Four years ago, the priest killed himself inside the shrine. Reading his diary, the authorities learned the priest believed that the ghost of a boy who had been murdered on the site a century ago haunted the place. The priest tried to exorcise the ghost, but he wouldn't leave. It drove him crazy."

Ranma sighed. "Sad."

"Excuse me, can someone . . . RANMA?"

Ranma looked left to see Hibiki Ryōga standing at the entranceway. Ataru glanced at the wanderer, his own ki senses telling him much about the newcomer. "I take it this is one of your playmates, Ranma?"

"Unfortunately," Ranma muttered under her breath.

Growling, Ryōga advanced on his rival. "There you are, Ranma! What are you doing here? If you've hurt Akane . . . _Bweep!_"

Ranma jolted on seeing an empty glass, dripping water, in Ataru's outstretched hand. She then looked back to see a struggling P-chan trying to navigate his way out of Ryōga's clothing. Before the piglet could escape, a hand yanked him up by his bandanna so he could gaze eye-to-eye with Ataru. "Hibiki-san, I'm going to make this very clear!" the transplanted Tomobiki resident growled. "If you even THINK of starting a fight with anyone in my friend's shop, I personally will see you frozen as a piglet for the REST of your life!" He pulled the piglet right up to his face. "Got me, buster?"

Ryōga shuddered as certain little facts formed a logic chain (or whatever passed for logic) inside his brain:

He had just been publicly transformed into P-chan.

The person holding him had just addressed him by name.

Said person was clearly a new friend of Ranma's.

Said person had just threatened to hurt Ryōga.

Add it together.

"**_ . . .!_**"

Before the transformed wanderer could bite his nose, Ataru grabbed Tampopo's pizza-flipping super-spatula, and then dropped it HARD on P-chan. The piglet was send snout-first into the linoleum. Ranma winced. She had never done something like THAT to the guy, though she had been tempted.

"Hibiki, I'm going to say this to you ONCE. If it hasn't sunk into whatever serves as your brain, I'll NOT be responsible for what happens next," Ataru declared on sensing that Ryōga had recovered enough. "One: Ranma did NOT tell me about your meeting with Jusenkyō. That's as obvious as mud in a ballroom when it comes to your ki aura. Two: Ranma DID tell me about your long obsession with one Tendō Akane. How much YOU'VE made Ranma's life hell because of it. Three: I am NOT bound by outdated codes of Bushidō as you – even if you HAVE no honour! – which means that if you start a vendetta against me, you better have your papers in order first. Because if you attack me, I will use your curse against you and KILL YOU! GOT ME?" he snapped as the spatula was spun around so that the sharpest edge pointed down.

It then dropped like a guillotine blade straight for the hapless piglet's neck. "**_BWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE . . .!_**"

The blade halted a centimetre from P-chan's neck. Shivering, he looked into Ataru's face. On seeing the transformed wanderer was gazing at him, Ataru smiled. It was not a friendly smile, P-chan realised. That was the smile of someone contemplating how much pain he'd unleash before killing someone.

NOT a good thing!

"Now. Get out."

The spatula slammed P-chan in the skull, sending him out the open front door to disappear into the sky. Ataru sighed before he took notice of Ryōga's clothes and backpack. "What normally happens with his stuff?" he asked.

"Just put it outside," Ranma recommended. "He'll find it."

Ataru shook his head. Then picking everything up, he took it outside and dumped it by a lamppost before heading back in.

* * *

Nearby, minutes later . . .

"P-chan! Sweetie, what happened to you?"

P-chan moaned as Akane swept him up. He then relaxed as the cushion-like feeling of her bust pressed against his cheek. "Who gave him THAT?" Sayuri wondered, pointing at the VERY large lump on the side of P-chan's skull.

"Probably Ranma!" Akane snapped. They and Yuka had been out window-shopping when Akane had seen her pet buried in a garbage pile. "I'll deal with him later! C'mon, P-chan. Let's get you something for that nasty boo-boo!"

"Bweep . . .!" P-chan crooned delightedly as Akane carried him in the direction of the dōjō. Though happy to be in the arms of the first person to treat him with kindness outside family, Ryōga's thoughts stormed.

This time, they weren't focussed on Ranma, but someone else.

Someone who knew his secret.

Someone who would gladly EXPLOIT that secret.

Therefore, someone who was as totally honourless as Ranma.

There was only one solution to that, Ryōga knew.

That someone would DIE!

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Tomobiki . . .

"You won't go?"

"Nope," the plain girl with the short raven hair replied. She slurped her ramen noodles. She was seated beside her sister at a yatai near the Tarōzakura hill in Tomobiki. "I never cared for Lum, Nee-chan, so why on Earth should I go to her memorial? Especially since Ataru-kun hasn't been seen around town for six weeks! I doubt he'll be there, so why should I?"

"Chigaiko-chan, the school called Tō-chan and Kā-chan to tell them it was mandatory attendance for the memorial."

"Do I care about what the morons running that place think?" Inu Chigaiko glared intently at Fuchiko. She then coughed. _Damned flu!_ she mentally cursed. Why couldn't it leave her alone? "Besides, I don't see any of them going head-over-heels to find out where Ataru-kun is! So if they're not trying to track down Lum's 'husband,' why should they care about someone like me?"

Fuchiko shook her head. "Well, I dunno . . . "

The yatai matron looked up. "Oh, don't bother your sister about that, Fuchiko-san. Personally, I agree with Chigaiko-san. Good riddance, not only to Lum, but all those other alien monsters that came with her."

Chigaiko chuckled. "Like Rei, Oba-san?"

A stormy look crossed the older woman's face. "Hai, like that THING! If it was a person, I certainly never saw it. Personally, I don't understand why the United Nations didn't crack down on those Oni earlier." With that, she took the Inu sisters' bowls back. "You know, Chigaiko-san, if you're concerned about Ataru-san, you might want to go to Nerima and talk to Kamekichi Tampopo."

"Why her?" Fuchiko wondered.

"I doubt you'd know of this since you go to Butsumetsu High, Fuchiko-san, but ever since Lum came to live here on Earth, whenever Ataru-san wanted to be left alone, he went to Tampopo-san's shop in the Ginza," the matron explained. "Even more so, Lum could NEVER get away with ANYTHING when she was close to Tampopo-san. Even the HINT of her trying to zap Ataru-san resulted in that Oni always getting brained by Tampopo-san's spatula."

Chigaiko gaped. "You're kidding! I never knew that!"

"I think it was kept quiet to pass on the illusion Lum was invincible. But in the long term, she wasn't." The matron walked over to her work shelf, drew out a piece of paper, and then she jotted down an address and telephone number. "Here you go." She handed the paper to Chigaiko. "She's in Nerima, over in Kasuga-chō. If anyone knows where Ataru-san is, Tampopo-san would."

"I . . . " Chigaiko smiled. "Arigatō!"

Fuchiko winked. "Looks like you got a field trip ahead of you."

Her sister nodded. "Definitely."

* * *

Back in Nerima . . .

"Kinda run-down, ain't it?" Mamoru mused.

Ataru, Ranma, Tampopo, Negako and the sisters gazed on the wooded property before them, attended by a real estate agent. The shrine, a half-kilometre from Tampopo's, reminded Ataru somewhat of Sakurambō Sakura's temple in Tomobiki. Since the place was considered desecrated, the torii and the shrine's name plaque were gone. Leafless trees lined both sides and the rear of the property. The building itself appeared in good shape; all it really needed was some paint and varnish, plus some new wall panelling.

"Yeah, Mamoru-chan, it is, but it's fixable," Ataru replied before blinking on feeling someone hug him from the side. "Hinako-chan!"

"Hina doesn't like ghosts!" the youngest sister murmured.

"Are there ghosts here?" Ranma asked.

"There is one."

Eyes locked on Negako. "There IS?" Ataru blurted.

"Yes. It appears the shrine priest who once worked here was correct on that regard," the grandmaster mused. "Come, Chikage."

She and Chikage stepped onto the grounds, heading for the temple itself. Ataru pulled Hinako away from him, and then he looked at Ranma. "Keep an eye on 'em, okay?" he asked before racing off after his sisters.

Hinako shuddered. "Onii-tama!" She then relaxed on feeling Ranma's hand fall on her shoulder. Instinctively, she embraced the transformed martial artist. "Onē-tama, is Onii-tama gonna be okay?" she asked.

"I think your older sisters there know what they're doin'," she reassured the younger girl. "Just relax, Hinako-chan."

Hinako smiled. Ataru, Negako and Chikage stepped into the shrine, all of them tense as they scoured the building. "Something's here," Ataru whispered, curling his fingers as if he was grasping a sword. "Where, Onē-san?"

"Do not draw it," Negako advised. She then pointed to the centre of the meditation room. "There. Chikage, mark that place."

"Hai."

Chikage summoned spirit fire, projecting it in a circle around the place Negako indicated. "Good," Negako mused. "Rinrin!" she called outside.

"What is it, Aneki?" the teen inventor called back.

"Summon the clan graves registration unit from Tomobiki!" the grandmaster ordered. "We have a body buried here!"

"Right!"

"Who killed the boy, Onē-san?" Ataru asked.

"Most likely a thief or rōnin warrior; the boy died during Emperor Mutsuhito's reign," Negako reported. "There . . . "

They watched as the spirit flame intensified to form a bonfire. Within the flame, an image formed. "The spirit is trapped," Chikage reported. "The child cannot free himself from the trap and reunite with his parents."

"That's probably why the priest killed himself. He hoped to give up his spirit to let the boy be free," Ataru grunted. "Onē-san?"

"Wait, Ataru," Negako cautioned.

By then, the others had shuffled to the door. Their eyes went wide on seeing the spirit-flame now projecting the picture of a young boy in the clothes of a Meiji-era commoner, being held fast to the floor by raven-black arms. The boy seemed to be struggling with all his might to pull away from those hands, but they were too strong for him. "Onii-tama . . .?" Hinako burbled before hiding her face in the fabric of Ranma's shirt.

"Now," Negako ordered as she concentrated.

"**_KONTŌ!_**"

Everyone gasped as ki coalesced into Ataru and Negako's sword hands, forming blazing ōdachi blades. "Holy . . .!" Ranma gasped as her jaw hit the floor while the soulsword wielders lunged at the trapped child-spirit.

The blades ripped through the arms holding the boy. An inhuman scream bellowed as he drifted away from the floor. Chikage drew out her crystal ball and chanted an incantation. "The creature is trying to reform itself!"

Negako aimed her finger at the base of the spirit flame, focusing her ki on target. "**_SEISHIN HASAI HI-KŌSEN!_**"

A bolt of pure white light lashed out to punch into the spirit flame. **_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO . . .!_**

The flame exploded from the impact of Negako's Spirit-Breaker Fire-Light attack, engulfing the room in blinding light. People screamed out as they covered their eyes for a moment. Then, when the light began to fade to normal, everyone slowly relaxed. "What the . . . GODS!" Rinrin gasped.

"What happened?" Mamoru demanded.

People watched as sparkles of light showered the old shrine. A soft haze covered everything for a second. Then, when it faded, they were stunned to see that the building had been literally rejuvenated, restored to the way it had been years before. Gasps and cries of awe escaped the sisters and the real-estate agent as their eyes took in all the changes. Aria looked up before her eyes widened on seeing the boy-spirit rise into the air. The boy looked at her, and then he waved, mouthing a farewell and his thanks for being set free.

Aria waved back. "Bye-bye."

The others watched him vanish. Chikage announced, "He will soon be with his parents again. As he has wanted for so long."

"Who was he, Chikage-chan?" Sakuya wondered.

"That will take time to ascertain, but we can take the time, once we exhume the body and have it buried," the sorceress replied.

Mamoru glanced outside. "Hey! The lawn looks good now!"

The others looked. "Guess we won't be doing as much work as we first expected," Rinrin noted with a chuckle. "What now, Aniki?"

"Let's wait for the graves people to get here and do their work, Rinrin-chan," Ataru said. He then turned to Tampopo and the real estate agent. "Well, Yamaji-san, shall we get to the paperwork and get everything settled?"

"I . . . b-but of c-course, M-Moroboshi-san," the agent stuttered.

The others chuckled.

* * *

The Nekohanten, that very moment . . .

"The soulsword?"

Cologne gazed into the sky, in the general direction of Fūrinkan High. There was NO mistaking that chilly feeling in her bones. Among all the various martial arts techniques one could use on one's enemies, the soulsword – the virtual expression of one's living spirit – was the most deadly. And, as far as the Nǚjiézú elder knew, there were scant few today who practised it.

She closes her eyes. _Could that mean . . . those two I sensed yesterday at the train station. Could they have been of the . . .?_

A frown turned her lips. It had been so long since she saw Moroboshi Nagaiwakai alive. The poor child had been dead for two years now and no one among Cologne's tribe, much less the Clan McTavish of the Killiecrankie Valley of Scotland to say ANYTHING of the Moroboshi Clan's other worldwide allies, knew what happened to her, much less why. And with the only possible successor to the poor woman being the child of her youngest son Muchi . . .!

Wait!

Could one of those two from yesterday . . .?

The elder hummed. She had heard all the disparaging things about Ataru during the last year or so. She had also heard of his relationship with the alien girl Lum. That seemed normal; for as long as could be remembered, the Moroboshi Clan had always sought to strengthen their blood by bringing in the best from all around. An abandoned child, especially an abandoned girl, never stayed abandoned long if one of the Tora-Seishin shadow warriors was close by. That had been one of the reasons the Nǚjiézú and the Tora-Seishin had become allies in the days after the Second World War. Another was the fact that the Moroboshi Clan WAS traditionally administered as a matriarchy, its leadership nominally passed on from grandmother to a worthy granddaughter.

_And Ataru just happens to be Tampopo's friend._

Cologne's eyes narrowed. Perhaps it was time to pay her a visit.

* * *

The new Moroboshi home . . .

"May you enjoy the next life in peace and happiness. Sayonara."

A rose was placed on the casket the grave registration unit just encased the boy's remains in. Haruka bowed. There had not been much left according to the Clan's private coroner. Regardless of which, the child would be interred in the family's private plot near Sendai. Before they had been sealed in the casket, Chikage had taken one of the bones into her possession so she could do a magical divination to ascertain the boy's name and history. When that was done, he would be added to the Moroboshi Clan registry as an adopted orphan.

At least in THAT respect, he would be remembered.

The coroner and his helpers loaded the casket into the hearse. As they departed, Tampopo and Ataru finished negotiations with the real estate agent. "I'll be personally glad to be rid of this place, to be honest," Yamaji Konosuke admitted as he slipped the papers into his briefcase. "Much that the problem HAS been solved, I fear this property won't earn a good price."

"Property value isn't always measured in cash, Yamaji-san," Ataru noted. "'Sides, as soon as we get it properly spruced up – and as soon as it fully serves its basic purpose for ourselves – we'll contact you."

"Fair enough."

The real estate agent handed him a business card before he departed. As this was happening, some of the sisters were busy raking up the fallen leaves. When she had been asked, Ranma had gladly pitched in to help. "First time I ever did something like this; Kasumi handles things at the Tendō place," she mused before looking at Marie, who was raking leaves into a container held in place by Michael. "Is cleaning up around Welcome House this hard, Marie-chan?"

The bespectacled teen smiled. "No, not really. We don't have as many trees around the House as Aniue-sama will have here. I think he'll try to replace these ones with evergreens since they aren't as messy."

"That would do, won't it?" Ranma mused as she swept her leaves into a tin. She then noticed Aria gazing at a small pattern of leaves. "I'll get that!" Ranma headed over to sweep the leaves into the tin. "There we . . . "

"Kusun!"

The martial artist gargled on seeing a depressed look cross the young Parisian's face. "A-a-Aria-chan, what's wrong?"

"Kusun!"

Ranma remembered what Aria was doing. "Aria-chan, for heaven's sake, the leaves have to get raked!" She took a breath. "Willya quit crying about it?"

"Kusun!" Now there were tears. BAD thing to happen, the sisters watching their big brother's new friend winced.

Ranma then blinked as something came to her. "Aria-chan, you remember your tree-spirit friend, don'tcha?" she asked.

Aria blinked. "Aria's friend . . .?"

"Yeah. When winter came, he shed his leaves, didn't he?"

The young Parisian considered that, and then she nodded. "Hai."

"Well, why DO trees have leaves, Aria-chan?"

Confusion. "Aria doesn't know."

"Well, your Nē-ya will tell you." Ranma pointed towards the sun behind a cloudbank. "It's because of Taiyō-san up there. Trees like your friend take in Taiyō-san's light through their leaves to keep them healthy. But leaves can't do that all the time. They burn out when fall comes. That's why trees shed leaves, Aria-chan. It's so they can grow new ones for spring. Okay?"

Aria blinked. "Leaves burn out?"

"Yeah. And when they burn out, they wind up on the ground. But since trees can't clean up after themselves, we have to do it. Okay?" She leaned close, cupping a hand around her mouth as she pointed to the ground with her other hand. "And trees don't know that grass needs Taiyō-san's light, too."

The younger girl's eyes widened. "Ah! Aria understands now!"

"Right," Ranma said as Aria rose, heading off.

Sakuya and Haruka walked up. "Onē-sama, that was incredible!" the former declared. "No one's been able to do that to Aria-chan, not even her governess or Onii-sama! Instant she starts crying, everyone panics!"

"She needed a chance to understand things," Ranma explained. "Though if she's of the type that don't get out, someone better give her governess a kick in the ass to make sure Aria-chan doesn't suffer for it. Believe me, I know what it's like to deal with social situations when I don't know anything about what's goin' on, much less why!" She then sighed. "Still . . . "

"Is there something wrong, Anegimi-sama?" Haruka wondered.

"It's amazing, that's all."

"What is?" Sakuya asked.

"That I was able to talk to her like that. If this was six weeks ago or anytime before that, I probably wouldn't have been able to figure out what the heck ta do with her," Ranma replied with a shrug. She headed back to raking.

They exchanged a look before giggling. "I think Tampopo-san was right about her needing friends," Sakuya whispered.

"Agreed," Haruka said, covering her mouth. "But is Chikage-chan right about what could happen to her? I mean, it's so . . . "

"I know. But Onē-sama backs it up, so it HAS to be true." Sakuya held up a finger. "That's why she needs us. She NEEDS to have friends support her. It's only right. Most of the blockheads she deals with . . . " – she gazed on Ranma sweeping leaves near the gate – " . . . wouldn't understand, much less accept, what's going to happen to her over the next while."

The martial artist nodded. "Agreed."

* * *

The afternoon rolled on.

A work crew arrived to do an inspection of the old shrine before carrying out the necessary renovations to transform it into a residence. The shrine's bedrooms, much to everyone's surprise, were fitted with a Korean ondol heating system. Once set up, insulation was added to the walls to keep the heat in during winter nights. The bathroom was in decent shape, it equipped with a furo. It was discovered that the shrine's kitchen required a total equipment makeover. Since that might take days to arrange, the mobile unit Shirayuki had used in her competition with Tampopo was wheeled onto the property. With judicious use of canvas tent coverings, it was attached to the shrine building. Once that was in place, Shirayuki got to work preparing a large supper.

Ataru and Negako moved into two of the bedrooms. The other rooms would be set aside for guest rooms. The living room – the old meditation room where the boy's spirit had been found – would double as a guest bedroom for the sisters when they visited en masse. Futons and blankets plus other appliances were brought in to make things comfortable. Rinrin got the telephone and television lines checked out, and then she set up a home entertainment system modified with links to the Rinrin Viewer at Welcome House. Mamoru cleaned out the other meditation room to serve as a gym. All it needed were mats and equipment.

By six o'clock, just as the sun was setting to the west, everyone stood before the old shrine, gazing at it to fully take in the amount of work they put into it this day. "We should hang onto it, Onii-sama," Sakuya mused as she wrapped her arm around Ataru's. "It'll be a great place to stay in if we ever wanted to come to the mainland from the Island to do some shopping."

Ataru chuckled. "Well, let's fix it up some more before we do that."

Shirayuki stepped outside. "Everyone, dinner's ready!"

A cheer echoed through the neighbourhood.

* * *

The Tendō home, later that day . . .

"So where is he?"

Kasumi sighed. "Where is who, Akane-chan?"

"Ranma, that's who!" the youngest daughter demanded. She and Kasumi, plus Nabiki, Sōun and Genma, were relaxing in the sitting room. Akane was nursing P-chan with a cold compress on his lump. "I need to talk to him!"

"What about, Akane?" Nabiki sipped her tea. "P-chan? What makes you think that Ranma-kun had anything to do with that this time?"

"He picks on P-chan all the time!" Akane retorted. "It's so obvious! How could someone hate a defenceless pig so much, Onē-chan?" She shook her head before turning to P-chan, a smile crossing her face. "Don't you just hate it when that pervert hurts you, P-chan?" she cooed into his ear.

Nabiki shook her head before turning back to her tea. Watching this, Kasumi suppressed the urge to scream out in frustration. She had known the big secret behind Akane's pet pig for some time now, but Sōun had expressly forbid her to speak out about it. No doubt, the Tendō patriarch still hoped that Ranma would eventually become SO jealous of P-chan that he would openly admit his love to Akane. Given what just happened to Ranma over the last few weeks, Kasumi doubted that Sōun would EVER see Ranma do that outside his dreams.

A glance to the fathers – Nodoka would return soon from inspecting the day's work on the Saotome home – revealed them exchanging a knowing grin. To Kasumi, it was as if Sōun and Genma were saying, "Yes, when Ranma comes back, Akane will bash him down and everything will go back to normal!" Then the eldest Tendō daughter remembered Ranma's warning that morning, how tired he had become of being Akane's punching bag. Did that mean that if Akane decided to start a fight, Ranma would strike back? Thinking that, Kasumi tried not to blanch as she headed into the kitchen to commence cleaning up. Nothing would be surer to destroy what emotional links Ranma had to Akane than THAT!

"Are you alright, dear?"

Kasumi stopped, and then she looked at the window to see Cologne sitting on the windowsill. "Oh, Elder," the younger woman breathed out, keeping her voice turned down VERY low. "You surprised me! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to pick up Ranma's things. I sense Akane's mood isn't improving," the elder noted with a mirthless smile, she glancing towards the sitting room. "If only Hibiki would stop pretending to be her pet and settle down with that Akari girl. It might make things easier for all."

Kasumi stared at her. "You just called him 'Ranma.'"

"Yes, I did. I realised some time ago that the chances of his marrying Shānpú were nil. I've been working as much as I can to help her return to the village with her honour intact. There are ways around the Kiss of Marriage, but in a case like Ranma and Shānpú's, it needs the Council to agree to it. It will take time, but I think I'll have them seeing my way soon enough."

"That'll be a relief," Kasumi noted. "Though I think Akane-chan might not stand much of a chance with Ranma-kun, either."

"Too bad. If she learned to control her temper and think things through, she'd go very far," the elder mused. "I think it'll be best for both Akane and Ranma that he stays elsewhere for the next while. I don't want to say anything more than that, but I've arranged through a friend to ensure Ranma has a comfortable place to live until things cool off."

Kasumi's eyebrow arched, a smile crossing her face. "Oh, my! Would this friend be the one who helped Ranma-kun earn all that money?"

"The very same. You always were a perceptive one, weren't you?" Cologne then cackled before her eyes narrowed. "Ah, there she is."

"Eh?"

_CRASH!_

"Nǐhǎo! Where's Àirén? This one has a VERY good dinner ready for him!"

"HEY! What're you doing here, you hussy?"

As the fight started, echoed by Sōun's wailing that Ranma would marry Akane, Kasumi grinned. "You are EVIL, Elder!"

Cologne nodded upstairs. "Go get his things! I'll take them over to Ranma. I'll arrange for you to meet his friends tomorrow."

"Fair enough."

* * *

The Moroboshi home, an hour later . . .

"And that does it!"

Rinrin stared at the lot sign nailed to the gate. The kanji making the name **MOROBOSHI** was scripted into the polished wood as if a master calligrapher had done it. Then again, a master calligrapher HAD done it: Negako.

Sakuya nodded. "Soon, we'll all have that name."

"Yeah, it would be nice for the lawyers to hurry up and get it over with, ne?" Rinrin said. She then blinked as she saw Tampopo come up, a pushcart in tow bearing a person's backpack and other items. "Oh, Tampopo-san, something wrong?" she asked. "Did Aniki leave that at the shop?"

"Actually, Rinrin-chan, this belongs to Ranma-chan." The chef placed the pushcart down. "Is she still here, Sakuya-chan?"

"I'm right here," Ranma announced as she walked up from the house, and then she noticed her stuff in the cart. "Oh, no! What happened now?"

"I've a message from Tendō Kasumi through Kělún," Tampopo announced. "It turns out that because of a certain someone who tried to start a fight in my restaurant, one of your fiancées seems to be spoiling to have a 'talk' with you about you abusing her 'pet.' And by the looks of it, yours and Kasumi's fathers would welcome any chance for Akane to put you into your 'place.'"

Ranma took that in, and then she sighed. "Onē-sama?" Sakuya probed.

"I see." The transformed martial artist shook her head. "Damn! If it isn't Akane, Ukyō, Shān or Kodachi stirring things up, it's Ryōga, Mousse or Kunō!" she growled. "How am I supposed to get ANYWHERE with settling this mess with all of them trying to trip me up every step of the way?"

Rinrin snorted. "I'd say dump 'em all and leave it be, Aneki."

Ranma gazed on her. "It's not that simple, Rinrin."

"Something wrong?"

Everyone turned as Ataru walked up. "Oh, I just found out that I might be waltzing into a fight if I go back to the Tendō house tonight," Ranma reported as she gazed on him. "Would you mind if I crashed out here for a bit, Ataru?"

"Sure, no problem at all!" He noticed the pushcart, an eyebrow rising. "And I see Tampopo-chan already anticipated that!" He wagged his finger.

The chef chuckled. "Indeed, it would be very wise for you to remain here," Negako declared as she walked up.

"What do you mean, Onē-sama?" Sakuya wondered.

"If Ranma continues to remain at the Tendō home, she will not be doing either herself or Akane any good in the long run," the ninjutsu grandmaster reported as she waved them to follow her inside.

Ataru pulled the pushcart inside as the others followed Negako into the living room. There, the other sisters were relaxing, munching on some tarts Shirayuki had prepared as an after-dinner snack. Mamoru was quick to notice Ranma's backpack. "Anē, whatcha doin' with all your stuff here?"

"Gonna stay here for a while, Mamoru-chan," Ranma announced.

Hearing that, the sisters smiled. "Yay! Onē-tama's gonna stay with Onii-tama!" Hinako called out, waving her hands.

Laughter echoed through the home as Ranma's belongings were taken into one of the guest rooms. Soon enough, Tampopo headed back to her restaurant, and then everyone gathered in the living room. More snacks were prepared for Ranma, and then everyone sat in a circle. "What didja mean nothing good would come out of me staying any longer with the Tendō family, Negako?" Ranma asked.

"I took time to observe events at the Tendō home, just before a fight started between Akane and Shānpú, one Kělún arranged to mask the removal of your belongings," Negako reported. "There is nothing there for you to use to improve your own skill in martial arts, save for what Happy might be able to teach. Further, because Sōun failed to pass on his teachings to Akane, her skill level is laughable. For one who is said to be the heir to her own school of Musabetsu Kakutō, she will not bring much to contribute to the founding of a 'unified' school as Sōun and Genma envisioned. One would think it a farce."

"Disappointing," Haruka mused.

"Makes Yotsuba think all they're doing is forcing Ane-chama to do all the work and enjoy none of the benefits," Yotsuba lamented.

Negako nodded. "Agreed." She stared anew at Ranma. "Akane has no self-discipline. Her control over her emotions is non-existent." She paused. "She is lazy, Ranma. And the overprotective attitude you, not to mention those others who care for her, have demonstrated towards her in the past has not helped matters. I would conclude that the reason Akane still wishes to hang onto you is that she inwardly derives emotional enjoyment to see you protect her, the atypical damsel in distress, from whatever might threaten her."

Yotsuba shook her head. "They ARE using Ane-chama!"

"Well, I've always believed that a martial artist's primary duty is to protect those who can't protect themselves," Ranma explained, a shrug rolling her shoulders. "And yeah, I know Akane isn't as well-skilled as she likes to think she is. That's even more tragic since she's got such great potential."

"Yes, Ranma, she does," Negako agreed. "But if she truly desires to gain a sufficient level of skill to deal with a normal run of potential opponents – to become, in effect, the true heir to the Tendō-ryū she desires to be – she will have to drastically change ALL her habits."

Ranma stared at Negako before nodding. "Yeah, I suppose so. But if I just upped and walked away without trying to help her . . . "

Rinrin's eyebrow arched. "Everyone and his dog – no offence, Marie-chan! – will be on your tail for 'abandoning' her, right?"

Marie smiled, petting Michael. "None taken."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah."

"And you are presently uncomfortable about considering walking away from them once and for all," Negako added.

Ranma jolted, and then she nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it's honour . . . "

"Honour has no relevance in this case."

Ranma blinked before staring at Negako. The latter sipped tea Shirayuki made for her. "There is a lament in our family: 'Honour is a sword shattered on a rock, a slip of paper burned in a fire, a gravestone eroded by the wind, a shrine brought down in an earthquake.' In other words, when it comes to the BASIC facts of life, Bushido CANNOT survive. Here you are, trapped in THREE engagements, made to adhere to a grossly outdated viewpoint on your manhood – exacerbated more because of your curse and your father's misogynist attitudes – AND find yourself the target of what Americans call 'gunfighter syndrome.'"

Mamoru blinked. "'Gunfighter syndrome?' What's that?"

Ataru chuckled. "It's like this, Mamoru-chan: Ranma IS, outside Onē-san, one of the best martial artists in Japan, perhaps the world. She happens to be in a part of the world that has an overflow of martial artists. And because she's the best, these other dorks felt insecure, thus, they decided to challenge her in hopes of beating her and gaining a greater sense of security."

"And by letting this continue totally unchecked due to her overdeveloped sense of pride, Ranma ultimately does nothing to put an end to it," Negako added before glancing at the martial artist in question. "So what must it take, Ranma? For someone to be permanently crippled? Or killed?"

Ranma jolted. "I don't think it'll go that far . . . "

"It already has. Look what you did to Saffron."

Silence. Ranma felt a chill warp through her, and then she clutched a hand over her heart. "Yeah, that's true . . . "

"In that case, because of Saffron's self-regenerative ability, you didn't have to face the distress killing someone can force on one as – innocent, shall I say? – in certain ways as you are," Negako continued. "But if matters are reverting to 'normal,' the chances are strong that another fight on the scale of Mount Phoenix will occur. Would you care to wager on the odds of your opponent THEN having the same regenerative ability Saffron is blessed with?"

"You might not get a second chance next time, Ranma," Ataru mused.

Ranma bit her lip. "No, I guess not."

* * *

The next morning, the Tendō home . . .

"WHERE IS HE?"

The crowd around the table jolted as Akane's cry echoed through the house the next morning. "Akane-chan, is there a problem?" Nodoka called up.

"Where's who?" Nabiki wondered.

Akane stormed into the sitting room, cradling P-chan as her fist quaked. "Ranma! He didn't even come home last night, Oba-chan!" she declared as she sat beside Nabiki, and then she picked up her glass of juice to drink it.

"Oh, dear me! I forgot to tell you that he called sometime after Shampoo came by to visit last night," Kasumi reported.

Eyes locked on the eldest Tendō daughter. "And?" Sōun asked.

"He said he'd been invited to stay with a new friend he's made until such time as repairs on the Saotome home are done." Kasumi serenely smiled, though inside, she was snickering on seeing stunned looks cross Sōun and Genma's faces. "And since Ranma-kun had decided that he was going to move out of the house soon, he decided now would be the best time to leave." She focused on Akane, who was likewise shocked. Inwardly wishing she didn't have to do this, the elder daughter added, "And I should add that yesterday morning, Ranma-kun told me he has finally reached his limit when it came to you making assumptions about him, Akane-chan. I told him about your accusations about him hurting P-chan. He then decided he wasn't going to tolerate your accusations anymore."

"So where did he go?" Nabiki wondered.

"That, Nabiki-chan . . . " – Kasumi rose – " . . . is a secret."

The middle daughter's face slammed into the table as Kasumi headed into the kitchen. Silence fell as that revelation sank in, and then Nodoka sighed. "Well, if my son feels he doesn't wish to put up with this animal, you should be rid of it immediately, Akane-chan." She indicated P-chan with a finger.

Akane said nothing as Ranma's mother headed upstairs. Nabiki collected herself before marching into the kitchen. Sōun and Genma were silent. Both then jolted on hearing a sob escape Akane. "Akane-chan, it's alright!" her father said as he moved to comfort her. "We'll get Ranma-kun back here right away! You'll see! Everything will be all right! You just wait . . .!"

Akane shoved him away before racing upstairs. "NO!"

The fathers remained in place. "Saotome-kun, why is that boy of yours not doing what he's SUPPOSED to be doing?" Sōun demanded. "How can we make him marry my daughter and unite the schools if he keeps vanishing like that?"

Genma shook his head. "He can't do this! He can't possibly begin to do this! He's never been able to do it! I made damn sure about that!" he said the last sentence in a whisper before speaking up, "We have to be patient, Tendō-kun! It's obvious! Someone's trying to manipulate the boy against us! The sooner we find out who it is, the sooner we can deal with it? Agreed?"

Sōun nodded. "Agreed!"

* * *

"'He can't possibly begin to do this. I made damn sure about that,'" Nabiki echoed Genma's words in a whisper as she crossed her arms, standing with Kasumi beside the kitchen door. "What did Oji-chan mean by that?"

"Do you think he did something to Ranma-kun?" Kasumi whispered back.

"By the sounds of it. And by the looks of it, he probably did it to make sure Ranma-kun stayed under his thumb. So where IS he, Onē-chan? I can understand you not wanting to say anything in front of the lunkheads . . . "

Kasumi sighed. "I don't know where Ranma-kun is exactly, Nabiki-chan. I suspect I'll find out sometime later today since Elder Cologne is going to introduce me to the person who helped him earn all that money."

"Oh, that's fair enough! Can I tag along?"

"No. Much that I know you're concerned about how things with Ranma-kun might affect the house, you KNOW he doesn't trust you, Nabiki-chan. I think it's best to keep it at that. If he suspected you were trying to investigate what he's up to, that could give him the excuse to renounce the engagement once and for all. You know that'll hurt Akane-chan badly despite what she says."

"You're right. And yeah, I do care for Akane even if she can be an idiot at times." She took a deep breath. "And I can see where Ranma-kun might be coming from. But I do want to know what's going on, Onē-chan. Okay?"

"Alright."

* * *

"It's not fair, P-chan . . . it's not fair . . .!"

Akane gazed nowhere in particular, P-chan in her lap. The transformed Ryōga tried to lick her tears away, do anything to bring comfort to her. As she felt his tongue lap up the dampness on her cheek, Akane cradled him. "It's not your fault," she whispered. "I just don't understand why Ranma doesn't get along with you! I don't understand why he's been acting this way since the wedding! I've already apologised for the Nanniichuan! I understand why he's so concerned about Ukyō and Shampoo! But why does he want to leave?"

P-chan squealed, his heart shuddering as his mind roiled through what he had seen since Akane had found him yesterday. What the HELL was Ranma doing? Yes, finding Ukyō's yatai was the right thing to do. But what was with the payments to the household, much less the special cheques to Kasumi and Nabiki? What was THAT about? Hell, how did Ranma earn all that money in the first place? And why was he giving Akane such a cold shoulder? It wasn't Akane's fault that Ranma was such a jerk! Why was SHE being made to suffer for it?

"D-does he h-hate me, P-chan?"

The transformed Ryōga squealed, shaking his head. Giving that sort of answer seemed best. When he confronted Ranma, he'd beat a confession out of him. Seeing that, Akane sighed. "You think he still likes me, P-chan?" She sniffed, wiping her eyes with her free hand. As the piglet nodded, she sighed. "I'm glad you agree with me! But . . . what do I do, P-chan? What?"

For once, the piglet had no real answer for her.

* * *

Tampopo's, an hour later . . .

"Irasshaimase!"

"Arigatō!" Chigaiko – who was currently draped in her Tomobiki High seifuku since she hadn't told her parents about her plans – called out as she stepped into Tampopo's. A glance around revealed a slender man with an unruly mop of brown hair at the counter, he eating a large beefbowl without abandon. Seeing this, Chigaiko grinned. Even if he had grown a beard and moustache, not to mention let his hair go – _Wait! How did he grow all THAT in just six weeks?_ she wondered – Ataru's love of food always was apparent whenever he was in a restaurant.

"Ataru-kun!"

Ataru jolted, looking left before his eyes widened with shocked recognition. "Chigaiko-chan? What are you doing here?" he blurted.

She moved to sit with him. She then gasped as a large spatula blocked her way. "What are you doing away from school?" Tampopo asked.

Chigaiko shuddered, sweating as she remembered what she had heard about this woman yesterday. "Er . . .?" she began as she gave Tampopo a wary stare.

Ataru moved to intercede. "Oh, geez! Relax, Tampopo-chan!" He shoved the spatula away from his ex-classmate's face. "Chigaiko-chan was probably the only girl I DIDN'T have any trouble with back at school. She's okay." He then glanced at her, an eyebrow arching. "Though I now find myself in agreement with Tampopo-chan here in wondering why you aren't at school, either."

Tampopo withdrew her spatula, and then she headed behind the counter. "When the dorks decided to force mandatory attendance for Lum's memorial, I 'voted with my feet' and stayed away." She shook her head. "The teachers are deluding themselves into believing everyone liked her. Besides, I don't see any of them putting out the hounds to drag you down to attend, Ataru-kun."

"Maybe because I withdrew from school when I left Tomobiki six weeks ago, so they had no real right in the long term to force anything on me anymore," Ataru replied with a smirk, waving her to sit in the chair beside him.

He sat down to continue eating. "What'll you have, dear?" Tampopo asked.

Chigaiko smiled. "Oh, squid beefbowl, please!"

"Hai, right away."

Chigaiko then turned to Ataru. "So where've you been, anyway? I mean, no one's really been asking about you because of Lum being kicked back home and all that, but I've been worried about you, Ataru-kun."

Seeing her cute pout, Ataru smirked. "Long story."

* * *

That moment, several kilometres to the west . . .

"Welcome to Tomobiki High School. We're pleased to have you here."

A reception line of students spanning all three grades, mourning bands around their arms, bowed as dignitaries streamed up the front path. Off to one side, a grove of cherry blossom trees had just been planted, forming a hollow circle around a statue. Though covered in a tarp, it was easy for onlookers to tell who the statue had been sculpted in honour of. Standing near that were several students from the lost Oni's homeroom class. "Geez! Who the hell's gonna show up next?" Fujinami Ryūnosuke wondered, watching the head of the town council and some ward managers pass by. "The Prime Minister?"

"Knowing Mendō, that just might actually be a possibility," Aisuru Satoshi mused, adjusting his glasses over his bloodshot eyes.

Miyake Shinobu gazed at the leader of "Lum's Stormtroopers." The last few nights had been filled with echoes of wailing drifting through the streets of Tomobiki. While not wanting to think ill of the dead, Shinobu wished Lum hadn't made such an emotional impact on her schoolmates. School scuttlebutt had it that several students, including Megane's fellow Stormtrooper Urayamu Akira (also known as "Chibi"), had attempted to kill themselves. Fortunately, parents had been on their guard since the news of the Oni's demise got out.

Ryūnosuke gazed at her best friend, pointing up. "Yo, Shinobu! Ya think Lum's pals from out there might be by?"

Shinobu sighed. "Hard to tell. I mean, do people like Benten-san and Oyuki-sama really care for us? Way I've always seen them, all they cared about coming here was Lum and _maybe_ Ataru-kun, not anyone else."

The "son" and heir of the Fujinami Hamachaya Teashop considered that. "Yeah, I guess you're kinda right about that."

Megane turned as two of the Mendō Clan's Kuromegane special agents approached. "What news about Ataru?" he demanded.

The Kuromegane bowed. "Forgive us, Megane-sama, but our attempts to locate Moroboshi-sama have failed," one replied. "Further, Mendō-sama's father ordained that we are not to continue the search for Moroboshi-sama."

Shinobu gasped. "What? Why?"

"That was not explained to us, Miyake-sama," the other replied as both bowed. "Please accept our sincere apologies. Excuse us."

They left. Shinobu and her classmates exchanged stunned looks. Megane then quaked. Before he could launch into another screaming tirade about Ataru's disloyalty to Lum, a hand snared his throat. "Will ya fuckin' KNOCK IT OFF with your flippin' mouth, Megane?" Ryūnosuke snarled as she started to shake Megane. "Maybe the reason Moroboshi ain't coming is because he's sick and tired of you an' Mendō rantin' on all the time about Lum! Got me?"

A weak croak escaped him as Ryūnosuke shoved him away. The others flashed appreciative looks at her before Shinobu's gasp turned their attention towards the front gate. "Moroboshi-san! Mrs. Moroboshi! Hi!"

Ataru's ex-girlfriend waved before breaking from the others to approach his parents. As she closed in, Shinobu's heart chilled as she took in the aged, pained looks on Moroboshi Muchi and Moroboshi Kinshō's faces. Well, it was understandable; both did care very much for Lum. But the level of pain, grief and even anger being projected from their eyes clearly had to come from more than Lum's loss. "Moroboshi-san, Mrs. Moroboshi, are you two alright?" she asked, bowing respectfully to them before gently grasping Kinshō's hand.

Kinshō blinked, staring quizzically at the girl who might have been her daughter-in-law before she looked away. "Hello, Shinobu-chan," she weakly replied. "Oh, yes. We're quite fine. Excuse us, please."

They headed inside. Shinobu watched them go, and then she felt an ominous chill run through her. What in God's name had happened?

* * *

Unnoticed by Shinobu, a young man, dressed in a jumpsuit emblazoned with the Sanitation Service badge, walked through the gate. Garbage cans were piled on the trolley he pushed onto the grounds. His eyes, hooded by bushy eyebrows, nervously darted everywhere as he mentally separated the innocent from the guilty. The day had come. Paradise was beckoning Ibrahim Alhamzi with its call. He knows God would bless his sacrifice as long as the devil-woman's worshippers were delivered to their deserved place in the lowest pits of Hell!

Ibrahim also knew God would not look favourably on his taking the lives of the innocent as he strove to punish the guilty. This mission HAD to be done with precision. Yes, the devil-woman and those who followed her in Tomobiki had enchanted many. But only a few here were truly guilty of crimes against humanity. This was not just jihad, the fight to protect and preserve the Faith from the wrath of unbelievers. This was a war for humankind's liberation from the lies and false promises ALIENS of all things forced on them.

He moved toward a pile of garbage bags by the front doors. He had just seen one target. "Megane," the leader of the group of monsters in human flesh who had slavishly followed the devil-woman's ways from the very beginning. His many crimes against humanity, starting from the day he helped the devil-woman steal the liquid gold from under the sands of Arabia, were too many to count. No matter what, Ibrahim vowed, this one would DIE. All he had to do was locate Megane's three co-conspirators, and then he would send them all to God.

"Hey! Hold up a moment, friend!"

Ibrahim jolted as someone in a boy's uniform ran up to help load garbage. But this was no boy, the Qatar native knew. Fujinami Ryūnosuke, an innocent victim of the madness that had shrouded Tomobiki since the devil-woman and her friends first came. Many times, he had prayed for God to give Ryūnosuke strength to overcome her father. Many times, he had seen that infidel – no, PAGAN! – beast abuse the poor child for not being a "manly man!"

Madness!

Utter madness!

Ibrahim bowed as Ryūnosuke pitched in. "Thank you, Fujinami-san!"

Ryūnosuke waved at him. "Eh! No problem, Alhamzi-san!"

She moved to head off once the last bag was stowed in the bins. "A terrible thing to happen, eh, Fujinami-san?" Ibrahim asked.

"Eh?" The tomboy blinked. "Oh, 'bout Lum, ya mean?" She sighed. "Yeah, I guess so, I suppose. Anyhow, I gotta go."

She headed off. Ibrahim watched her. He then nodded, moving to head inside. _Merciful God, watch over that one, please_, he prayed.

* * *

"Splendid."

Negako stood in the clock tower belfry, she watching as the native of Qatar headed inside to locate targets. The ninjutsu grandmaster had no intention of getting in Ibrahim's way. After all, she could sense two friends of the fellow presently approaching the school from different directions. If Ibrahim failed to carry out his planned act, they would gladly swoop in and do it for him. And the grandmaster knew there were others worldwide ready to follow in Ibrahim's footsteps, even if many weren't of the same faith as he.

So be it, then.

If people were going to be killed because of Lum, her friends and what had happened in Tomobiki over the last two years, best to let it happen under controlled circumstances. Of the fact that people would die because of those matters, the ninjutsu grandmaster was quite certain. All Negako desired at this time was use Ibrahim to hers – and her family's – own ends.

A glance near the statue of Lum revealed Megane heading to the main doors. Negako knew where Chibi, Shitto "Perm" Kōsuke and Daremo "Kakugari" Hiroyuki – Ibrahim's other primary targets – were in the school's northwest wing. Also there was Fujinami Ryūnosuke's father Fujimi, someone Negako sensed Ibrahim would kill if given a chance. Strangely enough, Ibrahim did not see Mendō Shūtarō as a target. Neither did Negako; the fellow could be an annoyance, but he was easily dealt with. Now, all that was needed before this act would be allowed to proceed forth were two more.

Negako slipped out of the tower. Stepping gingerly along the roof of the central connecting wing, she stopped above the washrooms. Flipping through a window into the third floor girls' washroom, she slid into a stall. Closing the door, she concentrated, her clothes morphing from her normal black gi into a Tomobiki High seifuku. Stepping out after flushing the toilet, she smoothed her skirt before entering the hallway. Her eyes narrowed as she located those she wanted. Descending to the main floor, she spotted her targets chatting with Sakurambō Sakura. Making a hand gesture, Negako sent an invisible ki pulse into the earth, locking on a fault line under the southwest wing.

The ground shook, causing everyone to jolt. It was a brief tremor, lasting a second. Silence fell as people glance around, and then, feeling as if this was an isolated incident, they resumed doing what they were doing.

All save one.

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she scanned around, though she did not stare at Negako. Excusing herself from Ataru's parents, the nurse/priestess headed off. Muchi and Kinshō turned to join the crowd filing through the wing to the back doors and on to the gymnasium. Negako remained in place as Muchi and Kinshō fell into the queue. On noting no one looking her way, she then slipped in behind the two. Her fingers lashed out to tap a shiatsu point on their necks, one put there by Negako herself some years ago for this potential eventuality. Ataru's parents seemed to falter for a second as Negako leaned up.

"Head to the northwest wing science lab," she whispered.

Stepping aside, Negako watched as the two turned, and then they casually walked into the northwest wing. Her eyes narrowed as Negako sensed Megane meeting up with the other Bodyguards by the door to the science lab. Ibrahim was two metres away, he seeing that Fujinami Fujimi was within killing range.

* * *

Oh, yes! God WAS truly with him today.

Here were the four monsters that had betrayed their friends, their nation, their very PLANET, to serve the devil-woman Lum.

Even better, there was the pagan who had tortured his child, forced her to behave in a way God certainly did NOT intend by making her a woman.

And . . .

Wait!

Ibrahim's eyes widened on seeing two people casually walk up behind Megane and his friends. Why, were they not . . .?

Moroboshi Muchi and his wife, Kinshō.

The traitor parents of the devil-woman's most tragic victim.

Ibrahim tried desperately not to grin as he thumbed the detonator attached to his bomb-vest. Yes! NOW was the time.

* * *

"So who was that guy you knew, Ryūnosuke-kun?"

Ryūnosuke felt her cheeks redden as Marubeya Momoe's questioning stare lanced into her. "Wh-what guy, M-Momoe-san?" she sputtered.

"The garbage man," Momoe augmented.

"Oh . . .?" The tomboy was nonplussed for a moment. "Him! Shit, don't worry, Momoe-san! He's some guy from Qat- . . . "

**_CRACK!_**

As that thunderous noise nearly shattered all their ears, windows nearby exploded. Milliseconds later, the whole northwest side of the school bulged at its foundations. Jets of flame ripped through the woodwork. The blast shockwave came next, sending debris flying through the air. The trees took the brunt of the shrapnel, though the pressure wave was able to knock everyone standing by Lum's statue onto their faces. Ryūnosuke's martial arts experience kicked in automatically as she flung herself over Shinobu, protecting her friend as she covered her head from sharp glass fragments that could easily end their lives.

The explosion's roar faded, it replaced with the ominous snapping sound of wood beams breaking. Ryūnosuke looked behind her, her eyes widening on seeing a sea of flame where the first floor had been. The upper floors then buckled as stanchions shattered. The tomboy averted her eyes as the second floor collapsed onto the first, dust and dirt billowing to cover a lot of the front lawn. As the second floor settled onto its new "foundation," the stanchions and walls holding the third floor up failed. Like the sides of an accordion squeezed together, the outside walls exploded as the third floor dropped onto the second, burying whoever was there under tons of wood, plaster and concrete. Not two seconds later, the beams holding the roof sections over the fallen third floor collapsed, repeating what just happened. As more dust and dirt billowed into the air, Ryūnosuke rolled off Shinobu, allowing the latter to get up and see what just happened. Coughing, Ataru's former girlfriend stared at the destroyed northwest wing, gasping as tongues of hot flame leapt out from the wreckage to begin rendering the rest into ashes.

"Jesu Cristo! What was THAT?"

"Bomb!" Ryūnosuke screamed out. "C'mon!"

With that, she grabbed Shinobu, pulling her towards the main gate.

* * *

Back in Nerima . . .

"What was THAT?"

Nabiki looked up as a faint, shotgun-like _crack!_ echoed through her open bedroom window. Rising, she looked outside. Her bedroom gave her a good view of much of the surrounding territory. Immediately, her eyes locked on a plume of smoke in the far distance, to the west-northwest. Her mind quickly drew up a map of the local area as she tried to ascertain where that was.

It came quickly enough. "Tomobiki High . . .?"

* * *

At Tampopo's . . .

"So what're you going to do now, Ataru-kun?"

"Wel- . . . "

Ataru's voice was cut off as a wave of disturbed ki energy warped through him. His eyes narrowed as he slipped from behind the counter to step outside. Being on ground level, he could not see much, so he leapt to the top of a nearby telephone pole. Balancing himself on top of the pillar, he took another sweep around with his eyes. They stopped on seeing the smoke rising from the west-northwest. "The school?" he whispered before spitting out, "Oh, hell!"

"Ataru!"

Ataru glanced left to see Ranma bounding towards him. Seeing the telephone pole was taken, Ranma stopped herself on the nearest roof, within normal speaking distance. He waved towards Tomobiki. "I take it you noticed."

"Something bad, I think." Ranma looked herself. Squaring her shoulders, she spun and bounded off towards the disaster scene.

Ataru watched her go, and then he shuddered before sighing. "Well, can't run now," he muttered under his breath.

"Ataru-kun! Where are you going?"

He glanced down at Chigaiko. "Someone just blew up the school!" he yelled down to her, he waving in the direction of Tomobiki. "If you want to come help, hurry up! If you don't, stay here! We'll be back soon, okay?"

Without waiting for a reply, Ataru bounded off, using the string of telephone poles to act as a walkway. Chigaiko blinked as the message sank in, and then she spat out, "Oh, hell! What are those idiots up to now?"

* * *

Elsewhere . . .

"Hey, Kanami-chan! You in here?"

Two bikers in their late teens, dressed like most bōsōzoku in gakuran, peeked into the two-car garage of the Kurosu residence, a split-level bungalow located in a suburb of Yamanashi, a small city north of Fuji-san. Glancing around, they noted that their friend's Kawasaki mount was there, but there was no sign of the just-graduated senior from Yamanashi Central High School.

One of the men looked around. "Hey, Kanami-chan! Where are you?"

"G-g-guys . . . "

Both glanced to the door leading into the house. "Kanami!" the other biker screamed on seeing a tall woman with shaggy-cropped black hair and dark eyes slumped on the floor. The pained look on her face spoke volumes to the bōsōzoku as she reached for them, the strength in her body failing.

As they screamed her name, unconsciousness seized her.

* * *

Unknown to the bōsōzoku in Yamanashi, similar incidents simultaneously played out in three other locations near Tokyo.

In Utsunomiya, north of Japan's capital, a motherly second-year high school student named Kashima Namie passed out in the kitchen.

In Shimizu, south of Fuji-san, the one affected was a tomboyish first year named Momose Tamako, she then in a local video arcade.

And in Chōshi, due east of Tokyo, Kodama Hiro, an elegant woman Tamako's age, passed out while waiting for a bus to do some shopping.

As to _why_ Kanami, Namie, Tamako and Hiro fainted, that would not become clear to their friends and relatives for some time to come.

None of them could conceive of any connection between the four girls' sudden fainting spells and events in Tomobiki.

* * *

Tomobiki High School . . .

"You okay, Momoe?"

"Y-yeah! Just a couple scratches!" Momoe grunted, feeling her bleeding arm; two bits of flying glass had left cuts in the skin. "What happened?" She looked at the wall of fire and smoke which was one part of her school.

"A bomb, I think . . . " Ryūnosuke then blinked as a herd of Kuromegane escorted out a young man in a white school uniform. "Mendō!"

She and Shinobu ran over to help Mendō Shūtarō stay up. His uniform was badly cut up and there was a gash over his eyes, blood draining from wounds on arms and legs. Remarkably, he still held onto his personal katana. "Please stay back, Fujinami-sama, Miyake-sama!" one of the bodyguards warned, waving the girls away. "We must see the Young Master off to medical aid!"

"Hey, he's not the only one who needs it!" Ryūnosuke growled. How could these lunkheads be so insensitive after THIS?

"Sh-she's . . . " Mendō's eyes fluttered as he yanked an arm free to draw a cell phone. "Call . . . " He spat blood. "Rescue . . . "

"Hai!" Another bodyguard snatched the phone, and then he dialled the number for the Mendō Clan Emergency Disaster Rescue Brigade.

Ryūnosuke smiled, exchanging a look with Shinobu. Arrogant he may be most of the time, Mendō Shūtarō certainly had his heart in the right place at times like this. Once the summons was made, Mendō was then laid down on the ground. Momoe moved to help out as other people started to stream from the school. "C'mon!" Shinobu grabbed Ryūnosuke by the arm as they moved to help.

She nodded. "Uhn!"

She then jolted on hearing someone fly through the air towards her. Spinning, she gaped as someone in a tang and workout pants landed a metre away. Then, with another spring, she charged at the fire. "Holy . . .!"

"Who . . .?" Shinobu's mind nearly blanked out before she screamed as someone else landed near her, charging into the disaster zone.

This was a man.

And not just ANY man, Shinobu instantly realised.

"Ataru-kun?"

* * *

"Oh, shit! What do we do?"

Ataru stopped beside Ranma, both standing not three metres from the collapsed northwest wing. "Stop the fires, first!" he declared with a grunt as he raised his hands, both of them glowing with ki. "Stand back!" Ranma fell back as Ataru created a ki ball between the palms of his hands.

"**_SENPŪ NETSU-HI DABOKU!_**"

The air came alive as the ki ball of the Air-Whirlpool Heat-Fire Strike melted into a mini-cyclone. Rising away from him, it grew in size and strength as Ataru tilted it onto its edge, shifting it over the flames. As oxygen was sucked away from the wreckage, the flames sputtered, the released heat being drawn into the vortex like light pulled into a black hole. "ALL RIGHT!" Ranma whooped as the last of the flames were drawn off, leaving only swirling dust.

Ataru swung himself to the left. "Stand clear!"

The whirlpool moved with him, getting clear of the school into the front yard. Ataru then cupped his hands together, another ki ball forming. This one had a different purpose. "**_SEISHIN SHURIKEN ARASHI!_**"

Bolts of energy, similar to photon torpedoes fired from the Starship _Enterprise_, punched through the whirlpool. It instantly collapsed from the onslaught of the Psychic Shuriken Storm, the accumulated dust dropping into a heap on the grass. "Yes!" Ataru hissed as he ceased the attack. "C'mon!"

Ranma nodded. "Un!"

* * *

Ryūnosuke gaped. "Holy shit!"

"He . . .!" Gekasawa Kumiko, Momoe's best friend, sputtered as the unreality of it all hit. "Is that Ataru-kun? OUR Ataru-kun?"

Momoe shook her head in denial. "That CAN'T be . . .!"

Shinobu absently felt her heart. "Ataru-kun? H-how?"

The sounds of sirens filled the air.

* * *

Ranma grunted. "Lotta stuff here!"

"We have to break it up!" Ataru cracked his knuckles to loosen them. He then stared at his friend. "You said the Nǚjiézú taught you a lot of their manoeuvres, right? You know their chestnut fist attack?"

"First thing they taught me!"

"Okay! I'll break the large pieces and pass them to you! We're going fast, so watch out!" Ataru moved in on the wreckage.

"Right!" Ranma replied.

Finding the first big piece, Ataru jabbed out with his fingers. "**_TAIFUN KAZE-TE KITEI! SHINZŌ BAKUHATSU SHOKU ARASHI!_**"

Using the modified Typhoon Wind-Fist/Heart Blast Touch Storm, his hands became living jackhammers as the roof section was shattered, the pieces flung towards Ranma. Using the Chestnut Fist, Ranma tossed the wreckage into a pile beside Lum's statue. In a minute, the uppermost sections of collapsed building were gone, allowing Ataru to dig clear a half-dozen people from the third floor who had nearly been crushed by the roof. "Give us a hand!" he screamed to the crowd massing by the front gate. "We've got people still alive!"

Shinobu broke from the crowd. Ryūnosuke was quick to follow, accompanied by Momoe, Kumiko and two of the Kuromegane who had just helped Mendō get clear of the wrecked school. By then, sirens heralded the first arrivals of Tomobiki's bravest, not to mention teams from the Mendō estate.

Also to arrive was a camera crew from NHK.

* * *

"Mister President, something has happened at the Holy Citadel."

* * *

Back in Nerima . . .

"Oh, MY!"

"What is it, Onē-chan?" A gasp. "Holy shit!"

Hearing Nabiki's outburst, people began to stream into the sitting room. "What's going on?" Sōun demanded.

"What's this?" Nodoka asked.

"Terrorist bombing at Tomobiki High," Nabiki reported. "That's at least what NHK's saying right now. But look who's there!"

Eyes locked on the image on the television screen. A red-haired girl with a pigtail and Mandarin tang appeared, tossing aside wall and floor fragments so others could get survivors out of the sea of devastation. Seeing his transformed son in the midst of helping innocents flee such a disaster, Genma beamed. "That's my boy!" he crooned, crossing his arms as he barked out a laugh. "Nothing stops him from doing a martial artist's sworn duty!"

Sōun laughed. "They'll probably give him a medal for it!"

"Hai, you're right!" Nodoka added. "My son is SO manly!"

"Hey! Who's that?" Nabiki gasped.

Everyone turned back to the screen. The rescue workers had backed away as a slender man dressed in a black button shirt and track pants hefted a slice of wall. Clearly, he was tired, but determined to see this through. Ranma poised herself before the slice. Using a storm of knife strikes, she shattered the section, tossing them clear. "Wish they'd give a close up!" Nabiki noted.

As if in answer to the middle Tendō daughter's wish, the camera zoomed in. Nabiki blinked. Her eyes widened as she picked out the face under the beard and moustache. "No! That CAN'T be!" she whispered. "Moroboshi Ataru?"

Akane stared wide-eyed at her sister. "What?"

Kasumi covered her mouth in shocked surprise. "Oh, my! Ranma-kun didn't say Ataru-kun was a martial artist too!"

Everyone looked at her. "WHAT?"

Events on the television quickly turned their attention back to the screen. Ataru was hefting another shattered wall section from the wreckage. He pointed at it, shouting something. A beam of light from his fingertip cleaved the section in half before he tossed them aside to Ranma. He then grabbed more wreckage. After seeing that, whistles of awe and disbelief escaped Sōun and Genma. "Now THAT'S ki control!" the former declared.

"But how on Earth's that possible?" the latter wondered.

"What's the matter, boys? Never thought you'd ever see a practitioner of the Art that inspired our Art in action?"

Everyone gaped wide-eyed at Happōsai, who was now sitting on Genma's shoulder. "**_SAY WHAT?_**" they cried out.

"Shush!" the grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū snapped. "Pay close attention and you might all learn a little something!"

The others fell silent, and then they turned back to the television.

* * *

Promised Island . . .

"Everyone! Come see this!"

Footsteps paced Shirayuki's cry as people ran into Welcome House's dining hall. "Shirayuki-chan, what is it?" Sakuya wondered. Then, on noting where the young chef was looking, she gazed at the Rinrin Viewer. "What . . .?"

Marie gasped. "Oh, dear! What is this place?"

"It's Nii-sama's old school, Marie-chan!" Shirayuki reported as many crowded around the Viewer. "NHK just reported that some bomb went off at the school when they were having that memorial to Lum-san!"

"Was Onii-chan there?" Karen gasped, she then inwardly cursing the fact that all the sisters had come back to Promised Island first thing that morning. If they were still at the new house in Nerima, they'd know for sure.

"Ah! There's Onii-tama!"

Everyone jolted on hearing Hinako's delighted cry, and then they looked at the Viewer. "Onii-sama! Thank the gods!" Sakuya whispered before gaping as she watched Ataru pick up a hunk of ceiling. "Gods! What's Onii-sama doing?"

"Helping with the rescue, I think!" Rinrin's eyebrow then arched as she spotted something else. "Wait a sec' here! Who's that with him?"

Aria beamed. "Ah! Nee-ya!"

Everyone then relaxed. "Oh, thank the gods!" Karen whispered. "With Onii-chan and Onē-chan there, they'll all get out!"

"Not all of them."

Eyes locked on Chikage, she seated at the dining room table, a tarot suite before her. "What do you mean by that?" Sakuya wondered.

The sorceress held up a card.

Death.

* * *

Tomobiki, two hours later . . .

"There's the culprit. What's left of him. Looks like he got his clothes made at DuPont in the States or the Skoda works in the Czech Republic."

Ataru pointed to a spot on the blackened first floor. Fortunately, the basement of Tomobiki High had been built under the central wing only. Standing beside him, the chief of the Tomobiki fire brigade shook his head. After seeing what Ataru had done today, he knew all the opinions about him had to be tossed into the circular fire. "How can you sense that, Moroboshi-san?" he demanded. "We need police . . . "

"They'll just confirm what I've been trained to see," Ataru calmly cut the other man off with a raised finger. "You can tell the senior inspector the final count will be eleven dead and forty-two requiring hospitalisation, six of which might not make it if the doctors and nurses are the least bit off the ball. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to rest up for a while. Hey, Ranma!"

Ranma was helping load the last of the wounded in an ambulance for a trip to Tomobiki General. As soon as the first-grader was on his way, she turned as Ataru jogged up. "We did good," she declared, breathing out in relief.

"As expected." Ataru stared at the wreckage before he moved to guide Ranma off the property. "C'mon, let's get the hell outta here."

"Yeah, I'm hungry. Any good places to eat around here?"

"Nope. Only _good_ one that was here moved to Nerima."

Ranma snorted. "Gotcha."

"Moroboshi-kun?"

Both turned to see the Tomobiki High principal come up, along with two teachers Ataru was familiar with, vice-principal/English teacher Onsen Mark and boy's sports coach Hanawa Mitsu. "Hai, Kōchō-sensei, is there a problem?"

"Problem?" Hanawa walked up to pat Ataru's shoulder. "Certainly not, Moroboshi-kun! Such school spirit you demonstrated today! Now, I know you might've had a disagreement or two with your parents . . . "

A finger landed on his lips. Ataru's eyes narrowed as he gazed into his old homeroom teacher's eyes. Gods, hadn't this clueless jerk got it by NOW? "First of all, Sensei, I HAVE NO PARENTS! Secondly, they're two of the dead in there!" He nodded towards the school. "You can pretty well assume I'm MORE THAN HAPPY to be rid of both of those jerks now! Whoever arranged this little act – much that I personally despise terrorism – did me a favour! So kindly do me another favour and get this through your head once and for all: I will NOT be coming back to this ramen stand EVER again! The sooner I put you clowns OUT of my head once and for ALL, the BETTER!" He turned away. "Sayonara!"

Ataru sprang to a telephone pole, and then he took off. A woman's shout distracted Ranma's attention to a television camera crew, the reporter trying to get a statement from him. Ranma moved to follow before she found herself facing a camera. "Hello! I'm Tensei Michiko of NHK News." She smiled. "You came to help with the rescue effort with Moroboshi Ataru, didn't you . . .?"

"Saotome Ranma," Ranma introduced herself. "And no, I'm not interested in giving any interviews right now! I'm really tired! Excuse me . . .!"

"Wait!" the reporter cried out as she instantly dodged before Ranma. "Please, Saotome-san! You don't understand! This is breaking news! This is the first time Islamic terrorists have attacked non-American targets in Japan! Please, we only want yours and Moroboshi-san's opinions of this!"

Ranma paused, blinking as what Michiko said sank in before she sighed. "Look, lady. I really can't say why folks from the Middle East would blow this place up," she then said. "Though now that I think about it, given the garbage from two months ago with those oversized mushrooms and all that, these guys, whoever they were, might've had a pretty big beef with the folks livin' here!"

Michiko blinked. "You mean you support this sort of thing?"

"WHAT?" Ranma shuddered. "Hell, no! Look, lady, I'm really tired! I just spent two hours helping clean this mess up, so all I wanna do is get some food inta me, then sleep this nightmare off! If you'll excuse me . . .!"

"Wait! Just one more thing, please!" Michiko cut her off. "What exactly _is_ your relationship with Moroboshi Ataru? People here are saying that Moroboshi-san renounced Lum six weeks ago! Are you his girlfriend?"

Ranma gagged. "SAY WHAT?" She leaned right into the reporter's face, the glow of her battle aura making the camera crew take a step back. "Look, I dunno who put THAT stupid idea inta your head, but get THIS straight: I am NOT Ataru's girlfriend, okay? Shit, with the way Lum and some other chick named Miyake treated him, he don't wanna deal with girls now! Personally, I don't blame him! I'm just his friend, probably one of THREE people outside his family he can call his friend now! Is that fair enough to you?"

Michiko stammered before she sensed a hand touch her. She turned to see a man standing there. "Excuse me, Tensei-san. My name is Yumoa Reigi. I'm the executor of the will of Ataru's late grandmother, Moroboshi Nagaiwakai-sama. I understand you're interested in what's happened to him concerning his 'relationship' . . . " – his voice dripped with scorn – " . . . with the late Oni Lum and those two rōnin who WERE his parents. I'm sure given the incredible deeds she just performed, Saotome-san really needs a chance to rest."

"I . . . " Michiko then nodded. "Certainly. Um, just one more question, Saotome-san?" She turned to Ranma. "Why is it you became friends with Moroboshi Ataru of all people? I mean, you must've heard about . . . "

"Him chasin' girls?" Ranma snorted, looking away before glancing over her shoulder. "He told me about the crap he's lived through thanks to Lum and the nimrods here, not to mention the abuse he got from his parents . . . "

"_Ex_-parents," Reigi cut in.

"Whatever!" Ranma snapped. "All his life, he's been treated like garbage by almost everyone who said they either liked him or loved him. Well, let me tell you somethin'." She glared at Michiko, her voice lowering into a growl. "I know what it's like to be used, abused and BETRAYED by people who said they loved and cared for me! Family and so-called 'friends' alike! So don't tell me any of this crap about Ataru bein' the cause of ALL the garbage that's hit this place since Lum came! Far as I'm concerned, it ain't true! That's why I call him my friend, because he NEEDS _real_ friends . . .!" Her voice trailed off. "Just like I need _real_ friends," she finished in a whisper. Her eyes then fell on the statue of Lum, it standing in the midst of the devastation. "Matter of fact," Ranma muttered as she called up her ki and locked on target.

"**_MŌKO TAKABISHA!_**"

Everyone screamed as the bolt slammed into the statue, pulverizing it! Ranma relaxed before turning to stare anew at Michiko, a smile curling her lips. "There! I just did my friend a favour! He says he don't want any memorials to Lum 'cause he don't want people treatin' her like a god. Maybe that's not such a bad idea! I hope that when this is all said and done with, they'll put a memorial here to all the folks who got killed today. They deserve it more."

With that, she sprang for a telephone pole and raced off for Nerima.

* * *

"A-Ataru-kun . . .?"

Miyake Shinobu stood several metres away from Reigi and Michiko, now pale-faced as her mind rolled over what had just been said. To see someone whom she knew shied from violence perform martial arts feats like that Gatling-gun punch, making tornadoes in mid-air or fire off energy beams . . .! That was shocking enough to Shinobu. But to hear his words after it was done . . .

"First of all, Sensei, I HAVE NO PARENTS . . .!"

"I'm MORE THAN HAPPY to be rid of both of those jerks . . .!"

"Whoever arranged this little act . . . in a way, did me a favour . . .!"

And then:

"I will NOT be coming back to this ramen stand EVER again! The sooner I put you clowns OUT of my head once and for ALL, the BETTER!"

And then what the girl just said to the reporter:

" . . . some other chick named Miyake treated him, he don't wanna deal with girls now! Personally, I don't blame him . . .!"

"Probably one of THREE people he can call his friend now!"

And then there was that man who said he was the executor of the estate of Ataru's grandmother, someone Shinobu didn't even know of:

" . . . those two rōnin who WERE his parents."

Saw his parents as rōnin . . .

Said he had no friends here . . .

Would never come back . . .

Never wanted to even SEE them again . . .?

"Ataru-kun." Shinobu shuddered. "W-w-why . . .?"

"Shinobu?"

She looked right to see Sakura gazing at her. "S-s-Sakura-sensei," Shinobu stuttered before calming herself. "Something wrong?"

The nurse/priestess nodded. "Hai. It's about Ryūnosuke."

Shinobu felt a chill warp through her. "Wh-what?"

* * *

"You feel okay, Momoe-chan?"

"Y-yeah! It just stings," Momoe assured Kumiko before nodding to the paramedic. Both were relaxing by the fence near the front gate. "You okay?"

"My ears are still ringing," the other girl confessed. "I can't believe some terrorist would blow up the school."

"Is that what they're saying?"

"That reporter from NHK thinks it was some Islamic group. Why . . .?"

Kumiko shook her head, helplessly shrugging. "I'm sure they'll figure out what's up soon," Momoe asserted with a tired sigh. "The more important thing now is to figure out what's happened to Ataru-kun!"

A chill warped through Kumiko as her mind instantly replayed the images of the last two hours. Of Moroboshi Ataru demonstrating skills that could potentially help him defeat anyone Kumiko knew, even – Gods! The _horror_ of it all! – Rei-san and Mendō-san . . .? Someone who, if the words he just said to the Principal, Onsen-sensei and Hanawa-sensei were true, now clearly didn't want ANYTHING to do with Tomobiki in spite of what he did today.

Someone who just might have reason to HATE them?

Especially given their response to his 'girl hunts' in the past.

Her eyes widened at that last thought. "I'm scared, Momoe-chan."

"You're not the only one," Momoe admitted.

"What do we do?"

"Find where Ataru-kun is now. Then find out how the HELL he turned from a moronic pervert to Bruce Lee's adopted first cousin." Momoe rose, dusting herself. "And for that, I have to put in a call to a friend in Nerima."

Kumiko frowned. She didn't like Tendō Nabiki. "Why call _her?_"

Momoe winked. "Simplest reason of all, Kumiko-chan. Nabiki-san knows that 'girl' who was with Ataru-kun. That was Saotome Ranma."

The other girl's eyes went wide. "Oh."

* * *

Back in Nerima . . .

"R-r-Ran-ch-chan! Y-you c-can't m-mean th-that, c-can you?"

Mochizuki Konatsu instantly moved to comfort Kuonji Ukyō. "There, there, Ukyō-sama!" the male kunoichi soothed, touching several shiatsu points to help keep his employer calm and steady. "Didn't you see? Ranma-sama's just very tired right now! That reporter had no right to press Ranma-sama right now, especially after what he just did! Please, don't think such awful things!"

Ukyō considered that for a moment before she shakily nodded. "Y-yeah!" She rose, moving to stand behind her counter. "Y-yeah! Ran-chan's just tired, that's all! Ju-just . . . " Sobs then stole her voice as she collapsed back to the floor. "R-r-Ran-ch-chan . . .!" she moaned.

Konatsu moved to help her back up. "Ukyō-sama!"

The chef didn't refuse his embrace. "Pl-please, Ran-chan, don't hate me . . . " she moaned. "Please don't hate me, Ran-chan . . .!"

"Ukyō-sama . . . "

* * *

"SASUKE!"

Kunō Tatewaki shuddered indignantly as his servant appeared by him. "Hai, Master. Is there a problem?" Sasuke asked with a bow.

Kunō pointed with his bokken at the television, it replaying images from Tomobiki High. "Find out where Moroboshi Ataru lives! I have seen the beast in the company of the fair Osage-no-Onna at this horrid event at Tomobiki High School. Though my fair pig-tailed goddess had doth proclaim the beast Moroboshi as a friend just now, I, the Blue Thunder, do know better!"

"What, sir?" _Oh, dear! Whatever's got into him now?_

"It appears the beast doth have designs on my flame-haired damsel!" Kunō declared. "That she moves to defend the acts of one of such LOW character as he speaks volumes! Mayhap, Moroboshi and the sorcerer Saotome are in alliance to break the will of the pig-tailed one! And if she of the flaming tresses is broken, what is to stop those two monsters from bending the beauteous Tendō Akane to their evil will? I WILL NOT HAVE IT! Go, Sasuke! Go find the monster, then tell me where he is so I can smite him with my blade!"

"Y-yessir!" Sasuke trembled. When Kunō got into THIS state, there was simply NO reasoning with him. _Why me? Why ME of all people?_

* * *

Nabiki whistled. "That's an unbelievable story, Ojii-chan."

"Yes, I know." Happōsai puffed his pipe. "Most likely, Ataru-kun there was the _Saikō Jinseijutsu_'s last host before it got free. I'd say that happened five years ago or so, but I can't be sure . . . "

"Oh, my!" Kasumi mused. "That must be Ataru-kun's sister Negako, Ojii-san. Ranma-kun did say she was a superb martial artist."

"'Negako,' did you say?" The old grandmaster perked before he nodded in approval. "'Wish child.' I like that! I like it a lot!" he declared with a cackle, an admiring look crossing his face. "Yes, you're right, Kasumi-chan. Negako-chan IS a superb martial artist. What would you expect from someone born from a THOUSAND years of preserved memories and motor skills? So . . . "

Genma snorted. "So what? My boy could beat this girl with ease . . .!"

He screamed as he flew into the cherry tree. He then splash-landed in the koi pond. "**_WEREN'T YOU LISTENING TO ME, IDIOT?_**" Happōsai roared as Genma-panda staggered out. "_I_ could barely beat Negako-chan! And that would ONLY be if she was having a BAD day! _Cologne-chan_ could barely beat Negako-chan under the same circumstances! What makes you think your son could beat her, especially given how much you've SCREWED UP his training?"

"Then maybe Ranma-kun could learn from Negako-san, Ojii-san."

Happōsai perked on hearing that before he stared at Kasumi, and then he hummed as he considered that. Sōun and Genma stared wide-eyed at her, they wondering what just made Kasumi say something like THAT! "Why, that's a WONDERFUL idea, Kasumi-chan!" The grandmaster nodded. "Very well, then! When I see her, I'll tell Negako-chan that she can take over Ranma's training!"

A sigh slapped him in the head. Everyone turned to read. (**RANMA WILL TRAIN WITH NO ONE BUT ME!**) Genma-panda glared at Happōsai.

Happōsai's eyes narrowed. "I didn't recall giving you a choice in this matter, Genma," he warned, puffing on his pipe.

Seeing THAT, Genma dove outside. People watched him grab a beach ball as he waved a new sign. (**I'M JUST A SIMPLE PANDA!**)

"Fine! If you're just a _simple_ panda, you have NO say in the way MY heir's training will go!" Happōsai declared. He then flipped his pipe to send Sōun flying into Genma. "I don't want to hear none of YOUR idiot plans, Sōun," he frostily added. "Neither of you have the brains for it!"

"Well, if my son did say to that reporter that Ataru-kun has no friends, this will be for the best." Nodoka sagely nodded. She then smiled. "Besides, given how MANLY Ataru-kun looked today, Ranma might benefit from his example!"

The sisters stared warily at her as Ranma's mother headed upstairs. Happōsai shook his head. "That woman's got 'manliness' on the brain!" he muttered before stretching himself. "Anyhow, I'm off to my rounds!"

He departed. As soon as the aged grandmaster was out of sight, the fathers raced in confront Nabiki. "Nabiki, you MUST find where Moroboshi lives!" Sōun loudly ordained. "We MUST get Ranma-kun away from there and bring him here so he can marry Akane and unite the schools . . . "

Both panicked on sensing a HUGE battle aura behind them. (**UH-OH!**) Genma-panda waved a sign as the sisters scrambled to safety.

"**_I DON'T RECALL ASKING FOR OBJECTIONS, YOU IDIOTS!_**"

Happōsai's students then prostrated themselves before the grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū, both of them wailing a storm of profuse apologies. As that went on, Nabiki waved Kasumi and Akane upstairs to her bedroom. Closing and locking the door to ensure the fathers didn't bother them, Nabiki sat at her desk. "Well, isn't THIS a damned day of revelations?"

"Hopefully, Otō-san and Oji-san won't make things worse, especially if Ranma-kun wishes to remain friends with Ataru-kun," Kasumi mused.

"I still can't believe that was him!" Akane said with a shake of her head. "I mean, isn't Moroboshi Ataru supposed to be the guy who once vowed he'd have sex with ten thousand girls before he graduated high school?"

"Yeah, that took ME by surprise. Still, I don't think Ojii-chan was lying about the Moroboshis and their ninja ancestors, much less this Negako woman, either," Nabiki said as she scratched her chin. "Then again, if we want to confirm it, we could ask either Konatsu or Sasuke. They'd probably know a few things." She then took a deep breath. "Right now, we've got a bigger problem."

"What's that?" Akane asked.

"How the folks in Tomobiki are going to take in what they just saw . . . " – Nabiki gazed on them – " . . . and how that will reflect here."

"What could be the problem?" Kasumi asked.

"Biggest potential problem is Mendō Shūtarō," Nabiki reported. "He's been rivals with Ataru-kun since Mendō started attending that school. I often associate with a couple people at Tomobiki High, so I know much of what's gone on there. Beforehand, Lum was there to keep some sort of lid on things. None of the boys felt confident enough to take Ataru-kun out of the picture because they were afraid Lum would lash back at them. Mendō's the same way. Now, Lum's dead. Even more so, Ataru-kun just demonstrated what he really thinks of the people in Tomobiki. They can basically go to Hell in his eyes . . . "

"So they might want to test him about that," Kasumi mused.

"Yes. Especially Mendō. He's like Kunō. The fact that a 'commoner' like Ataru-kun stood up to him CONSTANTLY when they were classmates hurt the boy's pride BIG time! What's worse, unlike Kunō-chan, Mendō HAS a lot of firepower to back him up whenever he wants to show how tough he is. And he's not afraid to use some underhanded tricks to get his way. Tack THAT up against Ataru-kun and Negako-san. Then add Ranma to the equation."

"Oh, gods! It'll be a slaughter!" Akane hissed. "Ranma always sticks up for his friends. Ataru's probably offering him a place to stay now, so it becomes an honour-debt. And if this Negako's as powerful as Ojii-san said . . . " A chill warped through her. "I don't think even an army like Mendō's could last against ONE martial artist of Ranma's level, let alone THREE!"

"And more," Nabiki noted. "Ryōga-kun won't tolerate the idea of anyone trying to kill Ranma-kun. You can bet the Amazons won't like it. Cologne and Ojii-chan BOTH could deal with the Mendō armed forces by themselves! Then we toss in Ukyō and Konatsu. Kunō might want to join forces with Mendō out of general principles, but there's a chance Kodachi could put a monkey wrench into that, if not Mendō's own sister Ryōko getting involved . . . "

Kasumi shook her head. "It'll be total chaos."

"Yeah. And we've got loads of potential innocent bystanders all waiting to be snatched up and made instant hostages in case Mendō feels he's got no choice but to resort to those means to make Ataru submit. Including us."

"Hey! I could beat this creep!" Akane asserted.

Nabiki glared at her. "Can you outrun bullets, Akane?"

The youngest daughter jolted as her outrage melted instantly into shock. "So what can we do to prevent this from happening, Nabiki-chan?" Kasumi asked.

"That, I'll start to work on today," the middle daughter declared. "I'll bet that Marubeya Momoe – she's one of Mendō's more ardent fans and a bookie for me – will give me a call asking about what Ranma-kun was doing helping Ataru-kun out, wondering if Ataru-kun's living in Nerima and where he might be. I won't tell her anything, of course, since I actually don't know where he's living. And I won't say anything to her about that in the future until we get a handle on Mendō. There ARE ways to keep him in check, I think."

"Couldn't you ask Momoe-san to be quiet about it?" Kasumi asked.

Nabiki shook her head. "No. She's got a crush on him. That seems to be a common affliction at ALL the schools in that town. And he knows it, too. All Mendō has to do is turn on the charm and she's silly-putty in his hands. I'm not sure if he knows of her connection to me, but I'm not taking chances."

Akane sneered. "What a bastard! And I thought Kunō was bad?"

Kasumi nodded understandingly. "Oh, my! And I doubt Ataru-kun would like the idea of Mendō-san trying to hurt his sisters."

Akane blinked. "'Sisters?' What sisters?"

Kasumi beamed. "Why, they're the girls Ranma-kun met on Saturday, Akane-chan. Including the one who sent those bentō boxes to us."

"You can probably relax now about any of them being yet another fiancée Oji-chan forced on Ranma-kun, Akane-chan," Nabiki added.

Akane sighed after considering that for a moment.

* * *

At the Moroboshi home . . .

"Feeling better now, Ranma?"

Ranma breathed out before wiping her face of vomit. She had just spent time worshipping at the altar of the porcelain goddess courtesy of the mangled bodies she and Ataru had dragged out of the wreckage of Tomobiki High. Her host seemed more tolerant; he stood by the bathroom door as Ranma upchucked her breakfast. "Somewhat." She grunted. "Damn! How did YOU tolerate all that?"

"Let's just say I've seen it before and leave it at that for now." He waved her into the furo room. "Here. Let me help you wash down. Then you better get some sleep. We both need it after what happened."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, you're right about that."

Entering the washing area, she peeled off her clothes before dumping them in a hamper. He did the same. After wrapping a towel around himself, he waved her to a stool. Giving his body a detailed look-over, Ranma was quick to notice several healed scars and what seemed to be a bullet wound covering his arms and chest. "Shit! What sorta training did Negako put you through?"

"This . . . " – he indicated the bullet wound, it between the deltoids and pectorals on the right shoulder – " . . . didn't come from training." He waved her to a chair. "Here, let me wash your back. Your hair needs it, too."

"Dōmo." She sat, picking up a cloth to soap herself down. "Don't lose the Dragon's Whisker I got in my hair, okay?"

"Right. I take it you had dragon hair soup once."

"By accident." Ranma smirked as she started to wash herself down. "Don't need it now, but I hang onto it just in case."

Ataru got to work on her back. "I figured as much. I had something similar when I was off training with Onē-san. That's why I've got the beard and moustache now; it also affected my facial hair."

"Any way to cure it? Or curb it, at least?"

"Nope," he asserted. "Fortunately, I took a look at the Fūrinkan High student's notebook when I decided I might want to go to school there. The rules don't say anything about facial hair or hair length, so I'm okay."

She stared at him. "What? That's impossible!"

"Why do you say that?"

"Simple!" she asserted. "The principal there's a nutcase who likes bowl cuts for girls and buzz cuts for guys! He tries to enforce them on us every chance he gets! I can't believe that's not in the handbook!"

"Well, believe it, Ranma. I've seen the handbook and I know for a fact that the Education Ministry states that what's in the handbook is the final say about school rules. Your principal's been lying to you."

She considered that before sighing. "Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. Given what a moron he is, that doesn't surprise me at all . . . hey!" She gasped as he sprayed her hair, and then she glared at him. "Warn me, willya?"

"Sorry!" he replied with a chuckle as he moved to undo the Dragon's Whisker. Finding no place to put it without it accidentally being flushed down the drain, he undid the black jumper's cord he used to tie his hair, and then tied the Whisker around that. Setting the cord aside, he got to work. "Oh, man! You've got real great hair! That dragon's hair soup did you some good!"

"Think so . . .?" Ranma wondered before she moaned as Ataru's fingers massaged her scalp. "Oh, yeah! That feels REAL good, Ataru . . . "

"I take it Madame has not been pampered like this before?"

"Not like the way you do it. When I was off modelling, some of the people gave me a good shampooing. I could never trust Shānpú to do that, especially with the special shampoos her tribe has. But you do it . . . " She grunted as waves of pleasure began to radiate through her body. "Differently."

"Well, I'm just following the shiatsu lines here . . . wait!"

"What is it?"

Ataru blinked, gently pressing a couple of points on Ranma's forehead. "Wait a sec' . . . " he muttered. "Something's wrong."

Ranma tensed. "What?"

He jostled a couple more points, blinking confusedly as the odd feeling arced into his mind. "I can't tell." He shook his head. "When she comes back, I'm gonna get Onē-san to take a look at you, Ranma. Sounds okay?"

"Sure thing." She relaxed before she smirked. "Hey, Ataru?"

"What is it?"

She gazed over her shoulder, winking. "Aren't you the least bit bothered that you're sharing a bath with a gorgeous girl like me?"

He wiggled his eyebrows. "Would you care to test how bothered I am?"

Her cheeks reddened. He chuckled. "Ranma, I know how you see yourself. I was just razing you. But you have to admit, you ARE very beautiful as a girl. And . . . " He held up a finger. "One prime specimen as a man, too."

Ranma gazed on him. "Are you saying I should try to learn how to be both? I WAS born a boy, Ataru! I can't deny that!"

"I'm not saying to deny it, Ranma. Look. Call it Fate, Karma, what-have-you, but I think things like this . . . " – he indicated her body – " . . . don't happen to people without a damned good reason. Hell, given the way I used to act, I'll bet you that if I ever went to Zhòuquán-xiāng, I might've wound up falling into Niángnìquán. It's called a 'curse' for a reason, Ranma. It's meant to teach you something in the long run. The only way you can ever REALLY hope to be rid of this curse is to learn the lesson it teaches you."

Ranma considered that before she sighed. "I can understand that. Oyaji always said girls were weak. I believed that even after I took a dunk into the damned pool. And . . . " – she shook her head – " . . . look where it got me."

He nodded. "Right. Personally, I don't think there's a cure for you. Hearing about that Nánnìquán cask that started the trouble with you and Akane recently sounded fishy. I can't accept the idea that Zhòuquán-xiāng will let you go THAT easily. Uh-uh! That's not the way things like that work."

"What could've happened to me, then?"

"I dunno. Onē-san and Chikage might help, but . . . " He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ranma, the chances are there you might NEVER be rid of this." He waved to her. "So instead of moping about it and trying to ignore it, make it a part of your life. You'll be a better person because of it."

She stared at him. "Can you be sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Hey, look at me." He waved to himself. "Even after finding out what Onē-san's presence in my mind could've potentially done to me, I didn't REALLY envision myself as a serious martial artist of all things until she started to train me. And even now, I like to think of myself as someone who doesn't want to settle messes that way."

She indicated the bullet wound on his shoulder. "No, something tells me you might like more _direct_ ways of dealing with problems."

They gazed at each other. Ataru sighed. "I didn't enjoy that."

She smiled. "I didn't expect you would. C'mon, finish me up so I can wash you down. Then let's take a good long soak. We need it."

"Hai, hai, Ojō-sama," Ataru intoned in a mock Hindu Indian accent as he bowed his head towards her. "Sahib is working as fast as he can!"

She growled. "Why, you . . .!"

Both laughed.

* * *

In Tomobiki . . .

"So your brother wasn't badly hurt?"

"No, he wasn't, but he'll remain in bed under supervision for a couple days." Mendō Ryōko nodded her thanks as the secretary handed her a cup of tea. She then gazed on her host. "However, I suspect that along the way, taped replays of the news coverage of the bombing will be given to him."

Yumoa Reigi sipped his own tea before he sighed. They were meeting in his office at the summit of the Toranoseishin Finances Tower. "Which means that once he sees Ataru-kun in action . . .?" he began.

"Onii-san will be put off. He's already frustrated enough because Moroboshi-sama was able to elude him so easily six weeks ago. Add Lum's death, the bombing, Moroboshi-sama's newly-acquired martial arts skills to the matter and his supposed friendship with Saotome-sama . . .!" The younger Mendō shook her head. "He will not like that one bit. Worse, he'll most likely be scared out of his mind. Though he won't, of course, show any fear in public."

"Natural," Toranoseishin's chief of operations concluded. "I assume you do not desire to see something like that happen."

"Personally, no," Ryōko admitted, she then inwardly surprised that she would actually say something like _that_ to a total stranger. "Which means that something quickly has to be done to convince Onii-san away from seeking 'retribution' . . . " – the scorn dripped in torrents from that word – " . . . on Moroboshi-sama. Do you have an idea, Yumoa-san? Perhaps contact your guardian and have him speak to my father? Given also that there is soon to get underway a near-complete succession in the leadership of the Moroboshi Clan . . . "

"You know of Ataru-kun's half-sisters now, I take it?"

She nodded. "I learned of them initially about a week after Moroboshi-sama and his adopted sister went to Ōmure-jima. I didn't fully understand their relationship until Saturday, however. I assume that the eldest-born of that group – Sakuya, was her name? – will become the next Clan Matriarch?"

"When she turns of age in three years." Reigi nodded. "Do you suspect your brother might, if and when he finds out how strong our clan is, try to go after Sakuya-chan or any of the others as a way of striking at Ataru-kun?"

A shrug twitched her shoulders. "He might. Again, it is hard to say. Perhaps he might finally realise that his battle with Moroboshi-sama no longer has any meaning. Lum IS dead, after all. And much that I rather did enjoy the amount of fun her presence here provoked, I shall not mourn her forever."

"True. Personally, I'm very happy that Oni is gone. Hopefully, we will not see any of them again in our lifetimes . . . "

A knock. "I'm sorry to bother you, Reigi-san, but the coroner's office just called," a secretary announced after Reigi waved her in. "They need someone to identify the bodies of Ataru-sama's ex-parents before issuing death certificates. Given Ataru-sama's statements at the school – and given his efforts to help save people there – the authorities don't wish to bother him."

Reigi sighed. "Alright, I'll go down. Maybe I might get a laugh on seeing that backstabbing 'city-slicker' one last time." He wryly smirked, and then he gazed at Ryōko. "Would you please excuse me, Mendō-sama?"

Ryōko tittered. "Of course, Yumoa-san. I take it you and your co-workers DO bear a grudge against those two?"

"After what they did to Ataru-kun, what do you think?"

"I see."

* * *

Over the airwaves . . .

"Onii-chan, are you alright? How bad was it?"

Ataru gazed at the sisters – save Hinako, Aria and Kaho – from the Rinrin Viewer; he sat in his bedroom in Nerima. "It was bad, Karen-chan," he announced with a grimace. On seeing them tense, he essayed a smile to make them relax. "Hopefully, if Ranma and I were in time, those who were hurt by the bomber would've got to the hospital as quickly as possible to be healed."

"How many died, Aniue-sama?" Marie asked.

"Eleven, counting the bomber. I . . . " He paused as he considered if he should say this. "Your birth-father and his wife were two of the dead."

Silence fell as they considered that. Chikage sighed. "Justice does come to the guilty in one way or another, Ani-kun."

Haruka nodded. "Agreed. It would have been better for them to suffer what you intended of them, Anigimi-sama, but now . . . "

Sakuya sighed. "I won't shed a tear for them. How's Onē-sama?"

"She's being looked over by Onē-san now." Ataru sighed. "There was something wrong with some of her shiatsu lines when we bathed together after coming back home, so I asked Onē-chan to give it a closer look . . . "

The sisters gasped. "EH? YOU BATHED TOGETHER?"

Ataru gagged on his next words. He then waved his hands to ward off their leering looks. "Hey! Hey! HEY! It's not like THAT . . .!"

"Ani-chama has a girlfriend!" Yotsuba chimed.

Marie swooned. "Oh, Aniue-sama! That's SO romantic!"

Chikage held up the Lovers card. "I clearly predict that Ani-kun and Ane-kun will have a long and healthy relationship."

Shirayuki shuddered with anticipation. "Hime should start baking Nii-sama and Nee-sama's wedding cake right away!"

Sakuya wagged her finger at Ataru. "Onii-sama, you sly fox, you!"

"GIRLS!" he whined before his head drooped. "You're horrible . . .!"

Laughter filled the dining room. "Onii-chan, we're just joking!" Karen covered her mouth in a giggle. "Onii-chan, if Onē-chan was forced away from the Tendō house, why don't you both take some time and come here to the Island to relax for a while? Give her a chance to not worry about those people in Nerima? Onē-chan doesn't have to go to school until next Monday, does she?"

Ataru stared at her, and then he nodded. "All right. I'll bounce it off Onē-san and see if that'll be a good idea. If it's okay, we'll come to the island on the late ferry tomorrow night, all right? No offence, Chikage-chan, but I don't think Ranma's ready for the travelling rainbow."

Chikage shook her head. "That's no problem."

"We can let Aneki use the room beside mine," Rinrin proposed.

"Fair enough! I'll call you girls tomorrow with news."

"Hai!" the sisters chimed.

* * *

At the border between Nerima and Tomobiki . . .

"You should've told me you were hurt, Momoe-san."

"It's not as bad as it looks." Momoe shrugged as she sat beside Nabiki. The coffee shop where they were meeting was located beside a parking lot where buses from Tōkyō and Hōya ended their runs. Located on the border between Nerima and Tomobiki, this shop served as a transfer point for people wanting to travel from local suburbs to Tokyo. "You saw what happened today, didn't you?"

Nabiki smiled. "That I did. Quite an eye-opener."

Momoe made an order with the shop's matron before she turned her attention back to her friend. "How did Ranma-san meet Ataru-kun?"

"Don't know where, but I think they met on Saturday. That's when Ataru-kun got back from wherever he went to after Lum went home."

"Can you find out where he lives?"

"I could."

Momoe blinked, quickly sensing Nabiki's reticence. "I'd think you of all people would understand why I need to have that information."

"But do you comprehend what you having that information might end up doing to the people of Nerima, Momoe-san?" Nabiki countered.

"I'd think you'd want Ataru-kun away from Ranma-san."

"You don't know the whole story about Ataru-kun. Then again, it may not be so surprising given how easily he's been able to catch Mendō's katana every time the guy tried to swipe his head off with it. Now relax and listen . . . "

She explained. It took twenty minutes. By then, their coffee had gone cold. Neither cared. At the end, Momoe was as white as a sheet. "That can't be true!" She shook her head. "I mean . . . ATARU of all people? Heir to one of the most lethal martial arts schools that exists? That's . . .!"

Nabiki smirked. "Crazy, isn't it?"

"Insane!"

She nodded. "You got it. Look, I know you want to try your best to impress Mendō. Remember when you told me on Saturday that you'd sit on information concerning the break between Ataru-kun and his parents and how it affected Lum? This is the same thing, but now you know the potential consequences if you DO tell Mendō where Ataru-kun is. Because I guarantee you this, Momoe-chan: If he tries to pull his shit in Nerima, not only will Mendō have Ataru-kun to worry about, but Negako-san, Ranma-kun, most likely Ryōga-kun, the Amazons, Ukyō, Konatsu and maybe Kodachi. And THIS time, there's no Lum around to try to moderate things. I doubt Miyake Shinobu might be able to moderate things, either. And I think Ataru-kun's made it pretty clear what he truly feels about you guys in Tomobiki this afternoon at the school."

Momoe then sighed. "That's true. But, still . . . "

Nabiki tried a new tact. "Think of it this way: You don't want to see Ataru-kun mutilate, much less KILL, Mendō, do you?"

Momoe jolted. "Of course not!"

"Then keeping quiet about this protects him! Understand now?"

Momoe blinked as she considered that before nodding. "You got a point."

"Alright, then. Look, the best way to avoid any disasters is to diffuse a potential fight in the first place. I know that may not sound profitable, but lives can't be replaced. You know that. What happened today will hit a lot of people the wrong way. Chances are there, Mendō might decide to leave it be and get on with his life. If that's the way it goes, fine. You got no worries. But if he decides to press it on just because he can't let it go . . . " Nabiki held up her finger. "Just remember what might happen."

Momoe considered that. "Right."

* * *

Tomobiki, the Miyake home . . .

"How is she, Shinobu?"

Shinobu sighed; she was sitting at the kitchen table as her mother Kimiki washed dishes. "Resting right now. She didn't take well to the news."

Kimiki nodded, intoning a prayer for Ryūnosuke's father and Shiowatari Nagisa. Thanks to what Ataru and his lady friend did earlier that day, the police were able to quickly identify who died today. Atop the suicide bomber himself, a native of Qatar who might have – according to the rumours being circulated over the news – possessed ties to radical Islamic fundamentalists, ten people were killed. Megane and his friends, Moroboshi Muchi and his wife, two unidentified second-year students who had the ill luck to be in the hallway directly above where the blast occurred, Fujinami Fujimi and Nagisa.

There would be no body for Nagisa, Ryūnosuke learned. Sakura and Cherry told her why. Since Nagisa had died once and had been resurrected thanks to the Great Sea Urchin, if he died before he could have helped birth children, there would be no further chance of resurrection. Worse, the body created by the Great Urchin's magic would disintegrate, leaving no mortal remains behind.

Even though their so-called "relationship" had been quite rocky since the day she had met Nagisa on a tiny island in the Sagami Sea, it had just been too much for Fujinami Ryūnosuke to take. Shinobu had to carry her dazed friend to the Miyake home, arranging with Sakura to have what belongings that survived the explosion brought over as soon as possible. Shinobu's father Toshoba later contacted the family lawyer to begin making arrangements so that he and Kimiki could become Ryūnosuke's legal guardians. It was the least the Miyake family can do for her at this time, Shinobu sighed before lightly smiling.

Perhaps when he fully recovered, Mendō might be willing to help.

"It's to be expected," Kimiki mused. "Losing her mother when she was a baby, forced to live as a boy, then forced into being engaged with Nagisa-san . . . " Her voice trailed off before she shook her head. "Your father told me he's going to have Ryūnosuke re-registered as a girl. Turns out that her father had the poor girl legally registered as a boy all this time."

"Idiot!" Shinobu tried not to moan too much. Typical, wasn't it? She then shrugged. "Well, at least now, she can learn what being a girl's all about without her father or some other stupid fool getting in the damned way."

"True. We'll have to be cautious about that," Kimiki warned, she gazing at Shinobu. "She might need professional counselling, too."

"Unn." Shinobu rose, heading to her bedroom. Looking inside, she blinked before stepping in. "Ryū-chan, what are you doing up?"

Ryūnosuke sighed, gazing at the book in her lap. "Can't sleep." Shinobu was quick to notice which book it was. The tomboy placed the book down. "Why have you never told me?" she wondered. "That you're . . .?"

"A Catholic?" Shinobu chuckled as she sat beside her friend. "Well, I . . . " She sighed. "I didn't want to tell people, Ryūnosuke."

"Why?"

Shinobu wryly smiled. "Well, you know how much most people don't like those who don't fit into the mould. Though in our school, that didn't matter too much in the long term. I guess I was afraid, deep down."

"Of what?"

"Of having something happen to me. Someone attacking me through my faith in God to weaken me for whatever reason. You . . . " A pause. "You noticed what happened to me shortly after Lum was kicked off the planet."

Ryūnosuke thought about that for a moment. "Right."

"Well, my pastor – he's from Mexico – once told me my strength must come from my faith. A gift from God to protect me from the craziness that was going on around us. He . . . " Another pause. "I guess God decided that since Lum wasn't coming back to Earth, I didn't need that strength anymore."

Silence fell as the tomboy considered that. "A lot of things aren't going to be the same from now on, ya know."

"Hai. Jesu Cristo, to believe . . . " Tears brimmed her eyes. "Megane and his friends, Ataru-kun's parents and . . . " Her voice halted, she not wanting to inflict more pain on the woman beside her. "Dead! It's so unreal!"

"Pretty damned real to me," Ryūnosuke hoarsely whispered.

Shinobu blinked. Her tears then flowed as she drew Ryūnosuke into a comforting hug. The soft feel of her best friend's comforting touch shattered the self-imposed dam holding back her grief. Ryūnosuke shuddered as her tears spilled down her cheeks, the tomboy holding onto Shinobu for dear life.

* * *

Nerima, the Moroboshi home . . .

"Thank you for answering my summons, Elder Kělún."

"When it comes to Son-in-Law, I am always concerned." Cologne followed Ataru to the old shrine's meditation room. The Nǚjiézú elder had come alone; Ataru requested that through Tampopo to ensure Shampoo or Mousse didn't come to antagonize Ranma. Given what Negako just discovered about her, Ataru suspected Ranma was going to hit the roof when she learned of Genma's duplicity.

Privately, Cologne was pleased to see that the future patriarch of the Moroboshi Clan had acquired such a fluent command of Mandarin, even going so far as to speak it with the accent commonly heard back in the village. "Though I'm not too sure that he might be happy to see me, especially given the events of this morning . . . eh?" She stopped at the doorway, her eyes widening as she took note of who else was there. "What are you doing here, Happy?"

Happōsai sighed, puffing on his pipe. "What the hell does it look like, Cologne? Much that you consider the child a potential heir, I also see him as my heir, too. Besides, Negako-chan asked that I come here."

Cologne gazed at the others in the room. Ranma was laying front-down on a futon, nude save for towels to make things modest. She was asleep. Kneeling beside her was a woman looking like she was a relation of Ataru, yet . . .

Oh, Goddess, no!

Not THAT thing!

FREE?

"If you will reserve whatever indignation you might feel at my having achieved what I sought for so long, Kělún, we can get on to the matter at hand concerning your 'son-in-law,'" the monster then spoke.

Cologne blinked. She then sighed, moving to stand beside Happōsai as Negako continued her analysis of Ranma. "What's wrong?"

Happōsai sighs, puffing his pipe. "Turns out that idiot Genma was actually a lot smarter in certain areas than even I suspected."

"Look here." Negako pointed to one cluster of shiatsu points marked in grease pen for Ataru's benefit. "Do you see the disturbance?"

Cologne tapped the points, calming herself as she allowed the echoes from those points to warp through her. Her eyes widened. She did it again. Same result. She gazed at Negako. "How did THIS happen? When?"

"The 'how' and 'when' are easy," Negako replied. "As Happy surmised, Genma must have gone forth to locate knowledge of this nature so that he could, for as long as possible, keep his child in a mentally deficient state. As for the 'when,' it happened before he and Ranma left Nodoka on their training trip. What now should be asked by both of you is . . . "

"Why," Ataru finished.

Cologne and Happōsai exchanged a look. "I take it this isn't what you'd want of the child," the former wondered.

"Of course not." The latter automatically shook his head. "Any chance of properly fixing this up, Negako-chan?"

"It is easily done, but it will require time." Negako nodded, she staring knowingly at Happōsai. "And NO interference from those who would desire Ranma NOT to possess full command of her mental facilities."

He shook his head. "Not so easily done. Even with him putting his foot down on some of the things here, the kids in this place are so headstrong when it comes to how they look at Ranma." He made a dismissive wave. "Fools!"

Cologne nodded. "Agreed."

Negako nodded. "Then we have to make Ranma a less-desirable target."

The others watched as her hands blurred, fingers tapping points along Ranma's head, shoulders and back. Seeing which ones were targeted, in the combination Negako used, Cologne's eyes widened even more.

Goddess, to do THAT . . .!

"This might be too much," she warned.

"On the contrary. Given Ranma's current emotional state, it is a proper response," Negako countered. "Her unwillingness to strike at those who affirm they love her because of Genma's skewered morality and his misogynist attitudes only served to invite further attacks against her. As I repair this damage, I can also address the damage acquired when Ranma endured the Neko-ken training."

Happōsai nodded approvingly. "That would be a good thing."

"But . . .!" Negako held up a finger in warning. "It will extract a cost from all those who covet Ranma as a future mate."

"What do you mean?" Cologne wondered.

A chilly, emotionless smile crossed Negako's face. "Why do you think, Kělún, that I address Ranma as 'she,' not 'he?'"

* * *

Later . . .

"**_THAT BASTARD!_**"

Ataru drew back from Ranma, the outrage the latter now felt leeching from every pore on her skin. Negako was in the kitchen preparing tea. Taking a breath, Ranma forced herself to calm down. Sensing things were safe – he didn't want to see her wreck the first house Ataru could truly call his own – he cleared his throat. "Yeah, you can sure as hell say that again!"

"Who knows about this?" Ranma demanded.

"Outside Onē-san and I, Happōsai and Cologne," Ataru replied. "They vowed to keep silent about it, especially when it might come to those who'd be happy to tell Genma he no longer has any decent levers to keep you suppressed. If you want to know, both were peeved at what she found."

Ranma's eyebrows arched in disbelief. Even if Cologne and Happōsai respected Tampopo – thus, were willing to acknowledge the chef's suggestions about Ranma, that having led to the success of her recent "training" trip – she didn't trust their ultimate motives concerning her whatsoever. "You sure?"

"Hai. Look, despite the crap they've heaped over you, it's obvious that they both care for you. They want you to have as good a life as you can since that guarantees that what they might want to teach you will survive. They both see you as their heirs. Instead of grousing about it, take advantage of it!"

She considered that, and then sighed before noticing Negako step into the room. "Oh, thanks!" She accepted the offered teacup. She then sipped the hot liquid before nearly gagging on the taste. "Gyaah! What IS this stuff?"

"Herbs from Zephyrus that will begin the process of repairing the damaged neurons in your nervous system," Negako replied. "Here."

She tapped a point under Ranma's chin. The martial artist blinked. She took another sip. No taste, like drinking a cup of hot water. "Dōmo." She sighed, drinking the rest of the tea before sitting back. "Damn him . . . "

"You will remain with us until such time as I can finish with the repairs to your body," Negako ordained as she set the tray aside. "To ensure that no one might, either purposefully or accidentally, undo the repairs I make, I've manipulated certain of your shiatsu lines to create a special defensive mechanism that may remain in effect as long as you so desire it."

"What will it do?" Ranma asked.

"It will automatically, upon sensing that an attack through whatever means is coming, block any inhibitions you might have towards striking back at certain parties." Negako paused before she added, "Such as your 'fiancées.'"

Ranma blanched as images of what _that_ might mean flashed through her mind. Before she could object, Negako's fingertip touched her lips. "You have already taken on some lasting damage in your brain from all the blows to your head thanks to Akane's ki-mallet, plus whatever other objects she has used against you when she has her temper-tantrums. I can repair the damage, but I will not succeed in helping you reach your full potential if you allow those fools to get away with what they have. If they cannot handle the fact that you will not bend to their will, perhaps they might finally decide to help you regain your honour by cancelling the engagements on their own accord."

"She's got a point," Ataru mused.

Ranma looked down. "They'll hate me. I don't wanna get married now, but I don't want to lose their friendship . . . "

"Perhaps," Negako agreed before staring intently at her. "But what is more important? Their selfishness or your good health?"

"Well . . . "

"You did tell us on Saturday that they only see you as an object to be coveted, not a person. Didn't you?" Ataru added.

"Yeah, I did, but . . .!"

Ataru squeezed Ranma's shoulder. "Look, Ranma, let me tell you something. If that crap this morning didn't happen and if the morons back in Tomobiki decided to come after me to drag me back so they can go on abusing me, I'd be doing the same. That's what idiots like them need sometimes."

Ranma closed her eyes, she shuddering as she considered what reaction THAT could provoke. Ryōga, Mousse and Kunō would go ballistic. Her parents and the Tendō family wouldn't like it either. She gazed at Negako. "How long?"

"Two weeks. If you wish me to aid you in overcoming your ailurophobia, add four weeks. And if you wish to learn less violent techniques to more easily suppress your rivals – such as shiatsu strikes and the like, much less the basic manoeuvres in our Art – I need two weeks beyond that to prepare you. Genma effectively stripped you of any chance of employing your considerable learning skills in any other field beyond basic martial arts. That you mastered several ki strikes in your state alone speaks well of your overall ability. But you have the ability to do more, Ranma. MUCH more. Is it wise that you go forth and experience what you can, learn what might interest you instead of being a constant, unwilling slave to the wishes of others?"

"You know, on a planet named Yehisril, to be a 'willing slave' is considered lower there than what we'd view burakumin," Ataru added.

Ranma stared at him, and then her own hands. "I suppose so."

The Moroboshi siblings exchanged a look. Ataru sighed. "Look, why don't you sleep on it? We'll worry about it tomorrow."

"Uhn."

**_To be continued . . ._**

* * *

**WRITER'S NOTES:**

1) I began writing the original version this story the day before the world was shaken by the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon (the news of it was broken to me Tuesday night [Korea time] on 11 September 2001). Like so many, I was shaken by what happened. However, the sheer tragedy got me to thinking about how Islamic extremists might have viewed the "oil theft" depicted in the second _Urusei Yatsura_ television episode, "It's Raining Oil in Our Town." One possible result of that is depicted here.

**NOTE:** PLEASE understand that this is NOT meant as an induction against Islam, its worshippers or its beliefs as written in the al-Qur'ān.

**NOTE II:** The events of 11 September 2001 DID NOT HAPPEN in the timeline of this story.

2) Fujinami Ryūnosuke is a _Yatsura_ regular; she first appeared in the manga story "Battle Family" (manga episode #147). Gekasawa Kumiko is a minor character in the manga; like her friend Momoe, she appeared in the story "Even Though I Wait for You" (manga episode #27). The real names given to all of Lum's Stormtroopers are a mixture of given names that have appeared on various Japanese _Yatsura_ websites over the years and family names I created for them originally in _The Senior Year_. The family name "Mochizuki" for Konatsu is also my creation; the fanon assumption that his family name is "Kenzan" is incorrect as that word is part of a phrase meaning "I am here." Inu Chigaiko and Inu Fuchiko, Chigaiko's older sister, appeared in the _TSY_ story "Darling's Secret Date." The Moroboshi Clan's Scottish allies, the Clan McTavish of Killiecrankie, were first mentioned in the _TSY_ story "Together the Outland." Onsen Mark and the Principal of Tomobiki High School (whose given name is unknown) are also _Yatsura_ semi-regulars; they have pretty much appeared in most episodes of the manga which were set in the school itself. Hanawa Mitsu first appeared in the manga episode "Private Tutor" (manga episode #48).

3) Kurosu Kanami, Kashima Namie, Momose Tamako and Kodama Hiro are inspired by characters from the dating simulation video game _Omoide ni Kanata Kimi: Memories Off_, released in 2001 by DIC for the Dreamcast and the PlayStation 2. The given names for all these characters are changed from their templates as I found the original names totally wrong for Japanese girls.

4) The issue with the Dragon's Whisker was detailed in the _Ranma ½ _manga episode "Target: Pigtail" (manga episode #154).

5) A fan of _The Senior Year_, Sean Gaffney, took interest in the relationship between Yumoa Reigi and Mendō Ryōko; he wrote the side story "No Grudges" in answer to it. I won't emphasise it here, but consider Reigi's and Ryōko's little chat in this chapter to be the start of it in this timeline. The sentence "I have no grudges" is one Ryōko often speaks . . . usually before she drops stun-grenades on people! Another fan of _TSY_, Phil Gavigan, also explored Shinobu's background in the side story "Shinobu - Futures Imperfect;" it was here that he introduced the idea of the Miyake family being Roman Catholic and having a Jesuit priest from Mexico as their local spiritual leader (hence, Shinobu's use of the Spanish phrase "Jesu Cristo" whenever she makes an oath).

6) Translations (from Japanese unless noted)

**miso** – _soybean paste, normally used in breakfast soup  
_**torii** – _archway placed at the entrance of a Shinto shrine  
_**Kontō** – _Soulsword  
_**ōdachi** – _large sword _(an evolutionary earlier version of the modern katana)  
**Seishin Hasai Hi-Kōsen** – _Spirit-Breaker Fire-Light  
_**Tora-seishin** – _Spirit of the Tiger  
_**sayonara** – _good-bye  
_**ondol** – _floor-pipe heating system using hot water and gas_ (Korean)_  
_**gi** – _martial arts uniform  
_**bōsōzoku** – _violent running tribe_ (euphemism for motorcycle gang riders)  
**gakuran** – _variation of school uniforms normally worn by bōsōzoku  
_**Senpū Netsu-hi Daboku** – _Air-Whirlpool Heat-Fire Strike  
_**Seishin Shuriken Arashi** – _Psychic Throwing Star Storm  
_**Taifun Kaze-te** – _Typhoon Wind-Fist  
_**Kitei** – _Altered/Modified  
_**Shinzō Bakuhatsu Shoku** – _Heart-Blast Touch  
_**kōchō-sensei** – _principal of a school  
_**osage-no-onna** – _Pig-tailed Girl  
_**Ojō-sama** – _Lady_ (formal way of addressing an unmarried woman)


	5. 3rd Part A: Family No More

_"Onē-chan! Hurry up! It's time!"_

_Ranma sighed, looking over her shoulder. "Coming!"_

_She turned to gaze at the angelic image in the mirror. Perfect. So perfect! Opaque veil that covered her down to the back but could be easily drawn away from her face. Holding that down was a coronet of wild roses and daisies hand-made by her maids of honour the night before. White wedding gown that discretely flashed bare shoulders, bound in front by a red rose poised over her heart. No train behind her for someone to trip over. Bicep-length white silk gloves and low-heeled shoes. Result: One VERY beautiful bride!_

_Taking up her bouquet, she stepped out. Karen and Negako awaited her. The former, as one of the maids of honour, was in a veil-less, pink version of Ranma's wedding dress. The latter was in a lady's tuxedo._

_"Shall we begin?" Negako asked._

_"Hai," Ranma replied with a grin as she slipped her arm around Negako's._

_Karen in the lead, they stepped into the churchyard where Ranma was to be wed. A small crowd awaited them by the altar. Karen's sisters formed the rest of the bridal party as they escorted Ranma to join her groom._

_As she went, the sisters sang . . ._

In a country churchyard, there's a Preacher, with his people  
Gathered all around, to join a man and woman.  
Spring is here and turtledoves are singing from the steeple.  
Bees are in the flowers growing in the graveyard.  
And over the hill, where the river meets the mill,  
A lovely girl is coming down  
To give her hand upon her wedding day.

_As Ranma kept her eyes locked on the altar, her peripheral vision picked up a crowd kept away from the wedding. To port were her beloved's "friends" and "family" from Tomobiki. To starboard, her "friends" and "family" from Nerima. To ensure none caused trouble, they were bound in chains strong enough to resist the force of a strike from Ryōga's Perfect Shishi Hōkōdan._

_"Oh, the shame of it all . . . "_

_Ranma's eyebrow twitched. She thought all the fools had been gagged so she didn't have to hear any of their words today._

_"You failed me, Ranma! You are no man anymore!"_

_Ranma glared at Nodoka. "Well, I guess_ you'll _have to commit seppuku then,_ Okā-san_," she hissed, the scorn in her voice making Nodoka turn away. "What sort of_ mother _were you anyway, to ABANDON me for ten whole years?"_

_She looked away as someone came up to gag her mother before she focused on her awaiting groom, a glowing smile crossing her face . . ._

Dressed in simple white and wearing flowers in her hair,  
Music as she walks slowly to the altar,  
And picking up his Bible, then the Preacher turns towards her.  
"Will you take this man to be your wedded husband?  
To honour and love in the eyes of God above?  
Now let the people sing with me  
These words to live forever in your heart."

_Negako guided Ranma into place. Her eyes stinging with happy tears, the bride gazed on her groom as the priest, a woman with green-streaked blonde hair and a star tattoo by her right eye, began the ceremony. The sisters sang . . ._

"Let your love shine on!  
For we are the stars in the sky!  
Let your love shine strong!  
Until the day you fly!  
Fly away."

_"I do," she then declared._

_"I do," her groom echoed her._

_The veil was drawn back. They passionately kissed as their surroundings changed. Save for Negako and the sisters, all that came to the wedding faded, melting into a sea of headstones in a run-down graveyard in some wilderness village. Pulling away from her husband's embrace, Ranma looked around._

Many years have fallen on that golden country morning.  
The graveyard's overgrown. The church lies in ruins.  
Ivy on the walls and ravens wheeling 'round above me  
As I made my way towards the last remaining headstone.  
I fell to my knees, read the lines beneath the leaves  
And suddenly, it seemed to me,  
I heard the words, like singing in the trees!

_Husband and wife walked between the markers. Ranma's eyes picked out the ones with names she recognised. How befitting. How sad. She really tried to help them. Tried to make them understand she couldn't be happy with them, binding her life to theirs. Why couldn't they accept that?_

_Why couldn't they just let it go and make their own lives?_

_Why?_

"Let your love shine on!  
For we are the stars in the sky!  
Let your love shine strong!  
Until the day you fly!"

_She gazed on her husband. "For Eternity, my love?"_

_He returns her look. "For Eternity, beloved."_

_They kissed again as the sisters sang the chorus once more . . ._

"Let your love shine on!  
For we are the stars in the sky!  
Let your love shine strong!  
Until the day you fly!  
Fly away."

_Without a backward glance, Moroboshi Ataru and Moroboshi Ranma turned away from the graveyard – and all the failed lives interred within – for the final time. As the sisters followed them into the future, Ranma sighed, gazing fondly on the one person who truly cared for her. Yes. For Eternity, indeed._

* * *

Ranma's eyes fluttered open as she found herself in a dark bedroom. Disorientation seized her for a moment as she absorbed her surroundings, and then she relaxed as the previous day's events flowed back into her mind like an incoming tide through the Bay of Fundy. Shuddering as the dulled images of burned and broken bodies half-buried in the wing of a wrecked high school passed her mind's gaze, she stood, heading to a window to gaze outside. It was near dawn, the full moon brightly shining in the greying sky overhead.

The dawn of a day far different than any she'd known before.

"Strange dream," she muttered under her breath before she headed back into her bedroom to get some more sleep. After yesterday's events, she needed that more than anything else. They all needed it, in fact.

Pausing before slipping into her futon, Ranma's hand drifted up to gently rub her lip. It tingled at her touch as the surging warmth of that dream-kiss flowed through her once more. Odd. Why would she feel something like THAT after being kissed by a man? Hell, why was she dreaming of marrying a man? And why was it a dream and not a nightmare? If she had been "engaged" to Hibiki Ryōga or – Ugh! – Kunō Tatewaki . . .! THAT would have been a nightmare ranking with the ones she had about the pit of c-c-c-c-cats!

Was it because her "groom" was Ataru?

Why?

She shook her head as she slipped under the covers. "Too weird."

* * *

Chikage stared at her crystal ball.

"No, Ane-kun. Soon, it will NOT be weird at all."

* * *

**_Lonely Souls  
_**by Fred Herriot

_In A Country Churchyard_, written by Chris de Burgh.

Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.

Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

* * *

**THE THIRD PART, "A" SIDE - FAMILY NO MORE **

"Oh, dear."

"'S up, Kasumi?"

Kasumi stared at Nabiki before her eyes turned back to the disaster zone that had, not last night, been a perfectly spotless kitchen. The middle Tendō daughter joined her sister at the doorway to take a look herself. She stopped brushing her teeth. "Akane made breakfast?" she warily asked.

"No, I think she made something to take to Ranma-kun," the elder daughter replied with a tired sigh, remembering that a large saucepan was missing from the pile of cooking cutlery she kept under the sink.

Nabiki grimaced. She just noticed bottles of linseed oil and drain cleaner by the sink. "Oh, shit!" she then spat out before she helplessly gazed at Kasumi. "What the hell's wrong with her, Onē-chan? She should know by now that Ranma-kun ain't gonna touch anything she makes on her own!"

Kasumi shook her head. "This is not good."

* * *

The Nekohanten . . .

"WHY?"

Cologne sighed. "Moroboshi Negako discovered that fool Genma manipulated certain of Son-in-Law's shiatsu points to inhibit his ability to learn on his own free will. For YEARS, Son-in-Law was deprived of his free will to do what he might desire. An effective form of enslavement, I confess." A pause. "Negako needs two weeks to affect repairs to Son-in-Law's mind. If Son-in-Law acquires Negako's aid in eliminating his ailurophobia, you can add another month. Until that has passed, you will NOT harass or do anything that Son-in-Law might constitute as an attack on his person, Shān. Is that understood?"

Shampoo shuddered. Both conversed in Mandarin as they sat in a window booth in the Nekohanten. It was sometime before they would open for the morning crowd. "Great-grandmother, we have the means to help fix Àirén's mind ourselves," she then asserted. "Even more so, we can take the chance to fully win Àirén away from Akane and Ukyō, not to mention that honourless panda! Why are we letting the Moroboshis deal with this? We could lose Àirén . . .!"

An eyebrow arched. "Do we? Shān, you know as well as I why our tribe enters into alliances with clans like the Moroboshis and the McTavishes. In certain areas, THEY possess the greater knowledge. Believe me, Negako knows what she is doing, Shan. Let her do her work."

Shampoo considered that before she sighed. "Great-grandmother, please. I mean no disrespect, but I've never even HEARD of this Moroboshi Negako! Who is she? How does she have all this knowledge in the first place?"

The elder nodded in acknowledgement. "Alright, you deserve to know that much. Negako is none other than the living spirit of our allies' Art brought into physical form five years ago at the behest of Ataru. Her last host."

Silence.

"**_WAS HE OUT OF HIS MIND?_**" Shampoo shrilled, eyes wide.

Her fear was something Cologne understood. Nǚjiézú annals rebounded with tales of the _Saikō Jinseijutsu_, a non-corporeal database of combat and martial arts knowledge built over many centuries by the Moroboshi Clan. Those annals spoke of how the _Saikō Jinseijutsu_, two centuries ago, acquired free thought, and then began a quest to seize control of its hosts so it could live its own life. The first time the _Saikō Jinseijutsu_ freed itself, in the 29th year of the reign of the Japanese emperor Kōkaku, half of Hokkaidō had been levelled.

"No. He was only twelve." Cologne shook her head. "And in his innocent way, he understood something we, with all our knowledge, experience and wisdom, couldn't accept: The one inside him only wanted to do things those such as you and I take for granted. With the help of Nagaiwakai's friends on Zephyrus, that happened." A sneer crossed her lips. "And because of that act of good will, Ataru's honourless parents decided to destroy not just his life, but Nagaiwakai's, by manipulating an equally naïve Negako into erasing those parts of Ataru's memories which centred on the other elements of his family."

Shampoo took that in, paling. "You must be joking!"

Cologne mournfully sighed. "Believe me, child, I wish I was not."

Shampoo was barely able to fight down the urge to sweep her great-grandmother into a comforting embrace, allow Cologne the chance to weep for the loss of one of her oldest and dearest friends. But that wasn't done in the Nǚjiézú. It was seen as a sign of weakness, something members of the warrior tribe didn't consider proper. Especially when it concerned the honoured dead.

"So what is Negako like?" Shampoo wondered.

Cologne inwardly smiled as she sensed that Shampoo was still determined to chart her own way, analyse the new situation to determine what, if any, sort of advantage she could take to press her ends. "Cold, analytical, possessing a skill level all the elders in the Council COMBINED cannot match. And she is also protective of Ataru for more than understandable reasons. I caution you STRONGLY to not cross Negako on this matter with Son-in-Law. Now is the time to wait, not advance. Besides, the chances are there that Happy might decide, as is his right as the grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū, to ask Negako to become Son-in-Law's new teacher. You know what that means, do you?"

Shampoo's eyes swirled. "Aiyah!" To have children trained in BOTH the millennia-old traditions of the Nǚjiézú AND the Path of the Supreme Life, daughter-school to the legendary Star of Heaven Path charted by the immortal Master Hosan Hirosuke over nearly five thousand years? That would be as inspiring as if one of the Nǚjiézú married one of the Clan McTavish, their child winning the right to wield that clan's mystic honour blade, the Sword of Scotia. Much less perhaps locating one of the lost Talismans of Angus . . .!

Taking a breath, Shampoo sighed. "Alright, I'll back away," she then affirmed. "Àirén needs time to heal, not more pain! CERTAINLY not from that honourless panda or Akane! I can direct myself that way for now."

"Wise choice. Anyhow, we best prepare for the morning run."

"Hai!" Shampoo switched to Japanese. Moving to step into the main restaurant, she paused, staring back at Cologne. "Hiibā-chan?"

"What is it, child?"

She took a deep breath, and then she sighed, reverting to Mandarin. "Do you think that even if Àirén is healed, he might still want me? You heard what he said yesterday when he helped Ataru save those people at Tomobiki High."

"I did." Cologne nodded. "It's too hard to speculate now given how much is up in the air concerning Son-in-law. Don't panic. You'll disappoint yourself. And even if Son-in-Law might reject you, there are other ways to bring him into the tribe even if we don't have him come to the village. You know how much Son-in-Law's willing to help when it comes to people in need."

"You're right," Shampoo acknowledged that with a nod before heading out.

Cologne watched her go. "You may have to keep that in mind when Ranma finally accepts what she's become, Shān," she whispered.

* * *

Hikarigaoka Park . . .

"Here you go. That must've been hard work yesterday, ne?"

Ranma grinned, accepting the plate from Yamada Fred, Nerima's hamburger expert. "Hai, Fred-san, it was." A retired Ground Self-Defence Force signals sergeant, Fred owned his own yatai, keeping it in Hikarigaoka Park to solicit customers. To better understand his newly-chosen trade, Fred had spent time in the United States to learn how to create the fast-food delight places like McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy's made famous (that was also the place where he had gained his current _nom de cuisine_; Fred's real name was Yamada Fujimaro). Fred was also a martial artist, practising a variation of what the Kuonji family long ago perfected using spatulas and other kitchen tools.

Fred got to work on Ataru's order. "So you decided to leave Tomobiki and come live here, eh?" He put a patty on the grill. "Think it'll be a change? I've heard of how crazy things in Tomobiki got when Lum was living there."

Ataru shrugged. "To be honest with you, Yamada-san, I don't know. Personally, I just want to put those people behind me. I sure as hell don't want any of them dead, for Heaven's sake, just out of my life!"

Fred snorted. "You proved that yesterday, even if the papers in Tomobiki are giving Ranma-san sole credit for rescuing everyone."

"How'd you learn that, Fred?" Ranma asked.

"Tampopo-san told me." Fred's apartment was located a half-block from Kamekichi Tampopo's restaurant and the two, after getting to know each other, had come to exchange cooking tips. "Papers outside Tomobiki got everything dead on. Why'd they do that, anyway?" he then asked as he stared at Ataru.

Ataru snorted. "Typical Tomobiki mentality when it comes to me. If I do something wrong, it's in every newspaper from Naha right up to Wakkanai. If I do something right, it's not reported or someone else gets credit. I guess I'm just used to it. Besides, most of those who tried to play volleyball with my life are dead thanks to whoever blew up the school yesterday."

"Pretty raw thing to say, isn't it?" Fred mused as he placed Ataru's order on a plate before sliding that before his customer.

"That it is," Ataru acknowledged with a smile. "Itadakimasu!"

The two demolished their orders in rapid succession.

* * *

After paying Fred, Ataru and Ranma headed for a walk around the park. "So the girls want me to come visit them on the Island, eh?" she mused before slurping the milkshake she got with her burger. "Is that gonna be a problem?"

"The family finances the House. It'll be okay. 'Sides, we'll only be there until Sunday." He stared at her. "School starts next Monday, remember?"

She sighed. "I forgot. I just hope I can continue modelling. It feels good to have my own money, instead o' borrowin' it from Nabiki all the time."

He shook his head. "Not to mention being on the lookout for her and a camera wanting to snap photos of you _au natural_, ne?"

"How'd you know?"

"Rinrin-chan found a site on the Internet that splashes some pics Nabiki took of you to anyone who logs in. I told her to whip up a virus to destroy it, plus any hard copies whoever set it up might have in reserve. If you want her to, she'll trace down the name of whoever it was that set up that site."

"Good. I'll pound the creep when I get the chance." Ranma then blinked on sensing someone coming into close range. "Oh, no . . . "

"What . . .?"

"Ohayō, Ran-chan! There you are!"

Ataru turned as a brown-haired girl in an okonomiyaki-ka's gi walks up, a covered plate of hot food in hand. "Ukyō, I assume?"

"Yeah." Ranma then called out, "Ohayō, Ukyō-san. Is there a problem?"

The chef shuddered before she calmed down and shook her head. "No, there's no problem, Ran-chan! I just brought you some breakfast! I bet after what happened yesterday, you really worked up an appetite . . .!"

"No, thanks. I just ate," Ranma reported.

"So I made you your . . .!" Ukyō stopped. "What did you just say?"

Ranma gazed levelly at her. "I said, 'No, thanks. I just ate.'"

Silence fell as Ukyō's mind tried to absorb what had just been said to her. Her jaw then dropped in disbelief. Ranma? Her Ran-chan? REFUSING to eat her cooking? What the HELL was THIS? "R-r-Ran-chan . . .?"

Ranma slurped down the rest of her milkshake. Tossing the cup away in a nearby garbage can, she reached into her pocket to draw out a wallet. Ukyō's eyes went wide on seeing it was bursting with 10,000-yen bills. Ranma paused as she did a quick mental calculation. She then sighed, reaching into her wallet to draw out all the large bills she then had in her possession. "Hey, Ataru, can you spare me about twenty man-en now?" she asked. "I'll pay you back when I hit the ATM later on today before we head off."

"Sure."

Ataru drew out his own cash-filled wallet, pulling out 200,000 yen. "Thanks," Ranma replied as she took that. She then counted off fifty 10,000-yen bills before handing them to Ukyō. "There you go, Ukyō-san."

"I . . .!" Ukyō stammered. "What the hell's this?" she spat out.

"That's to pay for the okonomiyaki I ate while I visited your shop. I'm sorry for not having considered paying for your services before. That will not happen again." Ranma slipped the bills into Ukyō's pants pocket before the latter could refuse. "If it's not enough, I'll get you the rest of it as soon as I can. In the meantime, I want to spend the day with my friend." She then bowed to the chef. "Have a good day, Ukyō-san."

She headed off. Ukyō remained in place, unsure of what to say. She then jolted as Ranma called out, "One other thing, Ukyō-san."

Ukyō stared at her. "Friend or fiancée. Not both." Ranma held up a finger before she vanished under the cloak of the Umisen-ken.

The chef shuddered before she dropped to her knees, sobbing. Ataru gazed at her. His eyes narrowed as he turned around, ki senses quickly picking up the disturbed patterns marking an Umisen-ken-cloaked martial artist. Noting where Ranma was going, he then knelt beside Ukyō. "Hey, you okay?"

Ukyō stared helplessly at him. "What do you think?" she muttered. She then reached into her pocket to draw out the cash. "Here! Give it back to him . . .!" She stopped as Ataru shook his head. "Wha- . . .?"

"I'm Ranma's friend, Kuonji-san. Believe me, I don't want to get dragged into your petty little fight over who ends up getting to go to the altar with her. Besides, she's right. From what I've heard, you're a very successful businesswoman. Much that I do understand your reasons for being so forgiving when it comes to Ranma, it IS an unwise thing to be giving away freebies."

"I have no choice!" she hissed. "If I don't marry Ran-chan . . . "

"You'll be thrown out of your family. Yes, I happen to know about that, too. Believe it or not, there's a way around it."

She stopped, blinking. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say there are families who have, for a very long time, strove to care for near-orphans like you. Give them a home, a family who would truly love them, a base to work from to keep their lives in order. My family's one of them. If you really want to keep your family name, plus continue on in your chosen field of work, we can help." He reached into his wallet, drawing a business card. "If you feel you want to do that, go speak to this person. My uncle Komeru's his legal guardian. He can tell you more." He handed her the card before standing and turning to leave. "Ukyō-san, you're a bright person. You feel you're doing the right thing, trying to honour your father's wishes. But in my eyes, what happened to you is called 'child abuse.' And on certain planets I know of, child abuse is a capital crime. Have a good day."

He walked off. Ukyō watched him go before staring nowhere in particular. "'Child abuse is a capital crime,'" she whispered.

* * *

Nearby, Ranma sighed as she sat near a fountain. Shaking her head as she remembered what Ukyō just tried to do, she took a deep breath. "Damn you, Oyaji . . . " she hissed. "And damn me for listening to you . . . "

"Ranma! There you are!"

Ranma perked, turning to look left as Akane walked up. Cradled in her right hand was a large saucepan covered with a tablecloth. Tucked in her left arm was P-chan, a snickering look etched on the piglet's face. Seeing that, Ranma tensed, a chill warping through her body. "Ohayō, Akane-san," she then hailed. "What brings you about this part of Nerima this morning?"

Akane stopped, placing the pot on the seat. She cradled P-chan close to her as she sat beside the breakfast she made. "I came looking for you, silly!" she answered, though she was trying not to shiver at Ranma's addressing her so formally. "I made some beef stroganoff for you today! After what you did yesterday in Tomobiki, you deserve something special!"

Ranma stared at the pot. Her nose was quick to pick up the odour of linseed oil, an agent that, for some inexplicable reason, almost ALWAYS wound up in Akane's cooking. Plus there was the faint scent of a bleaching agent. Odd. Kasumi didn't keep bleach in the kitchen . . . unless Akane had got her hands on drain cleaner instead? "Aren't you going to try it?" Akane asked.

In her arms, the transformed Ryōga grinned. _Oh, here we go . . ._

Ranma gazed at her. "Akane-san, have you tried it yet?"

_Tee-hee-haw! Can't run from this now, Ranma . . ._

"I made it for you, you dummy!"

_Oh, yes! Open mouth and insert foot time . . ._

"Did you get Kasumi's help? Or Mom's for that matter?"

_Keep digging your grave, you bastard . . ._

"Hey, I can cook! I don't need their help!"

_Yes! Yes, let it come . . ._

"No, Akane-san. You cannot cook."

P-chan jolted. Ranma's last words had been delivered in a neutral tone, one that froze everything around them in place. A glance up to Akane sent a chill down his back; she was staring at Ranma as if the slime was about to unleash Sōun's Demon Head attack. "B-but you s-said . . . " she sputtered.

"I told you once that you were _improving_," Ranma barked as she bolted up, that movement causing Akane to duck. "I said NOTHING about you being able to cook. Don't put words into my mouth! I'm tired of that, atop many other things you've done to me. Besides, I've already had breakfast over at Yamada Fred's yatai. And since you don't seem to trust your own cooking, why the hell do you think _I_ should trust it? Hell, would P-chan want to eat it?"

She contemptuously indicated the piglet in Akane's arms. Akane shuddered as a familiar, almost welcome, rage billowed inside her. "Fine! I'll show you how good I've become!" She grabbed a pair of chopsticks from her skirt. Flipping the tablecloth off the pot, she grabbed some of the contents between the chopsticks. Cradling P-chan in her hand, Akane waved the morsel before him. "Here you go, P-chan!" she then cooed. "Open up!"

P-chan opened his mouth, not realising the danger. As he swallowed the food, his body locked up. His fur morphed into a psychedelic array before a pained "Bweee . . . " escaped him, his strength failing. As his consciousness faded, his last thought was, _I'll get you for this, Ranma . . .!_

"P-chan!" Akane gasped.

She then cried out as Ranma snared the piglet. She watched as her transformed fiancé drew out a packet of some powdery substance, and then she dumped that into P-chan's mouth. Scooping up water from the pool, Ranma poured that down the piglet's throat. Instantly, the transformed Ryōga's fur colour reverted to normal black, a weak "Bwee . . . " escaping him as Ranma handed him back to Akane. She gazed at P-chan as he tried to move again before staring at Ranma. "Ranma . . . " she whispered, unsure of what to say.

Ranma held up the empty packet before she moved to toss it into a nearby garbage bin. "I got this from a friend of mine. It's a universal antitoxin that can protect people from bad cooking, like what you create. Let P-chan rest for the remainder of the day. He should be back to normal by tomorrow."

Hearing that, P-chan blinked as a pained moan escaped him. _Damn you, Ranma! WHY do you keep doing these things . . .?_ he mentally railed. _How can I keep on hating you after you keep doing THIS to me, you bastard . . .?_

"Ranma . . . "

Akane shuddered. Staring at P-chan before she sets him on the bench, she stood up. Slowly approaching her transformed fiancé, Akane seemed to bow her head, burying her eyes under the bangs of her hair. Ranma gazed neutrally at her, arms crossed. Akane stopped before her, glaring into the false girl's eyes. Ranma did nothing. Seeing that, Akane screamed out, "YOU JERK!"

Her fist lashed out at Ranma's cheek. Before it could come close, Ranma's hand caught it, and then she twisted it violently to one side. Akane's scream of rage turned into a shocked cry of pain as Ranma's free hand lanced at her right elbow. A solid _CRACK!_ was heard as the fist slammed into the lower part of the upper arm bone, shattering it. Akane howled in pain, her eyes widening in disbelief and stunned horror as Ranma tilted herself to her side, cupping her free hand to form a ball of ki. A GREEN ball of ki.

"R-r-Ranma . . . " she sputtered.

"Good-bye, Tendō-san. We're no longer engaged. And you're a stranger to me," Ranma announced. "**_SHISHI HŌKŌDAN!_**"

* * *

In another part of the park, a silent Kuonji Ukyō sat on a bench, her mind rolling over what Ataru just said to her. She then perked on hearing the quasi-sonic boom that normally accompanied a high-intensity ki attack. Her eyes picked up something flying away from the park. Watching it, the chef was quick to notice that the hapless victim – it sounded like the poor sucker just got nailed by Ryōga's Shishi Hōkōdan – was female. Then she got another quick look before the victim began to descend somewhere in the distance.

Wait a minute.

That wasn't Ran-chan at all!

That looked like . . .!

Akane?

No WAY!

What the HELL just happened?

Standing, she raced to the part of the park where she assumed the blast originated. No matter what, she had to find out.

* * *

"Damn her . . . damn her . . .!"

P-chan stared at Ranma. Even though his body was still recovering from Akane's cooking, he had seen what his rival did to his fiancée. Or was that now EX-fiancée? Ranma shuddered as she lowered her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. Seeing that, the transformed Ryōga's eyes went wide. No! It wasn't possible! NOT possible! Ranma NEVER cried, especially in public . . .!

"So why aren't you attacking me now, Ryōga?"

The piglet stared at Ranma. She looked at him with pained eyes. "Well?" she wondered. "What's wrong, _friend?_" A sneer twisted her lips as the scorn poured like Niagara Falls from her lips. "Too shocked to believe I could master something only YOU could do? Shocked to see me hit Akane after all the times she hit me? Shocked that I told her the engagement was off?"

"Ran-chan! What happened?"

Ranma tensed as Ukyō ran up. The chef slowed down as she analysed the scene. Uh-huh. Pot of SOMETHING there on the bench. No doubt, Akane had the same idea Ukyō had after what went down yesterday in Tomobiki . . . wait a minute! Ran-chan could do the Shishi Hōkōdan these days. She doubted Ryōga could do that when he was in his cursed form. Then . . . that meant . . .!

Oh, no!

No WAY!

Her jaw dropped in shock. "Ran-chan?"

Ranma relaxed before she gazed at the chef. "Ukyō-san, feel free to tell anyone who might be interested that I no longer recognise my 'engagement' with Tendō Akane. Nor will I pursue an engagement with Tendō Kasumi or Tendō Nabiki. I no longer desire to associate with that family."

Ukyō took that in before she grimaced. "What happened?"

"Simple," a voice echoed from behind her as footsteps heralded Ataru's arrival on the scene as he moved to stand beside Ranma. "It appears Tendō-san didn't appreciate having her culinary shortcomings shoved into her face, even after her 'pet' nearly died because of those very shortcomings."

Ukyō stared at him before turning to Ranma. "So even after you save that jackass' life . . . " She indicated the transformed Ryōga, who perked on realising the okonomiyaki chef obviously knew about his secret. "Akane tried to hit you?" she asked. "What the hell did you do to her?"

"Broke her arm and ki-blasted her home," Ranma replied before she stared at Ataru. "Can you get Negako to work a little faster on fixing me up, Ataru?"

Ataru shrugged. "I'll try."

Ukyō tensed. "Fix you up for what? What happened?"

Ataru gazed quizzically at Ranma. The latter blinked before shaking her head. "No," she announced. "If you want to get the story, Ukyō-san, talk to Elder Kělún or Jijii about it. I'm not in the mood to talk about it now."

She headed off. Ukyō turned to pursue. "Hey, wait a minute . . .!"

Demon Head. "**_LEAVE ME ALONE!_**"

Ukyō screamed before she ran off in a cloud of dust. Watching her go, Ranma muttered something under his breath before she turned and stormed off. Ataru watched her, and then he gazed on the pot of "beef stroganoff" Akane had made. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated his ki into his hand. "Kontō!" he whispered as the soulsword blade formed, and then he thrust it into the pot.

As soon as the blade made contact, a wailing shriek escaped from the pot as SOMETHING tried to break free. Once the cut was made, the object sank lifelessly into the pot. He straightened himself, allowing the burning killer energy blade to rest on his shoulder. "'It's aliiiiiiive!' NOT!" he drawled before laughing, waving nonchalantly at P-chan. "Have a nice day, Hibiki-san!"

Ataru headed off, dispersing the blade. P-chan watched him before his eyes swirled, a pained "Bweeee . . .!" escaping him. _It's the end of the world!_ echoed deep in the transformed Ryōga's mind before he fainted.

* * *

The Tendō home . . .

"OH, MY!"

"What is it, Kasumi . . . eh? MY LITTLE GIRL!"

Hearing that, Nabiki, Genma and Nodoka charged downstairs, they looking onto the front lawn to see Kasumi tending to a bruised and burnt Akane. She had just smashed through the cherry blossom tree to crash into the rocks beside the koi pond. Sōun knelt beside his unconscious child, jets of tears dousing everything as he bewailed how badly his precious little baby had been hurt.

"What on Earth happened to her?" Nodoka demanded as she moved to help Kasumi carry Akane into the dōjō, they laying her down on the floor.

"I . . . " Kasumi then fell silent as she scanned the wounds, immediately noticing the bruising around Akane's right elbow. A gentle touch with her finger caused Akane to moan as she automatically rolled onto her side. A glance to the youngest Tendō's eyes revealed a semi-lucid look. Too dazed to answer questions. Sighing, Kasumi raced into the kitchen. "Don't move that, Akane!" she warned. "It's broken!" She soon returned with a splint in hand. The others watched as the arm was properly bandaged and tied against Akane's side to restrict motion. "Nabiki, summon the ambulance, please! We need to get her to a hospital to have X-rays done on the arm just in case!"

"Right!" Nabiki said before she raced off to make a call.

Akane was eased onto her back. That movement was accompanied by another moan. By then, Genma was examining the wounds. "A skilled martial artist did this," he reported. "No doubt, it was a surprise attack of some sort."

Nodoka gasped. "What sort of monster could do this to her? WHY would she be attacked this way? Akane-chan's such a nice girl!"

"My little baby . . . " Sōun burbled from the front lawn.

* * *

An ambulance's siren soon echoed through the neighbourhood. Kasumi rushed out to guide the paramedics in, they carrying a stretcher. Akane was quickly taken away, Sōun and Kasumi accompanying her. The Saotomes stood at the front porch. As soon as their hosts had left, Nodoka sighed. "Come, Genma. We best get to the hospital to ensure Akane-chan is well. Nabiki-chan!"

"What?" Nabiki called down from her room.

"Are you coming with us?"

"Tell Otō-chan and Nee-chan I'll be there in a while!" Nabiki assured them. "I gotta check out the health insurance and all that!"

"Alright! We're heading out now!"

They departed. Nabiki relaxed by her phone, she dialling a number to contact the family's medical insurance agent. Once arrangements were made, she hung up before sitting back in her chair. "Who the hell attacked her, anyway . . .?" she whispered before perking as the phone rings. "Moshi-moshi, Tendō residence, Nabiki here," she replied after picking it up. She then perked on recognising the caller. "Ukyō? What's wrong?" she demanded before her eyes widened on hearing the chef's answer. "What . . .?"

"It's true," Ukyō replied. "Put simply, Akane just blew her last chance with Ran-chan. And he said he wasn't gonna marry you OR Kasumi. I don't know why it led all the way to THAT happening, but Ran-chan said Happōsai or Cologne would know the answer. He . . . " She paused. "He didn't want to talk to me about it. Heck, he used a Demon Head to chase me away."

Nabiki sighed. "Akane, you idiot . . .!"

"Got that right," Ukyō affirmed, and then she sighed. "Look, I didn't like the idea of Ran-chan doing _that_, but I won't say Akane didn't deserve something like it for all the crap she's pulled on him in the past."

"Right. Thanks for calling."

She hung up. Rising, she marched into the room where Happōsai resided. The grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū was ironing his latest acquisitions. Nabiki sat, crossing her arms. "I need to talk to you. It's about Ranma-kun."

"I've been expecting that," he replied, smiling as he set the iron aside before staring at her. He then declared with a raised finger, "Before you judge him for what he just did to Akane-chan, you better listen to this."

"I'm listening."

* * *

The Moroboshi home . . .

"Want to talk about it?"

Ranma looked up as Ataru placed a cup of tea before her. Both were relaxing in the living room. There was a lost look etched on the former's face. As if she was wondering how did she get to this place in her life, was there a way to go back to the way things were before this . . . and most of all, did she really WANT to return to the way things were!

"Dōmo," she said as she took up the cup, sipping the tea before an absent look focused her eyes on the liquid inside. "I can't believe I just did that to her, Ataru," she then confessed.

"What part?"

"All of it. I . . . up to this point, I never really thought of standing up to Akane like that. But . . .!" Her lips twisted into a sneer. "Damn it all! I've saved her life gods knows HOW many times! I KILLED for her once! I gave up a cure to save her from being cursed on Toma's island! And THIS is the way she treats me, even NOW? What the HELL did I do to deserve THIS?"

Ataru remained silent as Ranma stormed to her feet. "And you wanna know what's gonna happen?" she demanded as she began to pace. "The instant they get wind of what happened . . . oh, hell, NO! That's not right at all! No! No! No! No! NO! Ranma doesn't HAVE the right to object to anything they say or do to him! If it isn't Mom sayin' I'm not manly 'cause I hit a girl, it's gonna be Kasumi tryin' ta lay a friggin' guilt trip on me for hurtin' her sister!" She slipped into a faux-Kasumi accent. "'Oh, Akane's really sweet! She's just a violent maniac at times!'" Back to her normal voice. "Then there's Nabiki, who's fuckin' prostituted every person she met just to earn a quick buck or two 'cause her father's so fuckin' LAZY, he can't start teaching classes! And PLEASE, don't get me started on those slimebags Akane and I have to call fathers! And that's JUST my so-called 'immediate family!'"

She shook her head, tears flowing down her cheeks. "I'm tired of this shit, Ataru!" she hissed. "I'm tired of it! I never really realised it until now, but I'm just TIRED of it all! I . . . " She sniffed before sitting. "I want it to end! But I want to do it right, so there'd be no hard feelings! But I can't DO that 'cause everyone's bein' a pack of fuckin' assholes, sayin' their problems matter first and the rest can all go straight to hell! Well, fine then! If that's what they think, they can ALL go to hell!"

She looked away, shaking her head. Ataru sipped his tea before sighing. "Now you know why I left Tomobiki," he then declared.

Ranma looked quizzically at him. "What do you mean?"

He returned that with a weary look. "For a long time, I pretty much accepted all the crap that was happening around me. Even now, all this time after I stopped doing it, I still don't understand WHY I did what I did when I was living in that place. I just basically ignored everything everyone was saying about me, from Muchi and Kinshō to Lum to everyone else in the whole damned town. I liked the idea of girl hunting. Hell, believe it or not, I liked the idea of girl hunting with Lum howling up my backside trying to make me stop! I . . . " He looked nowhere in particular. "What was I back then, Ranma? Right now . . . I can't answer that. I really can't answer that."

He sipped his tea before carrying on, "Then one night, Onē-san comes back and I find out that for five years, I lived a virtual lie. And that lie came about all because Kinshō really cared for nothing more than getting her hands on Obā-chan's money. She never cared for ME. She never REALLY cared for ME! What's worse, she bullied Muchi into going along with it! What did it lead to? It led to Obā-chan dying ALONE, that's what! Because of that, everything I did, good or bad, was stained! My whole life was a LIE, Ranma!

"So I decided I was going to take a serious look at what happened from the day Onē-san got taken out of my head to the day she came back. And I was going to decide what I wanted to keep and what I wanted to let go. And you know what, Ranma? When I got done with that, I realised that I didn't want to have ANYTHING to do with the people in Tomobiki anymore. I really didn't. Hell, I know none of them really wanted to have anything to do with me. After all I did to them and all that happened that I ended up being blamed for in the long run, I don't blame them for feeling that way. I . . . " He paused. "In the end, Lum was the only thing that I had in Tomobiki that I DID like. But I couldn't have her. Soon after I realised that, she died. So I have nothing binding me to Tomobiki. That suits me fine. Problem is . . . "

Ranma nodded understandingly. "Are they gonna leave you be?"

"Yeah. Excluding Onē-san, I've got twelve sisters I gotta worry about, Ranma. Chikage can protect herself. Haruka's skilled in her own right. The rest of them, however, are vulnerable, VERY vulnerable. Now, some of the potential problems got vaporised yesterday, but some of them are still here. And I don't know what the reaction will be if those dorks DO find out about my sisters. I really don't. I don't trust ANY of those clowns. I don't want to drag my sisters into this. I really don't. They're all I've got left in the way of immediate family and I'll not have that taken from me. Onē-san, for all her knowledge, does have some weaknesses that could be exploited. So I need help. A guarantee that I won't be doing this totally on my own."

They gazed on each other before Ranma nodded. "I'd be happy to help you. Believe me, if half the garbage you've been through is anything like what I've lived through, I wouldn't want to put kids like Hinako and Aria through that!"

Ataru nodded. "Alright. Then I promise you this: If, in any way, you feel you have to cut ties with the people here, my family and I can help. If you're made rōnin, I can see to it you're adopted into our family. Any threats your mother and father makes would be meaningless. And if Nodoka tries to press things because of that seppuku contract you told me about, I'll make DAMN sure hers and Genma's lives become a living HELL! Ditto with the Tendō family! Ukyō can be dealt with afterward. Kodachi has no claim. And if you ARE adopted into my family, Shānpú can no longer seek your hand in marriage since my clan, as allies to the Nǚjiézú, is exempt from the Kiss of Marriage laws."

"Really?" Ranma gaped before she smirked. "I rather like that!"

"I suspected you would. And if she sits back and thinks it through, Elder Kělún would like it, too." Here, Ataru winked at her. "Frankly put, Ranma, you're not the type to marry into a clan like that one."

They laughed. "Good point," she replied with a held-up finger. "Well, shall we wait until the storm comes down on us?"

They hooked fingers. "Let's."

* * *

The Tendō home . . .

"Please tell me this is some insane joke!"

"No joke."

Nabiki sighed. "How long has what Genma did been affecting Ranma-kun?"

"Since he was five," Happōsai replied. "On the one hand, I'm impressed Genma managed to do THAT to Ranma-chan without me noticing it. Hell, without Cologne-chan noticing it, either? Whoo! On the other hand . . . "

"Your hopes for your 'heir' would go up in smoke if he was turned into a mental vegetable thanks to my sister and everyone else."

Happōsai nodded. "Exactly."

"So what do you plan now?"

"Ranma-chan needs a chance to heal from what he's been subjected to. What Genma did before he took Ranma-chan away from Nodoka, plus the Neko-ken, then tack on the things Akane's done; THOSE are the worst problems. Ataru-kun and Negako-chan will help. Once that's done, we'll decide what to do next."

"'We?'"

"Of course! Don't you want to get back into the Art, Nabiki-chan?"

Silence. Nabiki stared wide-eyed at Happōsai before shaking her head. "How the HELL did you know about that, Ojii-chan?"

"I see it in your ki signature," he replied with a chuckle before sighing. "I take it Akane had something to do with what happened to your arms five years ago, right? That's what made you stop practising the Art?"

Nabiki nodded. "Yes."

"Well, maybe Negako-chan might help you recover from that."

Her eyes widened even more. "But Tōfū-sensei said . . . "

"Nabiki, I told you what Negako-chan is," he warned with a raised hand to stop her protest. "She has access to medicines and medical knowledge Cologne-chan and I can't touch. You go talk to her about this and she'll help you. What she might demand of you won't be so bad in the long term."

"Which would be?"

Happōsai reached into his personal hyperspace pocket, drawing out a picture to show it to Nabiki. "Look for yourself."

She looked. Ataru and a girl that was probably Negako, surrounded by twelve girls, they appearing as if they belonged at the Moroboshi siblings' side. She stared at Happōsai. "These are Ataru-kun's sisters, right?"

"Right. Remember what happened yesterday. Imagine what some of those lunkheads in Tomobiki might be thinking right now after what Ataru-kun said to them. Do you REALLY want to see these girls, especially these three . . . " – he pointed to Hinako, Aria and Kaho – " . . . hurt by the likes of Mendō?"

Nabiki shook her head. "No, of course not! But right now, Ojii-chan, I don't think Ranma-kun's gonna think very highly of any of us in this house. Not after what just happened between him and Akane."

"I know. Humour an old man for a second, Nabiki-chan." He sighed. "I'm not gonna be long for this world. I know I've done some nasty things in my time. But I tried to make a few lives better in my own way. I want to leave something good for people to learn from when I go. Genma and your father wasted their chances to do something good with what I gave them. It's a damned miracle that Ranma's come out the way he has! A MIRACLE, Nabiki! But . . . "

"He's just one person."

"Right. Now, Akane's got potential, but she's got to learn how to bring that temper of hers under control. And that's not to mention take some responsibility for all her faults. However, you have the greater potential. And all it needs for you to get back into gear is to get your arms fixed. Negako-chan can help you. And the price for that help isn't really so bad. In fact, if you help do that, you'll probably go far in regaining some trust and respect with Ranma-chan. And in both of you, Kurumi and Natsume (AND Akane when she finally grows up a bit), I want to place the future of the Art." He puffed his pipe. "Does that sound alright with you, Nabiki-chan?"

She sighed. "I'd have to think about it. I have to admit, I AM tempted. I've missed working out like I did before the accident. And . . . " A pause. "Maybe if I get back in gear, Otō-chan might decide to get off his butt and make our dōjō viable! I know that after my accident – adding that to Okā-chan's death – whatever heart he had in teaching was wiped out! Maybe I can bring it back."

"That's good," Happōsai acknowledged that with a nod, drawing out a folded scrap of paper to hand to her. "Here. That's where Ataru-kun and Negako-chan live. If you hurry, you can arrange some things with Ranma-chan before she heads off with Ataru-kun to visit his sisters." He then winked. "Then you'll have to deal with the rest of the people in this house."

"That's not going to be a treat, Ojii-chan."

He cackled. "Life never is, Nabiki-chan."

* * *

The Nekohanten . . .

"Please tell me this is some insane joke!"

"It's no joke, Ukyō. It's the truth."

Ukyō stared at Shampoo. Both were relaxing at a window booth. The former then shuddered. "Right now, I'm very tempted to make some panda steak okonomiyaki! Fuck! You'd think that after all the shit that jackass has put everyone through, I'd believe ANYTHIN' he was said to have done to Ran-chan! But something like THAT . . .?" Her voice trailed off as she shook her head. "Damn it all," she whispered before gazing quizzically at her rival. "Why aren't you or your great-grandmother helping fix Ran-chan up?"

"It's being done by a person of an allied clan to the Nǚjiézú," her host reported. "She's the adopted sister of Moroboshi Ataru. She's also the grandmaster of the Tiger-Spirit Clan's Art: The Path of the Supreme Life."

"Saikō Jinseijutsu-ryū? Never heard of it. Then again, I never heard of Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū until I met Ran-chan." A pause. "Then again, it's still shocking to me to see Moroboshi Ataru of all people as a martial artist!"

"Hai, this one thought the same way until Hiibā-chan explained what Ataru's honourless mother did to him," Shampoo replied. On seeing the chef's confused look, the warrior-maiden then told her what Cologne told her earlier.

Hearing that, Ukyō winced. "Shit!" she spat out. "No wonder he said yesterday that he was glad his parents were dead!"

"This one agrees . . .! Oh, Hiibā-chan!"

Cologne pogo-sticked over to their table. "If you girls are interested in visiting Son-in-Law today . . . " She held up a folded sheet of paper with a wry smile. "Though I DO hope you'll both exercise some caution given what his mood might be right now after his encounter with Tendō Akane this morning at the park . . . " With that, she handed the paper to Shampoo. "That is where Moroboshi Ataru and Moroboshi Negako presently live."

Shampoo opened the note, scanning it before showing it to Ukyō. The chef took the information displayed there in. "Kasuga-chō, huh? That's not too far away. Let's get some things made up and take them over for lunch."

Shampoo rose. "Hai!"

"Before you go, Ukyō . . . " Cologne reached into her jersey, and then she tossed a small bottle at the chef. "Put that into your batter mix."

Ukyō caught it. "What's this stuff?" She glanced into the bottle, noting that it was filled with a reddish-orange powder.

"It's an herbal mix that's meant to help heal severe brain trauma or other sorts of lasting neural damage," Cologne explained as she gave the chef a knowing look. "I'm sure Negako's already giving Son-in-Law something to help him heal. The more he takes in, the faster the healing process will be."

"Sounds pretty logical. Why give this to me, then? And how can I trust this IS what you say it is? For all I know, this could be some sort of poison that might make me look bad in front of Ran-chan."

Cologne smirked. "My dear, it's simple. He knows you're not the type of use poisons or any other sort of drug. Besides, if Son-in-Law ISN'T healed, he won't be of use to ANY of us. Wouldn't you agree?"

Ukyō nodded. "Good point."

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere close to Sapporo on Hokkaidō . . .

"We're moving to Tokyo? Why, Mom?"

Yoshino Mai gazed serenely on her daughter. "Tomomi-chan, you saw what happened on the television yesterday, didn't you?"

Tomomi, a blue-eyed girl with long brown hair tied in a high ponytail and a body that just made men's mouths water, considered her mother's question. Both were relaxing in the Yoshino home in Kita-Hiroshima. "Hai, I did. But what makes you think Moroboshi Ataru or Saotome Ranma can help us? It's been years since you or any of the others had any contact with the factory, much less those Niphentaxians who sent you here . . . "

"The factory's here, Tomomi-chan."

Silence fell like a guillotine as Tomomi stared wide-eyed at Mai. Tears instantly sprang in her eyes as the potential implications of THAT statement sank in. "No . . . n-no . . . they're gonna take you away . . . n-n-no . . .!"

She flew into Mai's arms. The older woman cradled her child – something few Avalonians could have ever contemplated having since the Great Awakening and their enslavement by the Invaders – close. "Hush, dear! Hush!" she cooed to quiet Tomomi's sobbing. "Hush! It's all right, dear! You know I've no link to the factory! That happened the day you were born, Tomomi-chan! Hush!"

Tomomi shuddered before she pulled away, staring hopefully in her mother's eyes. "A-are y-y-you sure, M-mom . . .?"

"Hai, I'm quite sure." Mai allowed Tomomi to compose herself. "Now, we've arranged with the Fujiki family for us to live at one of their apartment complexes. They own one in the outskirts of Tomobiki, so it'd be alright for you to attend classes at Tomobiki High." She patted Tomomi's hand. "And you won't be alone, Tomomi-chan. Minako-chan and Kyōko-chan will be there."

Tomomi's eyes instinctively fell on a picture of her and two other girls – her closest and dearest friends – taken in a Tokyo park; it was sitting on a side table beside the couch. Ikusawa Kyōko, a native of Mito, northeast of Tōkyō, was an aspiring fashion model. Sawada Minako, a native of Maizuru, north of Kyōto, was a sports fanatic who specialized in kendō and other martial arts; she had won several prefecture championships to date.

And like Tomomi, Kyōko and Minako were half-Avalonians. Daughters of specially grown bioroids, by-products of a giant factory constructed fourteen millennia ago by an extinct race known as the Sagussans, and then discovered eight decades ago by another race, the Niphentaxians. For the "Invaders" (as the Niphentaxians came to be called by the Avalonians), discovering the factory created a mass market for cheap slave labour, especially of the sexual kind. But unlike slave societies elsewhere, the Niphentaxians vigilantly kept the existence of their beautiful bioroids a top secret from the galaxy at large.

To the day Mai and her sisters were sent to Earth, that state of affairs had not changed. For good reason. Like their mothers (dispatched to Earth over twenty years before by a pro-Avalonian sect seeking to finally emancipate the bioroids), Tomomi and her friends were blessed with great physical and psionic abilities. That helped them when dealing with the problems plaguing teenage girls their age. In a positive way, of course; Tomomi, Kyōko and Minako were quite popular at their high schools, both among their peers and their teachers. They didn't take advantage of that, of course; atop it being not ethical, it would ultimately attract all sorts of unwelcome attention. Something that, given events in Tomobiki, bode ill for them AND their mothers.

Tomomi's eyebrow arched. "So when we get there, you want us to . . .?"

A nod. "Ataru-kun would be preferable. If you can coerce both Ataru-kun and Ranma-chan to our cause, that would be all the better. None of us know why the factory is here, but it's in synchronous orbit over Tomobiki High. Sayuri-chan's, Masumi-chan's and Seina-chan's mothers confirmed that last night. As to the 'why' . . .?" Her voice trailed off as Mai gave her daughter a shrug.

Tomomi nodded understandingly. "Right."

* * *

Back in Nerima . . .

"Tōfū-sensei, is that you? Where've you been all this time?"

A bespectacled chiropractor turned from hanging up his office shingle, grinning. "Busy learning new things, Nabiki-chan." Ono Tōfū then turned to draw Nabiki into a warm embrace. "For the medical profession, much like martial arts, learning never stops. How is everyone right now?"

Nabiki pulled away, sighing. "Good and not-so-good, depending on who you're talking about, Sensei. A lot of things have changed."

Tōfū sighed. "I'd suspect the primary changes would concern what's happening between Ranma-kun and Akane-chan. How are they?"

"Hard to say," her voice dropped. "Six weeks ago, they were within a hair's breadth of getting married. I had to stop that because . . .!" She stopped. "You know how it is, Sensei! They're way too young to get married!"

"In that, I agree, but you know how much your father's pinned his hopes on uniting the schools of your Art," he reminded her.

"Yes, I know. And if they were given the chance, I'm sure they'd have been happy to get married sometime in the future. But guess what happened? Not two weeks after the first attempt, Otō-chan and Oji-chan tried to railroad them into another wedding ceremony, completely ignoring the fact that Ranma-kun's got two other official suitors plus a third would-be suitor in Kunō Kodachi! Well, after that fight, Ranma-kun just went ballistic! And today . . . " Here, she stopped again, shaking her head. "Akane pushed him over the edge."

He tensed. "And?"

"According to Kuonji Ukyō, Ranma-kun no longer wishes to have anything to do with our family," Nabiki reported. "And according to Onē-chan, Ranma-kun's finally reached his limit when it comes to tolerating Akane hitting him. This morning, Akane learned that the hard way. She's in hospital."

Silence.

"Ranma would NEVER hit a girl!" Tōfū stated.

"Oh? I take it you didn't see what happened yesterday on the TV."

"I did see that. And I can understand why Ranma-kun might've lost his temper, especially after hearing how many people were killed in that blast," he noted before blinking as something came to him. "Wait a minute." He closed his eyes for a second before staring at Nabiki. "How long ago did Ranma-kun meet Moroboshi Ataru? Has Ranma-kun met Ataru's adopted sister Negako yet?"

Nabiki's jaw dropped. "You know Negako?"

"Yes, I do. By the tone of your voice, I think you know exactly WHAT she is, too. Has Master Happōsai told you anything?"

"Told us yesterday after the fireworks at Tomobiki High stopped," she admitted. "Matter of fact, Ojii-chan told me today Negako-san discovered that Ranma-kun's been taking on heavy damage in his brain from all of Akane's mallet strikes and everything else that's hit his head over the last while. To make sure he can heal, she manipulated his shiatsu lines to break his inhibitions when it comes to hitting people, especially those he cares for. And . . . "

"How badly was Akane-chan hurt?"

"Shattered right upper arm bone and ki-burns on her side when Ranma-kun sent her from Hikarigaoka to the house with a Shishi Hōkōdan," she stated before chuckling. "Damn, the others are going to freak when they find out."

"Unless they're told the right way."

"Right," Nabiki affirmed with a nod. "I'll do that with Onē-chan and Ranma-kun's mom before dropping the boom on Otō-chan and Oji-chan. I think when Oba-chan learns about that, not to mention another thing Oji-chan pulled on Ranma-kun, any protests from him or Otō-chan will be a lot of hot air."

"I thought Ranma-kun's mother was . . .! Oh, hello, Elder! Shānpú! Mùsī!" Toofuu glanced past Nabiki as footfalls heralded the arrival of three Nǚjiézú warriors. "What brings you about these parts?"

"You of course, young man! It's good to see you again," Cologne replied with a grin as Shampoo and Mousse bowed respectfully to the chiropractor. The warrior-maiden had a take-out box in hand for when she saw Ranma. "I trust your trip went well," the elder then noted. "You seem to have learned a lot."

"Indeed I did, Elder," Tōfū admitted.

"What of your problem with Tendō Kasumi, Sensei?" Mousse asked.

"Hopefully, the 'love madness' that clicked in when someone spoke of Kasumi or whenever I saw her won't affect me while in her presence." He stared knowingly at Nabiki as he added, "I can't be a doctor to anyone if I lose total control of myself like that around your sister, Nabiki-chan." He then sighed. "However, it does not mean I'm fully rid of it, though."

"What do you mean?" Nabiki asked before looking past Tōfū as a _toot!_ echoed through the streets. "What the hell's THAT?"

Hearing that noise, Tōfū jerked, sweat pouring down his face as his glasses started to fog. "Oh, no . . .!" he whispered, his fingernails then under dire threat from chattering teeth. "Why am I hearing THAT sound HERE?"

Everyone looked quizzically at the chiropractor as the road train from the Toranoseishin Tower slowed down. "Eh?"

"Ah! Ono-sensei! What're you doing here?"

Tōfū jolted before turning, a chuckle escaping him as he waved at the sisters. "Mamoru-chan! Everyone! Hello!" He scratched the back of his head as his eyes scanned the passenger compartment for a particular face. _Odd! The others are there. And I know their brother and sister are both in Nerima; I've sensed Negako-san since I came back here! But where on Earth's . . .?_

"Ya, Tōfū-kun."

He spun to see an amused Chikage gazing at him. "Chi-chi-chi-CHIKAGE!" he screamed, nearly leaping out of his clothes at the sorceress' appearance – not that the others who had been speaking to the chiropractor weren't ALSO taken aback by Chikage popping out of NOWHERE! – and then he feebly waved. "Ah, h-h-hello, Chi-Chikage-san! You're l-l-looking well, t-today."

"Chikage-chan, SHAME on you!" Sakuya declared with a chuckle as the road train stopped, the sisters then disembarking to join their sibling and the chiropractor. "Honestly! Flirting around with a man twice your age!" She wagged her finger at the sorceress, smirking. "What would Onii-sama say?"

"Sakuya." Chikage's voice was thicker than molasses in its faux sweetness. That phrase made Tōfū shudder as his glasses fogged over. "It's not my fault that Tōfū-kun happens to be a fan of occult studies and spent some of his training journey with both Ane-kun and my grandfather learning all that he could learn from them." She looked at him. "Ne, Tōfū-kun?"

"Ah . . .!" The chiropractor sputtered before gazing confusedly at the sorceress. "Why, Marie-chan. Your complexion is almost gone!" he declared, ignoring the fact that Marie was now standing BEHIND him. "You should get out in the sun more often! It's only healthy! Oh, hello, Michael!" he spoke to Shampoo. "My, you've grown. There's no need for you to sit up on your hind legs like that, young man! I have no snacks to give you . . .!"

"CHECKY!"

A huge eye loomed before him, causing Tōfū to scream as he collapsed on his backside. Seeing him freak out at Yotsuba appearing before him with her spyglass, the other sisters laughed. "Tōfū-sensei's so funny!" Hinako said.

Yotsuba hummed before sighing as she lowered her spyglass. "It appears that no matter how much Ane-chama tried to help him get over this, Yotsuba can only conclude that Ono-sensei is still under his love-curse."

"Ah . . . ha . . .!" Tōfū breathed out before relaxing. "Oh, arigatō, Yotsuba-chan! I thought I'd never recover from that!"

Chikage shook her head before heading off. "Poor man."

The chiropractor warily watched her walk back to the road train. He then blinked as Nabiki gave him a knowing look. "Nabiki, it's not what it seems, for heaven's sake!" he immediately protested, waving his arms in reassurance.

"Suuuuuuuuure, Sensei," Nabiki slurred. "I'm sure Onē-chan will be impressed when I tell her this one."

She turned to head off. "Yotsuba will have to tell Kasumi-san that Ono-sensei fell in love with Chikage-chan's previous incarnation," Yotsuba reported as she remembered what Ranma told her about the middle Tendō daughter.

Everyone gazed at the would-be detective. "EH?"

The London-raised sister nodded. "It's checky! Yotsuba heard Ono-sensei crying about his beautiful Princess (who looks like an older Chikage-chan) one day and how he had a nightmare about him not being able to save her from some mean death-spirit in a castle. Yotsuba found out Chikage-chan's grandfather sent Ono-sensei on an exercise into some spirit dimension where he could learn to fight all sorts of ghosts." She pointed to a pendant hung around Chikage's neck. "It was so easy to check, especially since Chikage-chan's little golden cross is the same as the cross Ono-sensei's beautiful Princess had!"

Hinako cheered. "Waaai! Tōfū-sensei can fight ghosts!"

"YOTSUBA!" Tōfū screamed out, totally mortified.

Marie swooned, clapping her hands. "Oh, it's SO romantic! To actually love someone even after they've died! Such devotion!"

"Marie-chan . . .!" Tōfū moaned.

Everyone living in Nerima sweated. "Those girls are cruel," Nabiki whispered. "I wonder if they treat Ataru-kun the same way!"

Shampoo nodded. "This one's not sure she wants to find out."

"Hey, Sensei! What're you doing back here?" a voice then hailed.

"Hello, Ukyō-san." Tōfū waved as the chef came up. Grateful someone had arrived to divert his attention from his Princ- . . .! – er, Chikage! – he noted the take-out box. "Oh! Did you make that for Ranma-kun?"

"Yeah, I did! I'm sure Ran-chan will definitely be glad to see you back! So when did you get back, anyway? Where'd you go?"

"Tōfū-sensei came to Promised Island last year to meet Hina and Hina's sisters," Hinako answered before Tōfū could respond. "That's when Tōfū-sensei trained with Onē-tama and fell in love with Chikage-chan!"

"Hinako-chan!" Karen gently scolded before the chiropractor could descend into another bout of hysterics concerning the sorceress.

Hinako gazed innocently at her. "But it's true!"

Tōfū moaned. Sakuya smiled. "Well, if you're all looking to see Onē-sama, we're heading there right now. She's staying with Onii-sama and Negako-onēsama over at their new place. Hopefully, we'll try to coax Onē-sama to take the travelling rainbow back to Promised Island tonight."

Nabiki blinked. "'Travelling rainbow?'"

"Yes, it's a pretty fascinating way to travel . . . urk!" Tōfū gargled on seeing Chikage glance his way. "Ah, ha-ha-ha-ha . . .!"

"Unfortunately, the normal ferry to the island's out of commission because of engine troubles," Sakuya provided before waving the sisters back to the road train. "Whoever wants to come visit Onē-sama, hop aboard!"

"Aiyah! This one wants to come!"

"Wait for me! I gotta see Ran-chan, too!"

"Shānpú, why must you go to . . . _Quack!_"

Haruka quickly covered Aria's eyes. "Don't look, Aria-chan!"

The young Parisian blinked. "Did something happen, Haruka-chan?"

Cologne stowed the empty canteen of cold water she kept on her person for emergencies like this before she grabbed the duck by the throat. "Forget it, Mister Part-time. You're not going to make a bad situation worse with your presence. Besides, you need to clean the kitchen before the lunch rush comes in. Let's go." She pogo-sticked away, Mousse honking as she dragged him off.

Nabiki looked at Tōfū. "I'll fill you in on some details later, Sensei. I have to speak to Ranma-kun myself! Hey, girls! Hold up!"

She ran off to hop onto the road train. As it headed off towards Kasuga-chō, Tōfū ducked behind a bush to avoid Chikage's glancing his way. Seeing that exchange, Haruka shook her head. "Chikage-chan, really!" she scolded as she glared at her sister. "Must you do that to the poor man?"

The sorceress shrugged. "He makes me laugh, Haruka."

Some of the sisters snickered. Seated together by the left-side door, Nabiki, Ukyō and Shampoo exchanged a confused look. "Are ALL these girls REALLY Ataru's sisters, Nabiki?" the okonomiyaki chef whispered.

"Half-sisters. Same father, different mothers," Nabiki replied.

"Eh? How did that happen?" Shampoo wondered.

"Search me . . . "

"Ah! Onē-tama! Everyone, it's Onē-tama! Onē-tama!"

Everyone jolted before they crowded the right side of the road train, following Hinako's stare with their eyes to fell on a figure standing by a telephone pole ten metres ahead. Sure enough, she was dressed in the usual red Mandarin tang and jogging pants Ranma often preferred. A large backpack with all the necessary camping supplies sat on the ground beside her. And yes, she had the same body build and blue eyes that Ranma had. However, her bright crimson hair was styled in a graceful taper with long bangs and a bandanna holding it away from her face. She was clearly missing a trademark pigtail.

"That's not Onē-chan, Hinako-chan," Karen noted.

"Sure looks like Ran-chan . . . " Ukyō mused, blinking. "Unless . . . " She gasped before calling out, "Hey! To-chan! Is that you?"

The girl looked up. At that moment, a raven-haired girl, looking almost exactly the same as the redhead, stepped out of a side alley, a backpack no different from the first girl's slung over her shoulders. "Huh? Onē-tama has two sisters?" Hinako blinked confusedly before jolting on hearing Ukyō's shocked gasp. "What's wrong?" she asked, staring up at the okonomiyaki chef.

Both looked their way, their eyes widening on seeing Ukyō. "Hey, stop this thing!" Ukyō called out to the driver. As the train braked, she looked down as the two twins of Ranma's female self came up. "Hey, To-chan! What the heck are you doing in Nerima? And what the heck happened to you, Ko-chan?"

"Looking for Ranma, U-chan!" the redhead replied before sending a mildly annoyed look at her raven-haired twin. "As for dumdum here, she decided to have an accident at Jusenkyō when we tried to get some Nanniichuan water for Ranma!" She then looked back at Ukyō. "Are you going to see him?"

"You betcha! I think he'll be damned pleased to see you two!" Ukyō then gazed at Sakuya. "You mind them coming with us?"

The eldest of Ataru's half-sisters winked knowingly at the chef. "I take it they're the magic mirror-twins Onē-sama told us about."

"WHAT?" Nabiki snapped, staring in shock at the two girls by the road train before she turned back to Ukyō. "Wait a minute! How the hell did they get free of that damned compact? I put them there . . .!"

Ukyō opened the door for the mirror-twins before helping them aboard. "Well, I'm afraid Ran-chan and Happōsai didn't agree."

"Dōmo." The redhead grunted as she set her pack on the floor before she gave Nabiki a knowing look. "And yes, you are right, U-chan. Ranma and Jijii DIDN'T like what you did to Kumiko-chan and I. Neither did we."

Nabiki shuddered, remembering that as a woman, this love-starved, would-be slut would not be bound by the "no hit girls" rule Ranma followed. Ukyō jolted, staring at the brunette. "'Kumiko?' I thought you were gonna . . .?"

"Call myself 'Komakichi' like you proposed, U-chan?" she finished before she shrugged. "Well, unfortunately, unlike Ranma, I can't change back into a man with hot water. I'm stuck this way for the rest of my life."

The chef gaped. "Oh, man! That sucks!"

"How awful!" Karen gasped.

The redhead shrugged as she faced the sisters. "Not really. In her case, the curse mixed perfectly with the spirit that saw us created back at Mirror Mansion. After all, the person whose spirit enchanted that mirror WAS a woman." She noticed the others staring at her. "Oh, dear! I'm sorry. We didn't introduce ourselves! I'm Saotome Toshiko and this is my . . .!"

"Brother-turned-sister, Saotome Kumiko. Pleased to meet you all." The brunette bowed respectfully. "So, U-chan, when exactly did Ranma meet a yummy hunkmeister like Ata- . . . hey!" she gasped as Hinako hugged her legs.

"Waaaaaa! Onē-tama has sisters!" Hinako gushed.

Everyone laughed, save Nabiki. She was busy staring at Toshiko and Kumiko, her eyebrows twitching. _Ranma-kun, I'm gonna KILL you for this!_ she vowed before jolting as the image of a wounded Akane lying on the front lawn on the Tendō home flashed through her mind. _Er, on second thought . . .!_

* * *

The road train soon come to a stop before the Moroboshi home. Ranma had been waiting by the main gates. Quickly noting who had joined the sisters, her eyes widened. "Toshiko! Komakichi! Hey, what're . . .? Oh, MAN! What happened to you?" she demanded on seeing the transformation that had fallen on the woman born from Mirror Mansion as a man later named Saotome Komakichi.

"Permanent curse courtesy of Jusenkyō!" Kumiko said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Not that it bugs me in the long term! And it's 'Kumiko' now, Ranma. I . . . " She bowed her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, but we couldn't get any Nanniichuan water for you. After what happened to me, I . . . "

Kumiko shrugged. Ranma gazed on her before opening her arms, allowing her mirror-twins to embrace her. The sisters discretely passed by to give the Saotome siblings privacy. "It's okay!" Ranma assured them. "I don't mind this as much as I did before. But are you sure about this?"

Ranma stared at Kumiko. "I'm sure! Relax!" she assured her with a laugh as she and Toshiko pulled away from her, the former swatting Ranma's shoulder. She then indicated Ukyō, who, with Shampoo and Nabiki, had stayed back so they could chat with Ranma. "So what's this U-chan just told us about the panda mucking with your mind before he dragged you off on your training trip?"

"And what happened between you and that mallet-happy lunatic, anyway?" Toshiko asked as she indicated Nabiki. "Miss Yen-on-the-Brain here just told me you got into a fight with Miss Mallets and that you broke the engagement."

Nabiki sent Toshiko an annoyed look. Ranma sighed. "Long story. I'll tell you later. Why don't you head on in? I'll talk to these three alone."

Kumiko waved as they headed into the compound. "Okay."

Ranma watched them go before noticing Nabiki staring at her. "Why?" the middle Tendō daughter wondered. "Damn it, Saotome, you know how much trouble those two caused, especially Toshiko! I wasn't going to . . . "

"Just because they were made by a magic mirror enchanted by the soul of a girl who never knew real love before she died doesn't mean they have no feelings," Ranma replied before glaring on her would-be suitors. "So what brings you here to see me?" she then demanded. "Who told you where I was?"

"Um, Hiibā-chan did." Shampoo then tensed on sensing a storm of anger, resentment and mistrust boil deep in Ranma's eyes. "Àirén, please! Don't hate this one for only wanting what's best for you!" She bowed her eyes in shame. "This one was told what that honourless panda did to you! This one . . . " She paused. "This one's glad that clan-sister Negako can help you heal."

Ukyō bit her lip. "Y-yeah. Look, Ran-chan, I know this mess is makin' you feel trapped, but . . . " Her voice trailed off. "Please, don't hate me, Ran-chan. I only just want you to feel happy! What's wrong with that?"

Ranma stared at them. Reaching into her jersey, she pulled out a thick envelope to hand to Shampoo. "Give that to your great-grandmother. That's to pay for the food you've given to me since you came here. Don't worry; I've repaid the Tendō family for all the new doors you blasted into their house."

Shampoo jolted, shaking her head. "No, it's not . . . "

"No, Shānpú," Ranma snapped. "That's the way it's gonna be. I told you I was going to make this a level playing field. I've repaid the Tendō family for their hospitality. I've also repaid Ukyō-san, so now it's your turn. Take the money. And I'll be gone until Sunday, so don't come by here looking for me hoping I'd go on a date with you, alright?" She turned away. "Good day."

She headed to the house. Ukyō and Shampoo watched her go, clearly unsure as to what to do in the wake of this morning's events in Hikarigaoka, and then they exchanged a look. "I'll give those to him," Nabiki offered. After the fiancées handed her the wrapped lunches, she nodded down the road. "You guys better go before he does to you what he did to Akane earlier."

"Yeah, I guess so . . . " Ukyō hoarsely whispered before she stared at the middle Tendō daughter. "Watch yourself, Nabiki," she warned as she turned to head home. "Ran-chan's got no real reason to like you, remember?"

"You better remember what Ukyō just said," Shampoo added.

They departed. Nabiki watched them, shaking her head before she headed into the compound. Ranma stood by the door, arms crossed. The sounds of laughter and chatter echoed from the living room. "So what do you want to see me about, Tendō-san?" she then asked as Nabiki stopped before her.

Nabiki set the lunch boxes aside before she took a breath. "Ranma, look. I happen to know what happened between you and Akane today. I also happen to know WHY it happened. I . . . " She stopped, lowering her head. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing for something your sister did? I'm through with all the excuses about her, Nabiki. I'm through with bending myself backwards to accommodate her. Hell, I WAS willing to give her a chance, the same chance I'm giving Ukyō and Shānpú. Who the FUCK does she think she is, believing I'll keep on taking that CRAP from her just to make her happy? Huh?"

Nabiki balked before an incensed shudder ran through her. "She's my sister!" she then spat out as she glared at the redhead. "Yeah, what she did to you was wrong, but her happiness mattered more to me! Hell, to all of us! What the hell were we supposed to do anyway, huh?"

"Maybe instead of playing your stupid games, you could've come up to me and explained a few things about what was going on! Did you ever think of that or did you feel that was below you? Hell, I'd think you would've realised from the start I'd be willing to help out if you needed it! But no!" She shook her head, her voice picking up in volume as she made a dismissive wave of her hand. "You just went off and acted like I was a totally brainless moron, completely fuck up whatever chances I could've got to make some real friends and maybe try to settle my problems ahead of time! Even better, I just MIGHT have spared your family some of the fallout that came with the crap Oyaji pulled on me! And you STILL expect me to honour that worthless agreement Oyaji made with that pimp you call a father? Get real, Nabiki! It ain't gonna happen!"

Before Nabiki could protest, Ranma jabbed a finger into her breastbone. "And I've got an idea what you might do now that I put Akane into the hospital. You'll march over to where your family and my parents are, let loose the fact that _I_ was the one who put Akane into intensive care and let them freak out just to see me squirm. Well, it ain't gonna happen this time! I don't CARE what your father thinks! I don't CARE what Kasumi thinks, either! And I've got plans in place for Oyaji! I can deal with Ofukuro, too! They don't frighten me! They don't hold my respect! They don't have a right to dictate how I live my life anymore!" She leaned close to Nabiki as her battle aura started to burn. "In fact, I want you to remember to tell Ofukuro this: 'Honour is a sword shattered on a rock!'" She pulled back from Nabiki. Taking the lunch boxes Ukyō and Shampoo made, she tossed them into a garbage can. "Now get off the property or I might decide to have the cops go after you for child pornography! As a professional model in both my forms, I have a right to do that! Ja!"

She headed inside. Nabiki watched her go, eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "'P-professional m-model' . . .?" she sputtered before jolting on feeling a powerful _presence_ behind her. "Wh-who . . .?"

She turned around. "Walk with me, Nabiki," Moroboshi Negako ordered.

Without question, the middle Tendō daughter fell in beside the ninjutsu grandmaster as they headed away from the house. Still stunned by Ranma's words, Nabiki was unsure as to what she should say when Negako gazed on her. "Perhaps simply asking her assistance in helping maintain your family's finances would have served everyone better, Nabiki," she mused.

Nabiki returned her gaze. "I a-a-assume you m-must be Negako."

"I am." A pause followed, as if she desired to let Nabiki hang there in anticipation for a week, and then she carried on, "Threats against someone do not always have to be physical. Psychological threats, emotional threats, even simple invasions of one's private space, can also injure someone. And unlike Akane, whom Ranma has tried to forgive for her assumptions concerning her, you have been a constant, consistent threat since the day she learned of your hobby of selling compromising pictures of her female form to Kunō Tatewaki.

"If you had approached Ranma from the start, explaining the situation concerning your family finances, she would have been pleased to assist," Negako added. "Within reason, of course. If she did, she might have discovered your own interest in Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū. Perhaps even learned of what Akane did to you which forced you to cease practising the martial arts."

Nabiki blinked, her face paling as Negako's eyes seemed to bore through her defences, leaving her soul open for the grandmaster to scrutinize to her heart's – did this creature HAVE a heart? – content. "H-how . . .?"

"Your ki patterns are an open book to me, Nabiki," Negako reported. "It is as easy for me to perceive your entire life's story by analysing that alone, though I possess other means of comprehending what happened to you throughout your life. As Happy told you, I can easily repair the damage to your nervous system, thus giving your arms full range of motion. If you desire it, of course. In fact, the process by which I am helping Ranma heal can also be used by you. And since the wounds to your nervous system are far less than Ranma's, I can easily deal with your problem in three days." She gazed tranquilly at her companion. "Again, if this is what you would desire, Nabiki."

Nabiki considered that before turning away, taking several steps as her mind rolled through what Negako just said. She then gazed intently at the latter. "So what's your price if I agree to let you do that?"

Negako's lips curled into a smile. "You are cautious. An admirable trait. That is good." Closing her eyes, she then moved to stand beside the middle Tendō daughter. "Nabiki, you love your family very much, do you not?"

Nabiki nodded, blinking. "Yes." Where was she going with this?

"Then you realise that if Akane is allowed to continue being seen as Sōun's 'heir' to your branch of Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū, your family's legacy could be lost IF Akane does not learn how to curb her temper, plus dedicate herself into studying the Art more than she does now. Correct?"

"Yes."

"Very well, then. Given your considerable skill in business, plus your knowledge in your family's branch of Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū – which can be augmented once your body is healed – what do you think your chances of allowing the Tendō dōjō to expand would be in the long term?"

Nabiki slowly nodded. "I'd say pretty good."

"Would you want to do that?"

"I . . . " Here, she paused before answering, "It depends." Taking a deep breath, Nabiki turned away. "If you'd come three years ago offering what you have, Negako-san, I would have jumped at the chance to carry on with the Art. You're right. Akane was the one who hurt me. Everyone from Tōfū-sensei on down said it was a training accident. But seeing how Akane acted afterward, I think she didn't mind my turning away from the Art . . . "

"Deep down, she loathed you for your skill and self-control," Negako cut in. "Indeed, if you had trained as long and as intensely as Ranma, you would be her equal in every way, perhaps even her superior. Akane did not appreciate how good you were, so – deep inside her – she felt it all right to cast aside considerations of safety during training. Your injuries resulted from that."

"I suspected that," Nabiki mused before she stared anew at Negako. "Look, Negako-san, I'd be the first to agree that Akane's always been a spoiled princess at heart, but I care for her. I can forgive her. Hell, she was only twelve then. She didn't understand what she did to me!"

Negako returned her gaze. "Then it is time for her TO understand many things. If she is to be what she states she is, she has to confront all her limitations. If she does not, she dooms herself. Do you want that?"

"Hell, no!" Nabiki barked.

"I did not believe so."

They continued to walk for a minute before Nabiki sighed. "Alright, then." She gazed on Negako. "I'd welcome your help in getting me back in gear. What do you want me to do in return, Negako-san?"

"You may feel free to reveal who injured Akane to your family and Ranma's parents," Negako announced. "But as Ranma, in effect, asked you to do, tell them EVERYTHING. I'm sure you know many ways to do that."

Nabiki considered that, and then she nodded. "I do."

Negako's light smile suddenly returned. "Splendid. In addition, feel free to tell them that since Genma's demonstrated incompetence as a martial arts instructor and a father has led to the majority of Ranma's problems, I will be speaking to Happy, as is my right as the grandmaster of Saikō Jinseijutsu-ryū, about taking over as Ranma's instructor. And should Happy agree – which he will – Genma will have to defeat ME to win that back. He will not win. And should he try to perform any underhanded manoeuvres . . . "

Nabiki smirked. "You'll kill him, right?"

A cold smile crossed Negako's face. "No, I will do much worse. I will see to it every illicit act Genma has performed since Ranma's birth will be brought to the attention of the police. Given the thievery ALONE he performed, he will be on the run for the rest of his life. Since I, as a responsible teacher, will endeavour to ensure Ranma remains free of such an unhealthy influence, Genma will not be able to . . . " Here, she paused as Negako sought the right wording. "Slouch off the consequences of his avarice on his child."

"Cruel." Damn, she LIKED this girl/woman/whatever! "I'll do that, Negako-san. I'll be back sometime later today or tomorrow."

She bowed before racing to the nearest bus stop. Negako watched her go, a light smile crossing her face before she headed home.

* * *

At the Mendō estate in Tomobiki . . .

"This can't be . . . "

Mendō Shūtarō shuddered as he watched the replay of yesterday's events – as reported by NHK – on the wide-screen television in his private study. On the screen, a person whom he found it IMPOSSIBLE to believe was Moroboshi Ataru was busy shattering large sections of the roof of Tomobiki High School, working swiftly to dig out those who had been trapped in the wrecked northwest wing. The fact that this man was working in concert with Saotome Ranma, one of Nerima's infamous legion of teenage master martial artists, didn't concern Mendō one bit. Given Saotome's legendary adherence to a strict code of honour which demanded his presence at times of great tragedy, that he – yes, Mendō did know of Saotome's magical gender-bending curse – had come all the way to Tomobiki to help with the recovery efforts was simply par for the course.

But Moroboshi . . .?

Moroboshi?

MOROBOSHI?

Quivering, the bandaged scion of the Mendō fortune clicked the PLAY button on his remote. The scene switched to Moroboshi's vocal confrontation with the Tomobiki High principal and two of the teachers. Hearing him assert his pleasure that both his parents – parents he no longer considered his – were dead, Mendō grimaced. He didn't know whether to feel pity or disgust at his rival's assertions. Mendō's own parents were an odd lot, a state of affairs he personally lamented on from time to time. And he HAD often heard Moroboshi's mother assert right to her son's face, "I wish I never had you!"

But to publicly welcome their deaths?

Why?

Eh . . .?

He didn't wish to come back?

He wouldn't come back?

NEVER?

Mendō shuddered, and then he blinked as he watched Moroboshi leave the scene. Before Saotome could follow, an NHK reporter cornered him. Ah, poor fool, to be mistaken for a girl. Didn't that reporter realise the truth . . .?

Eh?

Mendō blinked before laughing on seeing Saotome fluster at being asked if "she" was Moroboshi's new girlfriend. Poor fool . . .

WHAT?

Moroboshi thought THAT about Lum-san? AND Shinobu-san?

How DARE he . . .?

What . . .?

What was Yumoa Reigi doing there?

Eh?

Moroboshi was getting an inheritance from his grandmother . . .?

Eh?

Moroboshi's parents were now considered rōnin?

What was going on here . . .?

Huh? What . . .?

So Saotome now saw himself as Moroboshi's friend, eh . . .?

What?

How DARE Saotome side with Moroboshi . . .?

_WHAT?_

Mendō stared wide-eyed as Saotome used his special ki attack to destroy that beautiful statue of Lum. How . . . damn him, how DARE he do that? How dare he SAY that? Lum-san was the one who mattered, not . . .!

A knock. "Young Master?"

Mendō shut off the television, calling out, "Come!"

The door to his study opened, revealing a Kuromegane. "Forgive me, sir, but your father and mother wish to speak to you immediately."

Mendō nodded. "Of course."

* * *

"But, Otō-san . . .!"

Mendō Hajime puffed his pipe. "No, Shūtarō. Our minds are made up."

Shūtarō was now seated across from his parents in their private lounge. As typical for the old-fashioned, technophobic matriarch of the Mendō Clan, Haruka, her personal assistant/human parrot presently accompanied her. "Reigi-san is, as the guardian of Ataru-san's inheritance, well within his rights to demand you leave the lad alone from now on. The Mendō Conglomerate has maintained good relations with Toranoseishin Finances and the Inshin Group for thirty years. I do not wish to see those relations soured because of your unwanted – and now unnecessary! – obsession with Lum-san."

"Otō-san . . .!"

Hajime sent a piercing gaze at his son. "That is enough!"

Hearing the sharpness in his father's voice, Shūtarō paled. It was VERY rare to hear Mendō Hajime speak with strong emotion. "Shūtarō, whatever your feelings for Ataru-san are is not the issue," the elder Mendō declared. "What happened between Ataru-san and Lum-san is ALSO not the issue, especially now that Lum-san is dead and Ataru-san is moving to get on with his life. You, Shūtarō, have a profound obligation, to both your family and the Conglomerate. And your mother and I, along with Asuka-san's parents, believe it is time for you to see that obligation through to the proper conclusion."

Shūtarō gulped, bowing his head. "I . . .!"

Trapped.

For so long, giri had been an important part, if not THE most important part, of Mendō Shūtarō's whole life. To deny that would be, in effect, denying a large part of his very being. Yes, some could say he had often acted in a questionable way when it came to his classmates at Tomobiki High, especially when it came to the matter of Moroboshi Ataru and Lum. But in comparison to his overall life, matters in school had been trivial.

Until now.

Shūtarō bowed his head again. "Hai, Otō-san. I understand."

"Splendid." Hajime exchanged a look with Haruka, who smiled. "We shall make an announcement about your engagement to Asuka-san sometime AFTER the furore over yesterday's events has died down. Given the interest your female classmates have expressed to you, we don't need to shock them TOO much, do we?"

"Hai."

* * *

Unseen by them, a Kuroko nodded before slipping away to speak to Ryōko. _The Young Mistress should be pleased to hear this._

* * *

Nerima General Hospital . . .

"WHAT?"

Nodoka and Kasumi sat with Nabiki in the main cafeteria. Akane was presently in stable condition, though she was still unconscious. Sōun had insisted on staying at her side. Because of his crying fits, Genma had to remain with him. To Nabiki, that was fair enough. She needed the idiots to stay away while she was dropping some bombs.

"My son . . .?" Nodoka gaped. "HE hit Akane?"

"He was MADE to hit Akane, Saotome-obachan," Nabiki repeated.

"By WHO?"

Nabiki sighed. She HOPED Nodoka might be calm enough to take this. Oh, well, press on ahead . . .! "Moroboshi Negako."

"Why?" Kasumi cut in, placing a hand on Nodoka's to help calm her.

"Brain damage."

Silence.

"My son?" Nodoka gasped, nearly choking on her words.

Nabiki sighed. "Yeah. Now, here's the story . . . "

It took five minutes to reiterate. Sadly, the words Nabiki spoke weren't enough. "I . . . " Nodoka breathed out. "Much that I appreciate Moroboshi-sensei's concern for my son's welfare, I can't accept a situation where Ranma is made to deliberately attack his fiancée, Nabiki-chan. It is wrong! I demand to see this woman immediately to have this stopped . . . "

Nabiki shook her head. "I'm afraid that's now impossible."

"Why?"

"Because with the way this has been rigged, EVERYONE who has threatened Ranma anytime in the past – even verbally – is now seen as a threat and will be dealt with accordingly," Nabiki explained before she pointed to the wrapped katana in Nodoka's arms. "If you march into Negako-san's house carrying THAT around, I can guarantee that not only will Ranma-kun see YOU as a threat, Oba-chan, he'd gladly renounce you once and for all."

Hearing that, Nodoka keeled over. "N-no . . . h-he wouldn't . . . "

Nabiki glared at her. "Yes, he would. You want to know what he just told me? He said that he doesn't CARE a whit about what I might think, what Onē-chan might think . . . hell, you know how he feels about Otō-chan now! And he says he's prepared to deal with you AND your husband! And if you don't think that's true, here's a message he told me to tell you." A pause. "'Honour is a sword shattered on a rock.' Guess what? The katana doesn't scare him now."

"Oh, my!" Kasumi gasped.

Silence fell as Nodoka stared wide-eyed at Nabiki. She began to quake, pained sobs stealing her voice as the honour blade was dropped to the floor. Kasumi moved to comfort her, but was swatted away by Nodoka. The eldest Tendō cringed before she got an apologetic look from Ranma's mother. Nabiki sighed as she gave Nodoka a neutral look. "I've lost my son," Nodoka moaned.

"No, Oba-san, you haven't."

Nodoka gazed wearily at Kasumi. "Why . . .?"

Kasumi sighed. "Because I believe I understand where Ranma-kun's coming from. Oba-san, please don't think your son has failed you. And don't think you've failed your son. In truth, it is my family who has failed your son."

Nabiki blinked. "Onē-chan . . .?"

Kasumi gazed at her. "Don't you understand, Nabiki-chan? Why he's so angry? It's not just because of Akane-chan's abuse. It's not just because of what you've done. Or what Otō-san's tried to force him into doing. And it's not because of my attempts at ignoring the problem, either. It's ALL of that put together, Nabiki-chan. And I think there's something else, too . . . "

"Being?" Nodoka gently prodded, wiping her cheek.

Kasumi gazed on her. "It's the fact that we've not lived up to what Otō-san promised your husband, Oba-san. Don't you remember? Ranma-kun gave us that money, but he expressly FORBADE Otō-san from touching it and he stated that none of that was to go into repairing the dōjō. Why? Because I believe Ranma-kun doesn't want to shoulder the responsibilities of a united Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū ALONE! And by all rights, he shouldn't! After all the things he's done for us, he shouldn't have to try to support a dōjō that has no real future in it!" She gazed on Nabiki. "I've never been interested in the Art. And after Okā-san died, I had no chance to really practice it even if I wanted to. You were forced away from it because of that training accident five years ago. And Ranma-kun can easily accuse Akane-chan of not being a serious student in the Art. And what's worse, he'd be RIGHT to do that! I . . .!"

Nodoka considered that before staring at Nabiki. "Is this true?"

"About me and the Art?" Nabiki nodded. "Yeah. I made it up to rokkyū before I had a bad accident with Akane-chan in the dōjō. It damaged the brachial plexus in both my shoulders. Tōfū-sensei told me afterward that if I didn't stop practising the Art, I might end up losing use of my arms. It . . . " She closed her eyes. "That hurt me, Auntie. It hurt Otō-chan, too."

"Are you implying that Akane-chan intentionally hurt you?"

Nabiki jolted before shaking her head. "NO! Of course not! But . . . " She paused to take a deep breath. "I've always had the better skill in the Art, Oba-chan. Akane's always been jealous of that! And while she did . . . well, might've got out of hand when it happened . . . " Her voice trailed off before she sighed. "I will admit that after I was forced out of the dōjō, she tried to take my place. But Otō-chan had his hopes pinned on me, so he might've . . . well, I don't know." She threw up her hands as she shook her head.

Nodoka sighed. "I see. And what of this statement concerning Akane-chan's abuse of my son leading to his current state? Is that true? I know Akane-chan and my son have fought, but to believe it went THAT far . . . "

Kasumi nodded. "Yes, Oba-san. It's true."

"I see." The older woman took a deep breath before reaching down to pick the honour blade off the floor. "So, in effect, you are saying that my son may have some justification in ending the engagement between our families."

The younger women exchanged a look before nodding. "Very well." Nodoka rose. "I desire to speak to both my son and Moroboshi-sensei about this first, but I also want a full recounting of what Akane-chan has done to my son since the day they first met. I'll obtain that as soon as possible." She gazed on Nabiki. "Nabiki-chan, could you tell me where Moroboshi-sensei now lives?"

"Are you sure you want to confront Ranma-kun now?" Nabiki wondered. "Remember what I told you about what he said . . . "

Nodoka nodded. "I know, dear. All that tells me is that my fool husband has succeeded in destroying what rapport I could have tried to develop with my son. I've no intention of just standing by and allowing that to remain."

Nabiki rose. "Okay. Look, let me walk you over. It's not so far away; Negako-san and her brother live in Kasuga-chō now."

"Alright, fair enough," Nodoka agreed before she gazed on Kasumi. "We'll be back as soon as possible, Kasumi-chan. Please don't say anything to your father or my husband about this. Is that alright?"

"Of course, Oba-san."

* * *

The Moroboshi home, later . . .

"Hajime!"

Haruka stepped back, clearing the field for Ranma and Toshiko to grapple. As the sisters, Ataru, Negako and Kumiko watched from the front porch of the shrine, the two fiery redheads slammed together in a pair of flying roundhouse kicks. The front gate opened as Nabiki slipped in, followed by Nodoka. Both stopped as their eyes focused on Ranma and her mirror-twin while the two were busy lashing out at each other with variations of the Chestnut Fist. The only thing missing from this was the koi pond, Nabiki whistled. _Not to mention a certain lazy-ass panda_, she wryly added as she crossed her arms.

Ranma and Toshiko remained locked on each other, but Ataru was quick to notice who just arrived. Rising, he headed over with Sakuya. "Mrs. Saotome, it's a pleasure to meet you." He bowed his head. "I take it you're here to speak to your child. Or . . . " His eyes then turned towards Toshiko and Kumiko. "Should I phrase that 'children?'" he then added.

"Yes, Ataru-kun. Nabiki-chan just told me about my son's 'mirror-twins,'" Nodoka responded with a nod, and then she blinked as the fighting stopped. Ranma gazed her way. "Ohayō, Ranma. How are you today?"

Ranma curtly nodded. "Okā-san."

The chill in her voice quickly got everyone's attention. "Why's Onē-tama mad at her mama, Karen-chan?" Hinako whispered to Karen.

Karen shrugged. "I don't know, Hinako-chan."

"I think you need a chance to speak to your mother, Ranma." Ataru gazed on his friend before turning to his sisters. "Girls?"

Quickly, they headed inside. Negako remained in place. As Ataru moved to head in, he paused, eyes narrowing. "Mrs. Saotome?"

Nodoka quickly noted the ice in his voice. "Y-yes, Ataru-kun?"

"Do not presume to draw that sword on this property, especially when it concerns my friend," he warned before heading in with Sakuya.

Negako remained in place. Toshiko and Kumiko remained silent, as did Nabiki. Nodoka sighed before gazing on Ranma. The latter did not return her look. "I take it you've been told about what happened this morning," she said.

Nodoka paled as Ranma's gaze then raked over her. "I . . . y-yes, I have." She sighed. "It is not your fault, Ranma. I've already been told by Nabiki-chan about what Moroboshi-sensei was forced to do with you and why."

Ranma blinked before gazing curiously at Nabiki. "Well, well, well. She doesn't try to provoke a new fight. Shocking," she quipped.

Nabiki ducked that look. Nodoka sighed. "I also support your decision to end whatever engagement might exist between yourself and the Tendō family," she added. "Believe it or not, Kasumi-chan and Nabiki-chan also support that."

"Really? Well, their opinions no longer matter." Ranma shook her head. "Personally, I should add that any attempts at apologies by them . . . " She paused. "I shall not accept." She glared at Nabiki. "Leave. Don't stick around to listen in on what we say. Negako will sense you right away."

Nabiki wordlessly nodded as she heads out. Nodoka watched her go before she turned back to gaze on her child. "Don't you believe that was too harsh?"

"Oh?" Ranma's eyebrow arched. "And is taking nearly-nude pictures of me when I least suspect it 'harsh?' Is putting up with a selfish brat with delusions of grandeur 'harsh?' Is putting up with two lazy-ass fools who only want to live off the products of my work, especially when they want me to marry someone who's an insult to her own school, 'harsh?' Okā-san, I don't deny for a second I've got my shortcomings. But I am SICK and TIRED of all of you whining and crying about me being the only one to do the right thing while the rest of you dance away in your petty little fantasy worlds, thinking it'll be alright in the end!" Before Nodoka could protest, Ranma pointed to the bundled sword. "By all rights, I should take that away from you and destroy it!" She ignored Nodoka's shocked look as she continued, "Why? Because thanks to that thing you call a husband, Okā-san, our family honour has been dragged into the friggin' dungheap because he was too selfish to look out for anyone but himself! And if you think that I'm wrong, I got a BIG news flash for you!" She pointed to her head. "How'd you like to know all the interesting crap Oyaji did to me BEFORE he tricked me into puttin' my palm-print on that stupid seppuku pledge?"

Nodoka's skin began to pale. "What . . .?"

"It is true."

Eyes turned as Negako walked up. "You want to do this, Negako?" Ranma asked the grandmaster of Saikō Jinseijutsu-ryū.

"If you wish." Negako gazed on her before turning to Nodoka. "Permit me to explain about Genma's attempt to dull your child's thinking processes so that Ranma was forced to concentrate ONLY on the martial arts . . . "

* * *

Two minutes later, a shrieking "**_HE DID WHAT?_**" echoed through the streets of Nerima, causing many to instinctively duck. Not fifty metres from the Moroboshi home, Nabiki jolted before she glanced at where she came. "That fool's in for it now."

* * *

Nerima General Hospital . . .

"AH-CHOO!"

Genma moaned as he rubs his nose before staring at Sōun, the latter now dozing beside Akane's bed. _Someone's thinking about me_.

* * *

The Moroboshi home . . .

Nodoka was sheet-white. "My son . . .?" she gasped, staring at Ranma.

Negako nodded. "Quite correct. It was blind luck, if you will, that Ranma was able to develop to the point where she could manipulate her own ki to create the Mōko Takabisha, much less master the Shishi Hōkōdan, the Demon Head and several forms the Nǚjiézú practice. But she was, since well before the day she first came to Nerima, forced to look on EVERYTHING as a fight. She could not conceive of trying to rationalize her way out of situations. It is clearly Genma's overall intention to force Ranma to remain locked in such a state so she would never break free of her father's control. An effective enslavement, as Kělún put it this morning." An eyebrow arched. "Tell me, Nodoka: Is THAT state of affairs conducive to creating your 'man above men?'"

"I . . . " Nodoka winced, sensing the scowl crossing her transformed child's face on hearing that phrase. She bowed her head. "No."

"I did not believe so. Ranma's problem first came to the attention of a friend of the family, Kamekichi Tampopo. She is the one who aided Ranma in securing a job as a model during her last 'training trip' before she met Ataru and myself. During that trip, Tampopo took notice of some anomalies in Ranma's ki signature. That is when I was called in to consult on this. Ataru also noticed something amiss with your child. After I examined her, I put the safeguards into place that affected Akane this morning, and then began the necessary repairs. That will take two weeks. But as you might suspect, Genma, not to mention several others, will not welcome this. Thus, for the remainder of this week, Ranma will spend time with Ataru and his sisters elsewhere. Ataru will be able to continue the treatment." A chilly look then flashed in her eyes. "Any attempt to interrupt that will not be tolerated, Nodoka."

Nodoka gazed on her before nodding. "I can agree with that."

"You have no choice in that matter," the grandmaster warned before she perked as something came to her. "Would you also wish to know about the Neko-ken? I sense no one has told you about that act of lunacy on Genma's part."

"'Cat Fist?'" Nodoka tensed, noticing Ranma slightly quivering on hearing that phrase. "What is that?" she demanded.

Negako explained. Soon, another shriek echoed through Nerima.

* * *

"AH-CHOO!"

* * *

"**_HE DID THAT TO MY SON?_**"

Negako nodded. "Yes."

Nodoka shuddered before staring at her child. "Ranma, I . . . "

Ranma returned her look, sighing. "It's not your fault."

Hearing that, Nodoka brightened before she turned to Negako. "Can you repair what happened to him? Help my son overcome his fear?"

"That will take an additional four weeks beyond what has to happen now," Negako reported. "Happy and I have discussed the possibility of my taking over Ranma's training from Genma. Simply put, the direction of Ranma's training leads away from the basic tenets of your family's Art. Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū demands its practitioners become as self-sufficient as possible. Genma clearly does not desire Ranma to be that way. You may understand why." She then crossed her arms. "So what would you desire, Nodoka? A child that cannot truly think on her own, cannot conceive of ANY life beyond the martial arts, thus forever live in a sea of uncontrolled chaos? Or a child who can think on her own, learn and understand what the consequences of her actions are, appreciate there are other things in life than martial arts?"

Nodoka shuddered, unsure as to what to say. "I believe," Negako carried on, "That what Ranma SHOULD strive to become is not a 'man above men,' but a 'gentle person.' As my family would define such, a gentle person is one who is, in the end, as much master of her destiny AND respectful of other people's destinies as Fate will allow. You and I, Nodoka, will agree there are certain matters that are beyond anyone's control. Would THAT be to your satisfaction?"

Silence fell as Nodoka considered that. "Yes, I think that would be desirable." Her eyes fell on Ranma. "If that is what you want. Ranma?"

Ranma sighed. "I really don't know what I want out of life now, Ofukuro." She gazed on Nodoka, the anger and hostility gone from her eyes, replaced by a weary sadness. "I used to think that the martial arts were everything in my life. Now, I'm not sure. And knowing how much Oyaji lied to me, used me like that . . . " Her teeth gnashed before she looked nowhere in particular. "I have to find out who and what I am now, Ofukuro. And I can't do that with Oyaji hanging over me, with the fiancées snapping up my tail and everything else. I just can't. It's not fair to Ukyō or to Shān or to Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi, either. And it's really not fair to me. Or to you. As for Oyaji . . . "

"I can understand that." Nodoka nodded. "Certainly, you could do with a lot less violence haunting your life." She turned to Negako. "After seeing what I have seen, not to mention what Kasumi-chan, Nabiki-chan and you have told me, Sensei, my son deserves a chance to learn how to live his own life. For that to begin, there is something I must do." She bowed to the grandmaster. "Thank you for what you've told me. It was informative . . . "

"Onē-tama?"

Everyone turned to see Hinako standing nearby, a worried look on the younger girl's face. "What is it, Hinako-chan?" Ranma asked.

"Onē-tama, why are you so mad at your mama?" Hinako pleaded.

Hearing that, Ranma sighed. "No, Hinako-chan, I'm not mad at my mom. I'm actually mad at my dad and a few other people right now, but not my mom. It's okay," she assured her as she gently ruffled Hinako's hair.

Nodoka gazed on her. "Hinako-chan, do you think I can count on you and your sisters to stay close to my son? Er . . . " She gazed at Toshiko and Kumiko, an apologetic look crossing her face. "My children, that is?"

"Hai!" Hinako gushed.

Ranma grinned. Nodoka then turned to the mirror-twins. "I've been told of how you came into this world. I hope . . . " She bowed her eyes. "That I will get a chance to know you as I've long wanted to know Ranma."

Toshiko sighed. "That depends on you, Saotome-san."

"And what you do with your husband," Kumiko added.

* * *

Nerima General Hospital . . .

"Oh . . . wh-where am I . . .?"

"Akane!"

Akane's eyes fluttered. She then gasped as Sōun's tears nearly drown her. "O-o-Otō-ch-chan!" she cried out, and then she yelped as a jolt of hot pain shot up her right arm to nearly overwhelm her. "Hurts . . . " she groaned.

Before Sōun could collapse into yet ANOTHER crying fit, a nurse came in. "Please, Tendō-san! Calm down!" she urged him before staring hopefully at Genma. "Sir, could you please escort him outside?"

"I . . . "

"Husband."

Genma jolted, spinning around to see Nodoka glaring at him from the doorway, her honour blade unwrapped. Nabiki and Kasumi stood behind his wife, guarded looks on their faces. Seeing the outrage in Nodoka's eyes, he winced, quickly glancing around quickly to find a cup of cold water so he could transform into a panda and duck whatever angry tirade his wife was about to unleash. Before he could escape, Nodoka glanced at the nurse. "Please leave us alone for a while, miss. We'll see to it Akane-chan isn't harmed."

The nurse nodded. "I . . . h-hai."

Kasumi closed the door after the nurse quickly departed. Nabiki immediately poised herself by the sink, taking the cup there in hand. Seeing that, Genma turned to his wife. "Nodoka! What are . . . URK!" he yelped as the tip of her katana touched the flesh under his jaw.

"Nodoka, put that away!" Sōun pleaded.

"QUIET, Otō-san!" Kasumi snapped.

He dropped to his knees as tears exploded from his eyes in jets. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! My daughter yelled at me! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"SŌUN! STOP ACTING LIKE A BABY! ACT YOUR AGE!" Nodoka shrilled, causing Sōun to scramble away, now staring wide-eyed at her.

"What's the meaning of this?" Genma thundered before gulping as the katana's tip pressed against his throat. "N-n-n-Nodoka . . .!"

"'What's the meaning of this?' you may ask?" Nodoka growled. "Very well. I will explain it to you in one phrase: Neko-ken."

He paled. "B-b-but . . . "

"Silence!" Nodoka snapped. "I've ALSO been told about what you did to our son BEFORE you took him away from me! RETARDING him to the point where he was not able to take interest in ANYTHING beyond the martial arts?"

Genma's eyes went totally wide. Who had figured THAT out? "But, that was to e-ensure he would r-remain devoted to the A-Art . . .!"

"At the expense of his happiness? At the expense of trying to enjoy a normal life, have friends and a relationship of equals?" Nodoka snarled before she sighed. "Very well, then! If you are so narrow-minded that you cannot think of anything but yourself, I will speak to the Master about having Moroboshi Negako-sensei take over our – MY – son's training! You have lost ALL rights to consider yourself Ranma's sensei, Genma! And if you so much as THINK of doing something to sabotage my child's life further, remember that I can still hold the oath of seppuku over YOU if I feel it necessary! And this time, you will NOT be able to weasel your way out of THAT, Genma!"

Genma gagged. "N-n-n-Nodoka . . . y-y-you don't u-u-understand . . .!"

"What about joining the schools?" Sōun pleaded.

She glared at the Tendō patriarch. "What schools are we talking about, Sōun?" Nodoka demanded, the ice in her voice making him duck her glare. "As far as _I_ can see, as far as my _son_ can see, THERE IS NO TENDŌ-RYŪ!"

Hearing that, he started to weep. "How can you SAY that?"

"How can I?" Nodoka growled. "What were you thinking? That my son would have to do all the work maintaining YOUR dōjō while Akane here would do NOTHING to support her end of the agreement? While you and this imbecile I married here lived off Ranma's efforts? How DARE you presume such a thing of my son? How DARE you force all that on him? YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO DO THAT!"

"But I . . . " a weak voice rasped from the bed.

"SHUT UP!" Nodoka snapped at Akane.

"How DARE you yell at Akane-chan . . .?" Sōun wailed.

"SHUT UP!" Nodoka screamed him down.

Sōun collapsed into a heap of tears. "Nodoka . . . " Genma pleaded.

She spun on him, pushing the katana tip more against his throat. "Yes, Ranma wants a challenge! In that, you WERE right! But you were WRONG to assume you could limit his opportunities to the Art! And you will no longer be given the chance to limit his opportunities in the future! Understood?"

"H-h-hai!" he sputtered.

"Good." She nodded before glaring on Sōun, keeping her katana in place to ensure Genma didn't do anything. "Now, as for you, Tendō-san. I find your hospitality to be stifling, so I will take my leave. Furthermore, if you desire so much for one of your daughters to marry my son, you will ensure she is trained to AT LEAST my son's standards! And that does NOT include the use of ki-mallets to give my son brain damage! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

Sōun burbled. "I . . . I . . . I . . .!"

"Nodoka . . .!" Genma pleaded.

"SHUT UP!" Nodoka barked her husband down before turning to leave. "As of this moment, your agreement with the Tendō family has NO validity. If my son wants to marry someone, let him marry for love, not your twisted concepts of honour! If you have problems with that, too bad, Genma! You've wasted all your chances with him!" She turned her back on him. "And with me!"

She marched out, slamming the door behind her. Genma blinked before dropping to his knees in stunned disbelief. Sōun shuddered, and then he wailed, "NOW THE SCHOOLS WILL NEVER BE JOINED! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA . . .!"

"**_THAT'S ENOUGH!_**"

Both fathers ducked Kasumi's shout. "Leave now!" The eldest daughter waved to the door. "If I had half a mind, I'd see YOU . . . " She glared at Genma. "Thrown back into the zoo where you belong! At least THERE, you won't cause mischief! As for YOU, Otō-san, Oba-san is right! It's time for you to start acting your age! And if it wasn't in part for you, Akane-chan might have BECOME the type of martial artist that Ranma-kun COULD respect! Now, get out of here!"

She pointed. They scrambled out as fast as they could go. Kasumi slammed the door shut, and then took a breath as the anger drained from her. "Way to go, Onē-chan!" Nabiki applauded her as she clapped her hands. "I haven't seen you do something like THAT in years!"

"Got that right, Nabiki . . . " a weak voice echoed from the bed.

Both gazed on Akane. Though still drugged by heavy painkillers, there was a quirky smile on the youngest Tendō's face. "Hey, how are you doing?" Nabiki wondered as she and Kasumi walked up to stand beside her.

"Not good," Akane moaned. "I really screwed up this morning, didn't I?"

"Pretty much so," Nabiki replied. "You better get used to the fact that things aren't going to happen between you two, Akane-chan."

Hearing that, Akane shuddered. "No . . . it can't end like this . . . "

"It doesn't mean Ranma hates you, Akane-chan." Kasumi placed a comforting hand on Akane's forehead as she continued, "Right now, he needs time to himself. Time to learn who and what he wants to be. Most of all, he needs time to undo all the damage Oji-san's done to his life. If you ever hope to be at least his friend, Akane-chan, you must respect that."

"But I DO respect it, Onē-chan . . . "

Nabiki shook her head. "Not if it came to the point where you wanted to slug him for only trying to save P-chan from your cooking, Akane."

Hearing that, Akane quaked as tears welled in her eyes. "He hates me."

"No, he doesn't," Kasumi assured her. "Akane-chan, there's something that's just been discovered about Ranma-kun. And it's because of that something that you wound up here. Listen closely . . . "

* * *

The Moroboshi home . . .

"So you want to stay here? Go to school here?"

"Hai." Inu Chigaiko nodded as she sat with Ataru in the living room. Save for Shirayuki, the sisters were out shopping. The young chef was hard at work in the mobile kitchen preparing for an early supper so that everyone can make it back to Welcome House well before midnight. Ranma was with Toshiko and Kumiko at Tampopo's; she wanted to introduce the mirror-twins to her new friend. Toshiko and Kumiko would travel with the others to Promised Island. Negako was off somewhere; Ataru had no idea where. Due to the ninjutsu grandmaster's acute hydrophobia, she would remain in Nerima. "Let's just say after what happened yesterday, I don't feel really safe in Tomobiki anymore."

"Did the staff find out you were absent yesterday?" he asked.

She scowled. "Onsen." Like Ataru, Chigaiko held no respect for Onsen Mark, much less any of the other teachers at Tomobiki High. "Incredible, isn't it? They ignore me in class. They don't bother to try to remember my NAME, for Buddha's sake! Yet, when it comes to 'special' events like that, they tear half the town apart to track me down! Would you believe he came to our house this morning to scream at me in front of my parents and Onē-chan about not being there for Lum's memorial? After ten people got killed by that nut, all because of that Oni and what she did? Dad threw him out, then stormed down to the school and got me de-registered! But the problem is . . . "

She shrugged. "Going to any of the other schools in town isn't a wise choice?" he finished for her, an amused smirk crossing his face.

"Not really."

"How's the mood there after yesterday?"

Chigaiko sighed. "Shock, mostly. You'd think after what that Oni and her friends did, we'd be used to that sort of thing. But . . . " She paused before nodding as something came to her. "And there's a lot of anger, too."

His eyebrow arched. "At me?"

She shook her head. "No! That's the crazy part!" A sigh escaped her. "I guess they're sort of angry at the outside world, especially the news media like CNN and all that. I mean, what happened got prime-time news coverage on NHK, but it didn't show up elsewhere! It's like the rest of the world was saying, 'So the school in Tomobiki got blown up again? What else is new?'"

He sipped his tea. "So they just learned the whole world doesn't revolve around Tomobiki, have they? It's about damned time!"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"What about relatives of the dead? Any news on them?"

"The Stormtroopers' parents are beside themselves. This is their worst nightmare come true!" A pause. "Mom told me that at the PTA meeting today, Megane's mom wanted to force the mayor to cancel all thoughts of putting a memorial up for Lum at the school, much less anywhere in Tomobiki. It was passed, but the chances are there that Mendō might try to ram it through."

He shook his head. "Idiot. Oh, speaking of Sword-for-brains, how is he, anyway? I noticed he got hurt yesterday."

"Nothing from him."

Ataru hummed. "That could be dangerous. And his fan club?"

"The Rosebuds?" A shake of the head. "Quiet. Rumour has it they'll get together tonight at the Dobu Salada to discuss what happened. But from what I overheard, people are right now too scared of you to think of trying to pull the same stunt they did when you tried to quit being the homeroom rep last year. Nothing from Miyake or Fujinami. And since no one's ever taken notice of me, I doubt that stupid monk would follow me here to harass you."

Ataru smirked. "Well, I wouldn't be too bugged if Cherry did follow me here. Chikage-chan could scare him and his niece off without breaking a sweat. Not to mention what Onē-san might do to them, too."

"Let's hope so," she said before staring at him. "What's it like?"

"What?"

"Having twelve girls like that pop up out of nowhere and say they're your sisters? What was it like when you went to this Promised Island place?"

"It was . . . " He sipped his tea before setting the cup aside. "Nearly overwhelming. Almost like when Lum first came into my life."

Chigaiko's eyebrows arched. "How can you possibly compare getting twelve sweet girls like that as your sisters to what happened between you and Lum?" She crossed her arms. "Don't tell me you actually loved her!"

He stared at her. "I wanted to love her."

She froze in place. "Ataru-kun . . .?"

"Chigaiko-chan, look. I know you've got no cause to like Lum. I don't blame you. But . . . " He paused to bite his lip. "Yeah, there were times I hated some of the stunts she pulled on me. But I wasn't any better, you know! And . . . " He sighed. "There were times I kept pinching myself, wondering what the hell I did to deserve someone like HER wanting ME of all the guys in the whole galaxy almost to be her husband! I mean . . . " A shrug rolled his shoulders. "I didn't know about you and how you felt for me. And yeah, you were smart to not press things because Lum would've had a big fit over it. Shinobu walked away from me, not that I could really blame her for that. No one else really cared for me. You know what Muchi and Kinshō did. I . . . "

"Without her being there . . .?" she whispered.

"I don't know what I might've done," he admitted. "After she left and I went to the Island and met the girls . . . " A content smile crossed his face. "It was my meeting Lum multiplied twelve times over. And what was better, they were blood relations to me, so I didn't have to worry about marriage, kids and all that moronic stuff. I was free to date around, but then . . . " He paused, shrugging. "Why did I need to date around? I had a family that I was living with, Chigaiko-chan. A real, honest-to-goodness family."

She blinked. "Don't you want a girlfriend, Ataru-kun?"

He considered that before sighing. "I don't know if I'm really ready for that sort of responsibility, even now, Chigaiko-chan."

"It's not a responsibility . . . "

"It is," he affirmed. "Chigaiko-chan, look. I'm flattered beyond belief that you find me interesting and all, but . . . "

"I've got a right, buster!" she declared before resting her chin on her clasped hands. "You're the only person who remembered my name in that school, remember? How can I NOT like you? Not even Mendō could do that with me!"

"Love's gotta be more than that." He shook his head before sighing. "Look, there're other things that I have to worry about. It's not all over yet when it comes to folks out there." He nodded towards the ceiling to indicate the alien races beyond Earth. "Atop that, there's the reaction of people in Tomobiki to yesterday's events, especially from Mendō . . . "

"He'll learn how to leave you be." She squeezed his hand. "Ataru-kun, I'm on your side. I've got no use for those idiots in Tomobiki, just like you. Please. I want a break from them. Can't you help me with that?"

"I . . .!" He readily nodded. "Of course I can!"

"Okay." She let his hand go. "And yes, if we did start to date and work from there, I would . . . it would be the happiest time of my life! If you're not comfortable with it, I'll understand. I can wait. But . . . " She gave him a pleading look. "You can't stop me from dreaming. I love you, Moroboshi Ataru. And there's nothing on this planet that will change that."

"Got to come back to reality sooner or later, Chigaiko-chan."

"Maybe."

* * *

In a remote section of Tomobiki . . .

"Are we all here?"

People glanced around the Dobu Salada, a combination rāmen/snack shop located on the main road connecting Tomobiki with Nerima and Tōkyō. Dressed in a panorama of school uniforms, the small group seated in three booths and along some of the stools lining the counter were almost all girls. There were several men, they seated off to one side. One of them was none other than the man everyone knew simply as Soban, the hideously deformed gang leader who possessed – still possessed, in fact – a deep lust for one Miyake Shinobu. Flanking him were his current top lieutenants, Nyōke Hitori and his twin brother Futari, the infamous Franken Twins.

"Hai, Ogin-san. We're here," one of the girls, a Butsumetsu Girl's High School senior, affirmed with a nod.

"Good," Ogin Haniko, leader of the Rosebuds, declared. "Let's get on with this. What news have we got about Mendō-san's condition?"

"He's recovering," Marubeya Momoe reported. "He'll have a scar over his left eye, but that's it. Nothing lasting."

The other Rosebuds breathed out in relief. "Well, that's good enough. Does anyone have news about the lunatic who blew up the school yesterday?" another girl, this one from the Taian Institute, asked. "Any friends?"

"No one in the National Police Agency's saying anything," a Shakkyo girl reported. "As to where he comes from, he's reported to have come from Qatar. What group he works for? No one's saying anything, either in the press or over the 'Net." A pause. "And we don't know if he's still got friends."

"Oh, wonderful!" a student from the co-ed Butsumetsu High School grumbled. "We could be facing another attack, then!"

Ogin shook her head. "Maybe, but I doubt it."

People perked. "What do you mean?" the Taian girl wondered.

"Remember who got killed yesterday. Megane and his three morons. Wasn't THAT interesting? Beyond them, no one who was really important or influential in Tomobiki High when Lum was here. Mendō-san was hurt, but clearly he wasn't a target of this nut. The others? Fujinami-kun's father, Ataru-kun's 'ex'-parents, that strange girl Fujinami-kun was engaged to and two others."

"Have they identified those two yet?" the Shakkyo girl wondered.

"Two girls from Class 2-2, Kawamura Himiko and Serizawa Mikiko. Himiko-chan was captain of the girl's swim team. Mikiko-chan was . . . " Momoe stopped before sighing. "No one really special when you get down to it."

"May they both rest in peace," Soban gently intoned.

The others looked at the gang leader for a moment. "Yes, no matter how we might think of them, they didn't deserve that. Even Megane and his loons," Ogin affirmed. "So, opinions, anyone? What do you people think of a possible follow-up attack in Tomobiki by Islamic fundamentalists?"

Taian: "I'd say low to fair."

Shakkyo: "Concur."

Butsumetsu Girl's: "Very low to nil."

Butsumetsu: "Fair."

Ogin looked at Momoe. "I'm not the type to judge that sort of thing without some hard evidence," the latter declared.

The Rosebuds' leader sighed. "Alright. I say low, but let's keep our eyes open. If nothing happens by the end of next month, we'll relax."

"By the way, the Hajj is coming soon," Hitori then spoke up, making Futari stare annoyingly at him; he always thought HE was the smart one of the Twins! "Lots of Muslims are gonna be off to Arabia to do their thing."

Ogin nodded. "Good point. Besides, given that this idiot WAS from the Middle East, I think the National Police will be keeping a sharp eye out for everyone from that part of the world." A pause as she took a deep breath. "Now, the other important thing for this evening . . . "

"What do we do about Ataru-kun?" the Taian girl wondered.

"Exactly. Momoe-kun, what can you tell us about Saotome Ranma?"

Momoe sighed before doing a recap of Ranma's life, relayed to her first-hand by Tendō Nabiki. She concluded with the battle on Mount Phoenix; the recent wedding troubles weren't truly relevant. When the other Rosebuds and their allies heard about the battle with Saffron, they all paled. "You mean to tell us that this Saotome guy . . .?" the chief representative from Butsumetsu sputtered before blurting out, "Killed an IMMORTAL to save his fiancée?"

Shakkyo: "Whoa!"

Soban sniffed admiringly. "Such devotion for the one he loves."

Some sent the delinquent annoyed stares. Momoe nodded. "You bet. Now, Nabiki-san's a good judge when it comes to martial arts skills; she herself is trained in the sister school of the Saotome-ryū. According to her, the chances are VERY good Ataru-kun is either close to OR ON PAR with Ranma-kun. And this Negako person, this being formed from this _Saikō Jinseijutsu_ database that used to be in Ataru-kun's head . . . " She shuddered. "She's better."

"Which means?" Ogin prodded.

"Which means that if Mendō-san or any of us push our luck with Ataru-kun . . . " Momoe paused to look out the window at the surrounding cityscape. "Then we're potentially playing with fire . . . huh?"

"What?" Ogin wondered as they looked outside.

Everyone then gasped on seeing an arcing beam of bright light burst from one of the three towers marking Tomobiki's downtown. From several kilometres away, it was hard for the Rosebuds to see what might be causing the light to form, but they could tell it seemed to be heading south towards the distant Sagami Sea and the Izu Islands. "What the heck is that?" Futari asked.

Momoe shook her head. "Search me."

* * *

"What the hairy heck IS that, anyway?"

Shinobu shook her head as she and Ryūnosuke watched the beam of light disappear into the southern sky. "I don't know. I don't think Mendō-san's family owns that particular building, so it couldn't be them."

Ryūnosuke shook her head. "Man, just when you thought you'd seen it all." She rubbed the side of her head. "You think we'd ever get back to something close to 'normal' one of these days, Shinobu?"

"I don't know. I hope so, but . . . " Her best friend's voice trailed off as she gently tugged on Ryūnosuke's shirt sleeve. "Coming?"

Ryūnosuke nodded as she fell in beside Shinobu as they headed in the general direction of the old Moroboshi home. "Ah . . . r-right."

As they walked, Shinobu slipped her arm around Ryūnosuke's. To passers-by, they appeared to be a normal couple. A young, effeminate-looking man escorting a pretty, wholesome young girl "his" age out on the town. Even with Shinobu's father striving to see Fujinami Ryūnosuke properly registered and acknowledged as a girl by school authorities, the tomboy's lack of any female clothing would be telling for some time to come. It would change, Miyake Toshoba had vowed last night after Ryūnosuke started to recover from her mourning her father's and Nagisa's deaths. But it would take time. Even if they were well off, the Miyake family were middle-class. Taking on the needs of an orphan, especially one with Ryūnosuke's unique problems, would be difficult.

"Shinobu-chan?"

"Hai, Ryū-chan, what is it?"

"Dōmo."

Shinobu gazed up at the taller woman. "You don't need to thank me, Ryū-chan. We would've done it for anyone."

"Even Moroboshi?"

Shinobu jolted before a clouded look crossed her face. Ryūnosuke looked nonplussed, and then she reached over with her free hand to gently cup the former's chin. "Hey, what's wrong? You okay, Shinobu?"

"I . . . " Shinobu blinked before she shook her head, gently brushing her companion's hand away. "N-no. No. It's okay, Ryū-chan."

"Bullshit, Shinobu!" A stern look crossed the tomboy's face. Sensing Shinobu tense, Ryūnosuke moved to moderate, "Look, I'm sorry. But ya gotta admit, Moroboshi made it damned clear yesterday what he thinks about us."

"Then if he thinks THAT of us, why did he come help out?"

Ryūnosuke blinked, and then she jolted as Shinobu stopped, the latter's hand holding the tomboy fast to her side. "Hey, what th- . . .?" Ryūnosuke gasped before turning on Shinobu. "What the hell's . . . huh?" Noticing where Shinobu was looking, Ryūnosuke quickly realised that they were standing by the gate leading to the two-floor townhouse Moroboshi Ataru had called home until six weeks ago. Taking a deep breath, she glanced down at her companion. "Shinobu, Moroboshi don't live here anymore! Remember?" she protested.

"Then who's inside?"

"Eh?" Ryūnosuke blinked on seeing lights on and people inside through the curtained living room windows. "Hey! Who IS here?"

Shinobu pulled away from her friend. "Let's find out."

"Hey, wait!" Ryūnosuke gasped as she followed Shinobu to the front door.

Shinobu rang the bell. The door soon opened to reveal a gaijin-like man with glasses. His eyes widened with surprise on seeing who stood there before they narrowed distastefully. "Hai, Miyake-san, can I help you?"

"Er . . . oh, forgive me! I'm sorry." Shinobu flustered before her eyes widened in recognition. "You're that man who talked to the reporters . . .!"

"Yumoa Reigi." He handed a meishi to Shinobu. With the way he was presently acting, Ataru's former girlfriend was quick to note, the man before her didn't think highly of her. Why? What had she done to him? "Again, what brings you about here? From what I heard, after you got together with that Inaba creature, you wouldn't have wanted anything to do with Ataru-kun again."

Silence.

"WHAT?" Shinobu stared at Reigi before she shook her head. "That's not true!" she blurted. "Ataru-kun's my friend! Who on Earth told you that lie?"

"Ataru-kun told me himself," Reigi calmly replied. Given the glint in his eyes, Ryūnosuke realised he was taking considerable joy in giving Shinobu THIS news. "To quote: 'The less I see of ANY of those back-stabbing, selfish bastards in Tomobiki anytime in the future, the BETTER!'" A pause. "By the way, after he left here, Ataru-kun took some time to BURN his yearbooks, photo albums and everything else that could remind him of what he'd been through living in this hellhole with Muchi and Kinshō. I'm sure he has NO pictures or anything else remaining that would remind him of you or your friends, which is a good thing. It'll give him a totally fresh start where he lives now."

Shinobu blinked. Her body quaked as tears welled up in her eyes. "I . . . " she began, feeling herself choke before she clasped her hands before her. "I . . . " she tried again. "Could you tell me where he lives now, Yumoa-san?"

A pregnant pause as Reigi seemed to consider that. "I could." He looked away. "But I won't. Ataru-kun was quite adamant about that. Regardless of what happened at the school yesterday morning, he wants no contact with any of you . . . " He turned away from her. "**Ever – again.**"

Shinobu's hands started to spasm as tears flowed down her cheeks. She bowed low. "Please excuse me for bothering you, Yumoa-san."

Turning, she moved to run away, but was halted by, "Shinobu-san?"

She turned back. "Hai?"

"Do you understand what the concept of child abuse is?"

Shinobu blinked. "I don't understand, Yumoa-san . . . "

Reigi sighed. "Alright." He gazed on her. "How many times did you hear Kinshō say 'I wish I never had him' or words to that effect concerning Ataru-kun?"

Shinobu blinked. "I . . . "

Reigi waited for an answer for a moment before sighing. "I see. Ataru-kun was right. You never really CARED about what happened to him, did you? Well, fine. Now you know why he no longer wants anything to do with you." He pointed to Ryūnosuke. "I suspect Fujinami-san there can tell you about what PHYSICAL child abuse is like. But few in this society of ours realise that EMOTIONAL child abuse can hurt much worse. But then again, would you really care about what Ataru-kun's been through? I don't think so. Now, I will ask you to leave and not bother me again about him. Stay away from him from now on; you and those slime you go to school with have hurt him enough."

The door slammed shut in Shinobu's face. Staring at the house, a shudder raced through her before she staggered. Ryūnosuke caught her, and then she guided her from the Moroboshi home as she began to weep. As her strength failed, Ryūnosuke scooped her into her arms and carried her away, whispering a reassuring "It'll be okay, Shinobu. It'll be okay!" as she took Shinobu home.

Minutes later, they arrived at the Miyake home. Ryūnosuke pressed the doorbell. She breathed out as it opened, revealing Toshoba, a heavyset man in his forties with a stern disposition, standing there. "Ryū-chan, what . . .?" His voice failed as Ryūnosuke stepped inside, carrying his weeping child to the sofa. "Ryū-chan, what the hell happened to my daughter?" he demanded.

Kimiki ran in from the kitchen. On seeing Shinobu, she raced to comfort her child as Ryūnosuke guided Toshoba aside to brief him.

**_To be continued . . ._**

* * *

**WRITER'S NOTES:**

1) The Sword of Scotia (properly referred to as "The Great Sword of Scotland") will appear in the fanfic series _Urusei Yatsura Twenty Years Later_. The Talismans of Angus will have a profound impact in the fanfic series _Illusions_.

2) While Akane's cooking is quite terrible given her dearth of experience in a kitchen, the idea of her actually creating a quasi-lifeform through her cooking is most likely fanon. However, it's a funny joke and I decided to use it here.

3) Yoshino Tomomi, Ikusawa Kyōko and Sawada Minako are three characters from the 1996 adult visual novel series _Zenkoku Seifuku Bishōjo Grand Prix_, which was created by Lyceen; the series was later recast as a dating simulation game called _Find Love_. Unlike my use of them in _Phoenix From the Ashes_, here, the girls were born on Earth to an Avalonian mother and a Terran father, so they have had pretty much "normal" (for half-Avalonians) teenage lives. The Niphentaxians and the Avalonians themselves as races both made their appearance in _The Senior Year_ story "What Price for Love?"

4) Tōfū's dream concerning Chikage-as-Princess parallels what Minakami Wataru experienced in the eighteenth anime episode of _Sister Princess_, " . . . Eternal . . . Vow . . . "

5) The mirror twins of Ranma appeared in Volume 35, parts 1-4 of the _Ranma ½_ manga (the "Copy Ranma" storyline). The names, like the name of their template, are based on equestrian motifs. **Toshiko** is composed of the kanji for "fleet steed" (駿) and "child" (子). **Kumiko** is composed of one of the kanji meaning "horse" (駒; a more elegant form of "馬"), "beautiful" (美) and "child" (子). Kumiko's male name, **Komakichi**, takes the kun reading of the elegant kanji for "horse" (駒) and combines it with the kanji for "good luck" (吉).

6) While Nabiki's interest in martial arts is pretty much left up to conjecture in both the _Ranma ½_ manga and anime, some fan fiction stories have played up to her actually being much better in the Art than Akane. There have also been stories where Akane's jealousy towards her sister's skill resulted in severe repercussions for Nabiki. Since I've always like those type of stories, I played up to that theme here.

7) Mendō's parents were background players in _Yatsura_. His mother Haruka (and her valet/spokesperson) first appeared in the manga episode "The Parents' Day from Hell" (manga story #51). His father Hajime first appeared in "New Year's Party at the Mendō Mansion" (manga story #114). Both their given names are my invention; I first used them in _The Senior Year_. The Rosebuds and the Franken Twins were first introduced in the _Yatsura_ anime episode "Goodbye Season" (anime episode #64).

8) Translations (all from Japanese except when noted):

**okonomiyaki-ka** – _person who makes okonomiyaki_**  
man-en** – _10,000 yen_ ("yen" is pronounced **en** in Japan)**  
moshi-moshi** – _hello_ (used only over the telephone)**  
Kita-Hiroshima** – _North Hiroshima_**  
rokkyū** – _sixth-level initiate_ (martial arts rank)**  
hajime** – _begin_ (said at the start of a contest)**  
dobu salada** – _sewage salad_**  
Hajj** – _the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, one of Islam's Five Pillars_ (the five main duties incumbent on all Muslims) (Arabic)**  
meishi** – _business card_


	6. 3rd Part B: Family Born

"Ranma? Ranma, wake up!"

Ranma moaned, opening her eyes. Disorientation seized her for a second as she saw her own face gazing at her. Her memory then clicked in on spotting the bandanna wrapped around her mirror-twin's hair. "Oh, Toshiko, hi . . . " she hailed with a grunt as she slowly slid into a sitting position. "Damn! What time is it?" she wondered, moving to gaze on the digital clock nearby.

Toshiko grinned as she grabbed her sister. "Time to get some exercise!"

Vaulting to the window, she sent Ranma flying. "HEY!" Ranma screamed, quickly noting she had just been tossed out of the THIRD floor of the rotunda. Orientating herself to make a perfect two-point landing near the laundry bars by the sea wall, she braced herself as twin dynamos of finely honed martial arts energy leapt out the same window she emerged from to land nearby.

As the windows in neighbouring bedrooms flew open, people looking outside to see what was going on, Ranma braced herself. "Ready when you are," she declared with a grin as she sensed Toshiko and Kumiko preparing to attack.

The mirror-twins lashed out. Ranma, glad to FINALLY get a pair of good sparring partners – for obvious reasons, Genma no longer made the grade – screamed as she retaliated. Watching the scene of punches, kicks, leaps and dodges, the people woken by the Saotomes could only stare in disbelief. "When Anē said Ranma-anē was good, she wasn't kidding!" Mamoru mused.

"Don't look at it, Aria-sama," the twenty-something maid/governess who watched over Aria, Jeanne-Marie Louise Guenevere Rochelles – Aria shortened that mouth-filling name all the time to "Jii-ya," much to Guenevere's constant annoyance! – declared as she covered the young Parisian's eyes when she tried to look outside to see what Ranma-nēya and her sisters were doing.

"Whaaa! Nē-sama and her sisters are going to have BIG appetites when they're done!" Shirayuki mused, she standing at the third floor landing. "Hime best make her Special Vitamin Milkshakes for Nē-sama and her sisters!"

As the chef bounded to the kitchen to get started on breakfast, Rinrin peeked out her window. The inventor had been busy all night working on some modifications for her first robot, Prototype Robot Number One ("Mecha-Rinrin" as it was known). "Man, if they do that EVERY morning, I might as well throw my alarm clock away," she muttered before turning back to her work.

The ground floor windows below Ranma's room, marking Ataru's and Karen's rooms, then opened. "Onii-chan, can't they be a little LESS loud?" the latter asked as she looked over towards Ataru's room though she couldn't see him.

"Talk to them later, Karen-chan . . . H-HEY!"

Ranma appeared before her friend, and then she made him pole-vault right at Toshiko and Kumiko. "C'mon! You need exercise, too!"

"ONII-CHAN!" Karen screamed as Ataru pivoted in mid-air to land by the safety wall overlooking the island's shoreline.

"Oh, ya wanna be a bunch of wise guys, huh?" He balled up a ki sphere. "Try this on for size! **_SEISHIN SHURIKEN ARASHI!_**"

The shockwave blasts from the Psychic Shuriken Storm shook Welcome House all the way to the chapel on the opposite side of the commons from the rotunda. As Ataru and the Saotomes went at each other, Kaho burst from the front doors; dressed in her school cheerleader's outfit, pom-poms in hand. "**_ONII-CHAMA, ONĒ-CHAMA, GAMBATTE!_**" she cried out as she launched into her routine.

Seeing this from the second floor landing, Chikage smiled. _Have fun, Ani-kun, Ane-kun_, she mused. _It won't last long._

* * *

Hearing the noise from the downtown part of the island, residents looked up to see smoke billow up from Welcome House. A tall fellow then gazed on his portly friend. "What the heck are those girls up to now?"

"Search me! Their brother wasn't THAT loud before!"

They then nodded as they reached the only logical conclusion:

"Mainlanders!"

"Has to be."

"Wish those girls would be more careful."

"Hai. Well, there goes the neighbourhood."

* * *

**_Lonely Souls  
_**by Fred Herriot

_Ashokan Farewell_, music by Jay Ungar, lyrics by Grian McGregor. The arrangement of the words depicted here is my interpretation, following the version of the song as recorded on Track Three of the _The Civil War_ CD, produced by Ken Burns and John Colby, distributed by Electra Nonesuch.

Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.

Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

* * *

**THE THIRD PART, "B" SIDE - FAMILY BORN**

"**_SAOTOME, HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?_**"

Genma ducked Sōun's Demon Head, waving his hands. "Relax, Tendō-kun!" the Saotome patriarch soothed. "We can get this fixed up as soon as we find that stupid son of mine and bring him back here!"

"Oh, I'm truly sure that Ranma-kun will actually let you screw around _again_ with his mind like you did when he was only FIVE!" Nabiki barbed while giving Genma a knowing look from her place at the breakfast table.

Genma glared at her. "Nabiki, surely you can realise the advantage of what I did! If the boy wasn't forced to concentrate on the Art, how could he have been able to kill Saffron and save your sister?"

Kasumi walked in from the kitchen, breakfast tray in hand. "Perhaps," the eldest daughter mused. "But maybe if Ranma-kun WAS able to develop other interests, he wouldn't have been forced into some of the fights he's had to deal with since he came here!" Glaring at Genma, she tossed him a bag of dry ramen. "There! And don't you DARE go into my kitchen to cook that!"

Sōun jolted. "Kasumi! How can you be so mean to our guest?"

"He's YOUR guest, Otō-san! Not ours!" Kasumi snarled, her angry tone making Sōun duck. "Besides, he's lived on the road for ten years! Surely he didn't spend ALL that time STEALING food! And he STAYS out of my kitchen! I wouldn't want such an unsanitary beast in there!"

"Or maybe he forced Ranma-kun to do all the cooking," Nabiki mused as she started to eat. Seeing Genma glance hopefully at her plate, an icy look flashed in her eyes. "If you even THINK of it, fatso, you're going back to the zoo and you're going to STAY there this time!" she warned.

Genma ducked her look. He then screamed out as a pipe sent him flying into the koi pond. "If you aren't going to eat, Genma, get out of the way!" Happōsai snapped before he sweetly smiled at Kasumi. "What's for breakfast?"

Kasumi beamed. "Coming right up, Ojii-san."

Watching his daughters being so kind to his old teacher, Sōun wailed, bemoaning yet again the threatened state of the future union of the Saotome-ryū and Tendō-ryū. Kasumi, Nabiki and Happōsai ignored him. Seeing this from the pond, Genma-panda moaned. _The boy will PAY for this!_

* * *

Back in Tomobiki . . .

The road train from the Toranoseishin Tower stood before a simple family home. Black blurs flashed to and from the passenger cabin and a bedroom on the second floor. Standing by the front door with her sister and parents, Inu Chigaiko could only smile. "Boy, when Ataru-kun said his uncle's ninjas were fast, he wasn't kidding," she declared before a cough shook her, a hand flying up to her mouth to catch the spittle.

"You still have that cold, dear?" her mother Kindan wondered.

"Y-yeah!" Chigaiko sniffled, rubbing her nose. "Can you get me an appointment with the doctor, Kā-chan? I think I need it."

"I'll make the call today, but I think you won't be able to get in to see him until next week at the earliest," Kindan warned.

"Oh, okay!" Chigaiko then blinked as a ninja appeared before her, bowing his head respectfully. "Is it all done?" she asked.

"Yes, Young Mistress Chigaiko," the ninja reported. "If you are ready to depart, we will take you to the Young Master's residence."

Chigaiko nodded, and then she exchanged hugs and kisses with her family before boarding the road train. The ninjas vanished as the driver guided the train towards Nerima. "We should arrive at the Young Master's residence in a half-hour or so, ma'am," the driver reported. "Traffic doesn't seem to be bad today. Oh, I may have a pick-up," he then advised.

"Who?" Chigaiko asked.

"A potential student of Grandmaster Negako's."

The ex-Tomobiki High sophomore nodded. "Ah!"

* * *

The Tendō home, a half-hour later . . .

"Wow!"

"Oh, my! Is that really Ranma-kun?"

Nabiki whistled, turning the page of the latest issue of a popular teen fashion magazine. "Sure looks like it," she mused. "Man, whoever did the shots here really knows his business. Make-up's not so bad, either!"

Kasumi and Nabiki sat on the porch. Sōun and Genma were currently walking about town in some vain attempt to locate either Ranma or Moroboshi Negako. Minutes before, one of Nabiki's friends came by, carrying several fashion and other pop magazines she asserted had dozens of pictures of Ranma – in both forms! – inside. One glance inside quickly proved how right she was. "So he used a Korean alias for each of his bodies, huh? Very smart thinking, Ranma-kun . . . oh, THIS is nice!" She pointed to one picture.

"Oh, my! Ranma-chan looks SO cute in that wedding dress!" Kasumi covered her mouth. "Ne, Nabiki-chan, how much would this pay?"

"Can't say. Probably a lot given that he's HAD to use some of that money to set up our private funds, plus the other money."

"Do you think Oji-san might try to steal Ranma-kun's money?"

"Not with the bank Ranma-kun got those cheques made in. Koshin Bank has rules when it comes to underage clients, which Ranma-kun happens to be. If there's ANY suspicion of child abuse or any other sort of impropriety between the client and the parents, the bank has the authority to block attempts by the parents to get control of those funds. If Oji-chan wanted to push it, then . . . " She smirked. "Well, I doubt he'd survive an investigation like THAT! Nope!" She shook her head again before turning back to the magazine. "He can dream all he wants, but this time, he won't get a damned thing. Too bad!"

"Hai, too bad." Kasumi pointed at one picture. "Oh, isn't THAT cute?"

"Yeah!" Nabiki then blinked as the front gate opened. Seeing who was coming in, she moaned. "Oh, wonderful! Just what I needed . . . "

"Tendō Nabiki, I would speak to you on a matter of great import!" Kunō Tatewaki declared as he marched up. He then gracefully bowed to the older sister. "A fair morning to you, Tendō Kasumi." To Nabiki: "May I enquire as to where your beauteous sister or the pig-tailed girl might be?"

"Oh, neither of them are here, Kunō-san," Kasumi said. "Akane's in the hospital right now and Ranma-chan moved out of the house."

The scion of the Kunō family gasped. "WHAT? What happened to them?" he demanded before scanning around the property. "And where is that foul demon Saotome? Has he unleashed some new vile sorcery on my beloveds?"

"No, he moved out too, Kunō-chan." Nabiki set the fashion magazine aside before crossing her arms. "Oh, by the way, I've got some good news for you! There's no engagement now between Ranma-kun and Akane."

Silence.

More silence.

Still more silence.

Then . . .

"No engagement?" Kunō gasped, stunned by Nabiki's words.

Nabiki nodded. "Yep. Akane's a free woman now."

Blinking as that sank into his mind, Kunō then screamed out, "Oh, AT LAST! At last, justice has prevailed! I, Kunō Tatewaki, the Blue Thunder of Fūrinkan High, have finally succeeded! The beautiful Tendō Akane has FINALLY escaped the clutches of that demon Saotome! Justice has FINALLY prevailed!" He crouched into a meditative pose as a hum rumbled from him, and then he held up a finger. "No!" he flatly said. "No! It must be done right, of course!"

"Done right in what way, Kunō-san?" Kasumi asked.

"Forgive me, but that must be resolved first between myself and your noble, fiery sister, Tendō Kasumi," the kendō-ka proclaimed before he turned on Nabiki. "Now, Tendō Nabiki, what news of the pig-tailed one? I last saw her on the television when she went Monday to aid in the rescue of those poor unfortunates at Tomobiki High School. Much to my shock and horror, she doth proclaim to the media that she is a friend to that most vile, perverted beast, Moroboshi Ataru! Pray tell me this is not so, Nabiki, I beg you!"

Nabiki held out her hand. "It doesn't come cheap, Kunō-chan."

Ten thousand yen filled her hands. "Yes, Ranma-chan IS Ataru-kun's friend." She slipped the money into her pocket before she added, "Matter of fact, they're off on a trip together for the rest of the week with Ataru-kun's sisters. You won't see her until she comes back to school on Monday."

"Oh, that is . . .!" Kunō's voice trailed off as a horror-struck look crossed his face. "WHAT?" he wailed as lightning flashed in the background. "You mean to say the pig-tailed girl is ALONE with that lecher?"

Nabiki nodded. "Yep."

"Where?" he demanded. "Tell me so I might smite the beast and rescue the pig-tailed one from Moroboshi's vile, diseased clutches!"

Nabiki shook her head. "I can't! And no, you can't pay me any sort of money to get that information out of me. Sorry."

"**_WHAT? WHY NOT?_**"

"Simple," Nabiki replied. "Ataru-kun's a ninja. Not just ANY ninja, but one who's learned from the deadliest ninjutsu school of all! How the heck do you think he's been able to defeat Mendō Shūtarō all the time when he was living in Tomobiki? Hell, how the heck do you expect me to keep track of someone like HIM, Kunō-chan? I may be good, but I'm not THAT good!"

The kendō-ka considered that before gravely nodding. "You are correct, Tendō Nabiki. Very well. I will have Sasuke seek out the vile beast and the pig-tailed one so I might smite Moroboshi and ensure he REMAINS defeated!" He turned around to leave, waving at them. "Fair thee well, my friends!"

He departed. Kasumi and Nabiki watched him go. The latter sighed. "To quote the great cartoon . . . " A pause. "'What a maroon!'"

The former shook her head. "Indeed."

* * *

Nearby . . .

"Sasuke-san, you have our deepest sympathies."

"Thank you, Tenchi-san," Sasuke replied, nodding thanks to the other ninja, one of Yumoa Reigi's personal field scouts. Both were perched in a tree overlooking the Tendō family courtyard. "So where is Ataru-sama anyway?"

"He is, as Nabiki-san just reported, with Ranma-sama and the Young Mistresses. Surely, Sasuke-san, you can't expect us to stand idly by and allow that fool you serve to threaten the Young Mistresses, do you?"

The Kunō family retainer thought about it for a second before he shook his head. "No, of course not," he replied. "If the Master saw Sakuya-sama or Haruka-sama, he would . . .!" A shudder raced through him before he nodded. "No. My master is not an evil man, but his obsessions blind him to so much. I will not see a war start between the Kunō and the Moroboshi over that!"

"A good point . . . ah!"

A _toot!_ filled the air. Sasuke and Tenchi watched as a certain road train stopped by the front gate of the Tendō property. Nabiki soon ran out, a gym bag in hand. Quickly getting aboard, she relaxed beside Inu Chigaiko as the road train continued its journey to the Moroboshi home. "Where is Nabiki-sama going?" Sasuke wondered, staring at the other ninja.

"To see our grandmaster about having her arms restored to proper motion so she can continue her studies in Musabetsu Kakutō-ryū."

Sasuke perked before he smiled. "Really? Good for her!"

* * *

Promised Island . . .

"**_NĒ-SAMA! WHEN HIME SAYS 'SLOW,' HIME MEANS 'SLOW!'_**"

A spatula slammed down on the table beside Ranma's plate. That act made the martial artist leap up to the pentacle-shaped ceiling frame six metres off the floor! Everyone looked up to see Ranma hugging the wood beams, shivering at the chef's outburst. Shirayuki put her fists to hips. "HONESTLY, Nē-sama! Hime can make all the uzura-dango Nē-sama wants! Why is Nē-sama eating like someone was about to take all of Nē-sama's food away?"

"Because people DO try to take Ranma's food away, Shirayuki-san," Toshiko said in her template's defence. "Specifically Genma!"

"Why would Onē-sama's father do something like that?" Sakuya asked.

"Partially, it's training." Kumiko held up her chopsticks to emphasise her point. "Working with chopsticks helps improve your fingers' dexterity, especially if you want to use shiatsu attacks. Partially, it's a philosophy Genma rammed into Ranma every day during their training trip: 'Treat each meal like it was your last.'" A tired sigh. "And partially, it's because Genma's a greedy, lazy fool who wants to pig out all the time!"

Shirayuki looked aghast before screaming, "**_HIME NEVER HEARD SUCH A STUPID THING IN ALL OF HIME'S LIFE!_**" Everyone ducked her rant as Shirayuki looked up to Ranma, insistently pointing to the spot the martial artist had just vacated. "Nē-sama, come down here RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

Ranma quaked before dropping to the floor, waving her hands in a "Don't hit me!" gesture. Shirayuki sighed, pointing to the former's chair. "Sit, Nē-sama! Hime isn't going to take Nē-sama's food away!"

Ranma hopped into the chair. "Okay! Okay! Okay!"

"Now, Hime will tell Nē-sama Hime's philosophy about food!" Shirayuki drew out a handkerchief to lie on Ranma's lap. "Food is meant to be ENJOYED to the last morsel!" She then drew out a plate of uzura-dango. "After all, Hime and cooks like Hime LIKE to make food and they want those who eat their food to enjoy eating their food!" She sat down beside Ranma. Taking the latter's chopsticks, she used them to pick up one of the dumplings. "Nē-sama can't enjoy Hime's food if Nē-sama is shovelling it into Nē-sama's mouth like she was some silly stoker shovelling coal into a boiler! Okay?" She held the dumpling before Ranma's mouth. "Now, Nē-sama, say 'Aaah!'"

Ranma backed away. "Aw, c'mon, Shirayuki! That's sissy stuff!"

Hearing that, the cook stopped, sniffing. "Nē-sama doesn't like Hime's cooking . . . " she tearfully moaned, looking down at her plate.

Seeing THAT, Ranma slumped in defeat. "Aaah . . . "

Giggling, the other sisters watched as Shirayuki fed the martial artist. Hinako covered her mouth. "Onē-tama's so funny!"

Sakuya stared at Ataru. "Poor Onē-sama. I wonder what sort of other bad habits that fool father taught her," she whispered.

"Quite a bit from what I've seen of her already," he whispered back. "Do you think you can give Ranma the Talk, Sakuya-chan?"

She blinked as she stared wide-eyed at him. "You mean they were pressing an engagement between Onē-sama and that Akane girl and no one ever thought of giving Onē-sama the Talk?" She then shook her head as she turned back to her breakfast. "Gods, what were those stupid people thinking, anyway?"

"You can say that again," Ataru muttered, rolling his eyes.

* * *

Later . . .

"Oh, man! Did she HAVE to do THAT? That was embarrassing!"

Ataru chuckled as he escorted Ranma on a tour around town. "Sorry, but they've done that to me many times since I first came here. I was riding the escalators with Haruka-chan one day . . .!" – he pointed up to the covered public escalator connecting the higher and lower parts of the Island – " . . . and I sprained my ankle and she had to help me back to the House. Instant they saw that, they were all over me to make sure I got 'properly' fed and all that. Heck, Haruka-chan even wanted to come into the furo and wash my back!"

He shrugged. Ranma gazed at him. "Ataru, are you SURE they're your sisters?" she demanded as her eyebrow arched before she looked ahead. "I mean, I don't think sisters are supposed to do THAT with their brother!"

He laughed. "There were times I was unsure of it, too! But then again, we could simply attribute it to the _newness_ of it all."

"You mean the fact that you just found out you were related and you weren't really sure as to what to do about that, right?"

"Exactly. It's like you with Toshiko-chan and Kumiko-chan, right?"

Ranma nodded. "I guess so. Then again, I really haven't had a chance to spend any time with them. I had to get them out of the house after Nabiki put them into that magical compact, then send them on their way. Ukyō helped out, but I didn't want them to stay in Nerima any longer than it was safe for them. Or me. I busted them out of that compact after I got into a fight with Nabiki over some stupid lottery ticket she had that got burned up during a fight I had with Jijii. Thank the gods that Jijii at least was able to supply them some travelling money so they didn't have to rough it like Oyaji and I did."

"Given how well-skilled they are, Happōsai was probably making sure the Art would be guaranteed to continue through them. Besides, would YOU want them to hang around in the same place as that fool father of yours?"

Ranma shuddered. "You got a point."

* * *

Tomobiki High School . . .

"Oh, man . . .!"

Ryūnosuke tried not to scream as she stared at Tomobiki High. After waiting for a day for the embers to cool, the wreckers would come to tear down what was left of the northwest wing. That would allow the Mendō Emergency Construction and Repair Team – the people who normally repaired the school when something odd happened – to get to work on reconstruction. Shinobu stood beside her friend, ready to support the orphaned girl if she needed it.

Taking a breath, Ryūnosuke shook her head. "Y'know, 'cept for the people dyin' . . . " she began before sucking back a sob. "It don't look different from after the Pseudo-War and the Second Tag Race. Don't it?"

Shinobu nodded. "Hai, that's true, isn't it?"

"Shinobu? Ryūnosuke-kun?"

Both turned to see several of their classmates walk up, led by Marubeya Momoe and Gekasawa Kumiko. "Yo, guys!" Ryūnosuke hailed.

Shinobu bowed. "Ohayō, everyone. What are you all doing here?"

"Looking for you," Kumiko replied. "Listen, we're trying to get all the people in class together, and then we'd go out and find Ataru-kun. You know, thank him for coming over to help out with the clean-up and all that."

Shinobu gagged on the lump that just formed in her throat. Seeing that, Ryūnosuke sighed, squeezing Shinobu's shoulder before she turned back to the others. "Look, Moroboshi don't want anything to do with us, Kumiko . . . "

"Even if he doesn't, Ryūnosuke-kun, he did help us," Kumiko objected. "I mean, it surprised me when the local papers only mentioned Saotome-san when they reported on the bombing. I mean, I don't like Ataru-kun, but . . . "

"AND he don't like us, Kumiko!" Ryūnosuke snapped. "Look, Shinobu and I went by his old house last night. There was this guy there. He's the man runnin' Moroboshi's grandma's will. He freakin' tore a strip off us both. Practically gloated over the fact that Moroboshi was leavin' us once and for all! Even told us that Moroboshi burned all his yearbooks and photo albums just to help him forget we ever existed! I say THAT'S a pretty strong message, Kumiko. Look . . . " She stopped as a hand grabbed hers. "Shinobu?"

Shinobu sighed. "I'm not giving up on him, Ryū-chan."

"Shinobu!" Ryūnosuke snapped.

"Shinobu-chan!" Momoe gasped.

Ataru's ex-girlfriend stared at her friends. "Look, if there's anyone who might know where he is, it's Kamekichi Tampopo."

"You mean the rāmen shop cook that always beat up that slab of beef Rei all the time?" Koi Shinjin, one of the boys, wondered.

"Hey! Rei-san's no slab of beef!" Kumiko snapped.

"Yeah, right, sure!" another boy said, rolling his eyes.

Shinobu moaned as the argument started. God, it seemed that Lum and her friends would be affecting people's opinions for a LONG time! "Alright! Enough, already!" she snapped. "What's past is past! We have to go on! Let's find Kamekichi-san, then go ask her about Ataru-kun! Okay?"

The others nodded.

* * *

Nerima, the Moroboshi home . . .

"Remain still, Nabiki."

Nabiki sighed, lying face-first on the sitting room floor as Negako manipulated the former's shiatsu pattern to entice the nerve clusters around her shoulders to fully and properly regenerate. Inu Chigaiko sat to one side, watching the ninjutsu grandmaster do her work. "Oooh! That feels great, Negako-san!" Nabiki purred delightedly as Negako's fingertips slightly vibrated as she sent ki energy into the body to break apart the scarred neural tissue within, thus allowing the neurons to reform whole and healthy.

A happy whistling heralded the arrival of one of Nerima's three martial arts grandmasters. "Good morning, ladies!" Happōsai hailed as he bounced in, landing on Negako's head. "Hiya, Negako-chan! How's Nabiki here?"

Negako calmly picked him off her head, setting him to one side. "She will recover sooner if you do not distract me, Happy."

"Ojii-chan, you even THINK of stealing my bra or panties right now, I won't bail you out of jail the next time you get really drunk," Nabiki said with a glare as she raised a finger in dire warning.

"Oh, relax, relax! The girls from Saint Hebereke were more than happy to let me protect all their silky darlings!" Happōsai crooned before pulling out his pipe and lighting it as he watched Negako work. "Looks good."

"Yes, her potential is considerable. The chances are good that once she has regained confidence, she could begin ki training."

Everyone gaped. "You're kidding!" Chigaiko exclaimed.

"I do not joke, Chigaiko," Negako explained. "Everyone on the planet has some ki-manipulation abilities. Most do not go beyond the basics required to maintain one's health to the standard they feel is 'right.' Remember, the ability to utilise ki is interconnected with one's faith in herself, her surroundings and Existence as a whole. Since events in Nerima and Tomobiki defy what is seen as 'normal' to most, those not native to either place will not be able to conceive of what we would see as 'normal.'"

"I never thought about that," Nabiki admitted.

"Of course not. Save when Sōun used his Demon Head attack to emotionally subdue someone, you did not encounter a situation where your concepts of 'reality' were broadened significantly until Ranma and Genma came to Nerima."

A cell phone rang. Negako pulled back, allowing Nabiki to sit up as she drew out the phone. "Moshi-moshi, Tendō here."

"Nabiki-san, it's me!" a woman called back.

"Momoe-san, what's up?"

Chigaiko's jaw dropped in shock. Momoe? Marubeya Momoe? One of Mendō's floozies knew Tendō Nabiki? "Nothing much. We're recovering," Momoe reported. "Listen, a bunch of yatai owners here told us that Kamekichi Tampopo moved to your part of Tokyo some weeks back. Can you give an address?"

"I probably could. Why are you so interested?"

"Well, we're actually looking for Moroboshi Ataru," Momoe admitted. "You know, thank him for his help in what happened on Monday. I know what you told me Monday night; Mendō-san doesn't know about this. If anyone knows where Ataru-kun went, it'd be Tampopo-san. Can you give?"

"I . . . " Nabiki paused, noticing Negako holding out her hand. "Look, Momoe, Ataru-kun's sister is sitting right beside me. I'll let you talk to her about it. Just a second," she called out before handing the phone over.

* * *

Tomobiki . . .

"'SISTER?'" everyone exclaimed.

Momoe stared at her phone before holding it to her ear. "Moshi-moshi?"

"This is Moroboshi Negako," a frighteningly cold woman's voice announced. "Ataru is not here right now. What is the matter, Momoe?"

"I . . . " Momoe shook her head before calling back over the line, "I didn't know Ataru-kun had a sister! Unless you're the . . .?"

"I am she," Negako affirmed. "Ataru did not remember me until seven weeks ago when I restored his memories after Kinshō tricked me into having his memories edited of key information five years ago. This was done to help Kinshō embezzle Ataru's inheritance from his grandmother, Nagaiwakai. If you watch NHK Nerima or TV Tōkyō, you will learn the whole story this evening."

"I . . . I see." Momoe sighed. "Well, listen, Negako-san. We'd like to know where your brother is right now . . . "

"He is not here."

"Er . . . o-okay, where is he?"

"That is none of your business, Momoe."

Momoe jolted. "Hey!"

"Listen and take heed," Negako warned. "Reigi made it clear to Shinobu and Ryūnosuke last night. If you are incapable of acknowledging that, neither Ataru nor I will be responsible for what might result from it."

Momoe was stunned by the curt indifference Negako was demonstrating to her over the phone. "I . . . " she began before sighing. "Look! All we want to do is thank him for helping out on Monday when that bomb went off!"

"I will convey your gratitude to Ataru when he returns. But do not expect any reciprocating show of emotion. As far as he is concerned, no one living in Tomobiki deserves it." Negako paused before she sank the stake in. "ESPECIALLY one whose obsession with a narcissist like Mendō Shūtarō blinds her to all else around her. You are warned. Do not press this matter further."

_Beep!_ The connection was cut. "Hey!" Momoe screamed, staring at the silent cell phone in disbelief. "Who the hell . . .?"

* * *

Nerima . . .

"Um, Negako-san?"

"Yes, Nabiki?"

"You believe in something called 'tact?'"

Negako gazed at her. "No."

"Maybe you should learn," Nabiki warned, holding up a finger.

The ninjutsu grandmaster shrugged before turning to Nabiki's shiatsu points. "Sometimes, the most direct message is the best one," she explained. "Besides, I spoke the truth about Ataru's feelings for those people."

"A little white lie could've helped there, too, Negako-san."

"Atop all the lies, jealousy, misinformation and twisted worldviews practised, felt and spoken by those people? ESPECIALLY where it concerned Ataru? When does it stop? When people die? People have ALREADY died as a result of events in Tomobiki and how they came to be. Granted, death comes to all of us." An eyebrow arched. "But do you wish to rush it?"

Nabiki sighed. "Not really." She then raised her finger to emphasise her point. "But you STILL need to learn some tact, Negako-san."

She laid her head down on her crossed arms. Negako shook her head.

* * *

Tomobiki . . .

"I can't believe that!"

"Believe it," Momoe replied. She had just explained to the others about what Nabiki had told her concerning Ataru and Negako.

Kumiko nodded. "Well, it does make some sense. After all, how was Ataru-kun able to catch Mendō-san's katana all the time?"

"Not to mention the times he was able to out-race everyone, even Lum-chan, when he wanted to," Shinjin added. "And what about those big lugs that showed up after the Pseudo-War and the Second Tag Race to pound Mendō, Megane and his pals into the dirt when they tried to go after Ataru?"

Momoe shuddered. "Don't remind me of them!"

"So what do we do now?" Ryūnosuke asked.

"Look, if Ataru don't want anything to do with us anymore, let's forget all this," Shinjin then declared. "I mean, he's makin' it obvious! He don't want to have nothin' to do with us anymore! Okay, that's cool! C'mon, guys!"

The boys walked off, leaving Shinobu, Ryūnosuke, Momoe and Kumiko standing alone. "So what do we do?" Kumiko asked.

"Maybe the guys have a good idea," Ryūnosuke noted.

"NO!"

Eyes locked on Shinobu. "I'm not letting it end like THIS!" she hissed, her fists clenching. "I will NOT let it end like THIS!"

"We could ask Mendō-san to help," Kumiko proposed.

"NO!" Shinobu shrilled as she glared at her classmate. "Don't you remember after he came? When he started going gaga over Lum like the other boys did? You, Momoe and the other girls all cornered Ataru-kun one day to make him stay with Lum! And when he refused, what did you do? Well?"

Kumiko blinked as she remembered that incident. "I guess none of us believed Ataru-kun held grudges against US!" Momoe mused as she gazed heavenward. "I mean, against Mendō-san, Rei-san, Megane and his crew, it's understandable! But against US? I thought he liked us!"

"Maybe he's learned how to hate us. And I mean REALLY hate us."

Eyes locked on Ryūnosuke. "Just think about it," she warned. "Before the Second Tag Race, when we were on Ran's ship, he said 'I hate women' after he and Lum had that fight when Carla tried to persuade Rupa to send his pigs down to get rid of the mushrooms. What if Moroboshi meant it? After all, two weeks after the mushrooms were gone, he just ups and vanishes. Right at the same time, Lum gets the boot off the planet. Ditto with Ran and Jariten. Then, after Lum died, he comes back, packin' those martial arts skills, same as that redhead who showed up on Monday to help out at the school. With Lum gone, all her friends probably decided it's not worth comin' back to Earth. After all, do they really care about us, stayin' in contact with us now that Lum's gone? You said it yourself on Monday, Shinobu. And without Lum to stop him, what's to stop Moroboshi from thinking about settlin' some old scores?"

The others paled. "Ataru would NEVER do that . . .!" Kumiko sputtered.

"Willing to bet your life on it? We beat up Moroboshi constantly before he vanished. Sure, he did some dumbass things and he deserved it. But do you think that a part of him might've RESENTED everyone blamin' him for everything that was goin' on? What that guy said to Shinobu and me last night's been echoin' in my head ever since." She made a swirling motion with her finger around her ear. "So Moroboshi comes back, then shows he can rip apart walls like they were confetti, not to mention hop from telephone pole to telephone pole like he was doin' the 400-metre hurdles. I know what martial artists are like. I had to learn martial arts to survive with a lunkhead like Oyaji. Okay, we now got a good idea about where they came from. And since he's as skilled as that red-haired girl . . . what was her name, Momoe?" she asked her classmate.

"Saotome Ranma. And by the way, Ranma's not a 'she' but a 'he!'"

Ryūnosuke jolted. "EH?"

"She sure looked like a girl to me!" Shinobu asserted.

"Shinobu, many people mistake Ryūnosuke-kun as a boy even with her saying 'I'm a girl!' all the time. I fall into that trap, too. And I've known the truth about her almost as long as you have," Momoe reminded her, and then she moved to explain: "Ranma-san has a magical curse that turns him into a girl when he's hit with cold water. Hot water turns him back. According to Nabiki-san, it's been the bane of his life for quite a while."

Ryūnosuke whistled. "No shit!"

"Right," Momoe confirmed before sighing. "Then you add what Ranma-san said on Monday. But . . . " Here, she paused before turning to Ryūnosuke. "I can't see where you're coming from about Ataru-kun. I really can't."

Ryūnosuke turned to gaze towards Tomobiki High. "Yeah. It really makes me wonder: Do we really KNOW this guy, especially now?"

The others hummed.

* * *

Nerima General Hospital, later that morning . . .

"RANMA did this?"

"Yeah."

Once she was declared to be in stable condition, Akane had been moved into a recovery room. She would be discharged tomorrow, though the cast keeping her shattered elbow in place would not come off for a couple weeks. Several of her classmates had come to visit her, having heard of her hospitalisation by Fūrinkan High School's very proficient student grapevine.

"Why are you so CALM about it, Akane-chan?" Tokoro Yuka wondered. "I mean, this is 'No-hit-girls' Saotome Ranma we're talking about! Yeah, he's got a right to be pissed off at his dad and yours for all the garbage that's been heaped on his head over the last while, but THIS . . .?"

Asano Sayuri shook her head. "This just proves everything I've said about that jerk! So what else did he do?"

Akane winced. "He ended the engagement. And said he didn't want anything to do with my family anymore."

Chanpatsu Hiroshi shook his head. "Oh man! I can't believe that! I mean, you guys fought all the time, but I'd NEVER believe he'd go and hit you right back! Especially hit you with a ki blast . . .!"

Akane sighed. "There was a reason for that, Hiroshi."

"Akane-chan, don't make excuses for the creep!" Sayuri cut in.

"Sayuri, wait! What are you talking about, Akane-chan?" Yuka protested.

"Brain damage."

"Huh?" Bosabosa Daisuke blinked. "Ranma?"

Akane nodded. "You know about Moroboshi Ataru? What happened on Monday, right?" Seeing them nod, she continued, "Well, Ataru-san has a sister. An adopted sister who's VERY knowledgeable in martial arts. As much as Happōsai and Cologne, in fact. She examined Ranma that night and found out that Ranma's father did something to him when he was five to make sure Ranma could never really concentrate on anything outside the martial arts. And Negako-san – that's her name, Moroboshi Negako – found out that all the times I hit him, all the times other people hit him, PLUS the Neko-ken . . . well, it was hurting Ranma to the point where if it wasn't healed, he'd end up a mental vegetable! So Negako-san has to fix it all up. But she can't do that if Ranma gets into another fight . . . " She paused. "So Negako-san erased Ranma's inhibitions when it comes to fighting. If someone goes after him with that in place . . . "

"He goes straight for the kill?" Daisuke finished.

"And he won't care who he hits or why?" Hiroshi added.

"Yeah. And I found that out the hard way yesterday."

Sayuri shook her head. "I really have trouble accepting this."

Yuka stared in annoyance at her friend. "Would you've believed Ranma-kun's curse before you ever saw him transform, Sayuri-chan?" she wondered. "Much less that whole Neko-ken business, not to mention everything else?"

Sayuri declined to answer. "So what made Ranma-kun freak out on you like that anyway, Akane?" Hiroshi wondered. "You were doin' pretty okay before, even with all that trouble your dad and his dad started."

Akane sighed. "My cooking. I tried to make beef stroganoff for him yesterday morning. You know, show some sympathy for what happened on Monday, what Ranma did with Ataru-san in Tomobiki. Well . . . "

Her classmates nodded. "Akane-chan, you KNOW Ranma-kun doesn't trust your cooking unless your sister or his mother helps out," Yuka said.

"Yeah, I know that now . . . "

"That's still no excuse," Sayuri muttered.

"Maybe. But given all the crap that's hit him since the wedding, he's got a right to feel pissed off," Hiroshi said with a wave of his hand. "Give him time ta cool off and relax, Akane-chan. He'll be okay. I bet by the time school comes around, he'll be willing to give you another chance."

Daisuke gazed on his friend. "He better. Once Kunō-sempai gets wind of this, guess what might start up again? Eh, 'Roshi?"

Everyone considered that. Akane's eyes then widened. "No . . . "

Sayuri covered her face. "Oh, gods! Not THAT again!"

Yuka shook her head. "That's just what we DON'T need!"

"Dai, don't say such unlucky things," Hiroshi hissed.

"What unlucky things?"

Everyone turned as Nabiki stepped in, a gym bag hanging off her shoulder. "Hi, Onē-chan," Akane hailed. "How are things at home?"

Nabiki slipped off the bag before leaning on the bed. "We're giving the panda a cold shoulder. Otō-chan doesn't like it, but we're not giving him a chance to do anything. Oba-chan moved back to her house; the bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen are usable now. I think Ranma-kun might pitch in some money to hurry the repairs. Oh, we finally found out where Ranma-kun got all his money from!"

"Where?" Yuka asked.

"Modelling. Both bodies, nothing risqué or anything like that, goes under a Korean name." Nabiki then stared knowingly at Hiroshi and Daisuke. "This means that any pictures I took of Ranma-kun's girl body best stop being circulated if you don't want the lawyers to come after you. I trust you guys will pass the word around as quickly as you can?"

Hiroshi and Daisuke gulped. "'Lawyers' . . .?"

Nabiki nodded. "Yep. I have to admit, I never thought of trying to get a modelling-type contract out of Ranma-kun. It would've put us all on the road to easy street for sure. Ah, well!" she lamented with a shrug.

"What's going to happen when Kunō demands more pictures of his 'pig-tailed goddess,' Onē-chan?" Akane sarcastically wondered.

"I'll tell him to visit a magazine shop," the middle Tendō daughter replied. "I've no need of his money anymore, so I'll start scaling back trying to fleece the idiot. Besides, soon as Ranma-kun's mind gets in better shape, I think Kunō-chan's gonna be done away with as soon as possible."

"So it's all true?" Yuka gasped. "About what Ranma-kun's father did and how that led up to what happened to Akane-chan yesterday?"

"The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." Nabiki nodded before she stared intently at Sayuri, making the younger girl duck. "And if you have a problem with that, Sayuri-chan, that's just too damned bad."

Sayuri sent a resentful look Nabiki's way. "Onē-chan . . .!" Akane grumbled before sighing. "So where's Ranma now?"

"Off with Ataru-kun and his half-sisters until Sunday, then they'll be back. Ataru-kun might be coming to Fūrinkan next week."

Everyone's jaw dropped. "He's coming here?" Hiroshi asked before crossing his arms. "Hey, that'll be pretty cool! Right, Dai?"

"I wonder if he's still got those black books of his," Daisuke mused. "After all, they're said to be the . . .!"

Instantly, Sayuri and Yuka swatted him with pillows. "That's enough out of you, you perverted jerk!" the latter snarled.

"H-hai . . . " Daisuke whimpered.

Akane sighed. "I wish I could talk to Ranma."

Nabiki hummed. "Well, let me talk to Negako-san and see if I can get the telephone number of where Ranma-kun's staying right now. But I want to make sure that the panda doesn't get hold of it. The LAST thing Ranma-kun needs to deal with right now is that lazy-ass fool!"

Akane gazed understandingly at Nabiki. "Why don't you just sell him to the zoo once and for all and get it over with, Onē-chan?"

"Admittedly, it is tempting." The middle Tendō daughter rose. "Anyhow, I've got to get down to Kakazu-san's shop and get a new gi."

Everyone's jaw dropped. "What?" Akane gasped.

Nabiki flustered. "Oh, forgot to tell you. Negako-san's right now fixing my shoulders so I can head back into the dōjō. She's probably forgotten things about shiatsu that Tōfū-sensei couldn't learn in his whole lifetime!" She then perked. "Oh, speaking of which, he's back in town!"

Akane gaped. "Tōfū-sensei? Does Onē-chan know?"

Nabiki sighed. "It's not gonna happen between them, Akane-chan."

"Oh . . . " The younger sister sighed. "That's too bad. Where did he go to, anyway? Why did he go? What did he do, anyway?"

"Don't know the whole story yet, but I think Ataru-kun's sisters might hold some answers," Nabiki said. "Anyhow, I've got to go."

Hiroshi blinked. "Hey, wait a sec'! What's this about other sisters?"

"Are they cute?" Daisuke prodded.

Pillows once again laid him low. Nabiki shook her head.

* * *

Located in the belt of onsen springs between Mount Ontake and Aomori, the Ryokan Ningyō-yakata was shrouded in mountain fog as the cloaked woman stepped into the hallway. Glancing out the windows to confirm there was no one in the spring taking a morning soak, Chikage grinned as she slipped the hood away. Picking up her pace, she walked to a corner in the hallway before stopping.

"There you are . . . "

Standing on the table was a beautiful porcelain doll in a soft silk kimono. She still was in the "shielding her head from falling heavens" pose a certain young martial artist left her in some months ago. And, given the many stories circulating about this particular work of art, a sign had been posted beside her: **CURSED DOLL! DO NOT TOUCH! VERY DANGEROUS!**

Of course, to someone like Chikage, danger was relative.

Reaching into her cape, the sorceress drew out a replica of the doll that made the inn so famous. Lifting the real item from the table, she put the replica in its place. Slipping the doll into a warp-space pocket, Chikage then turned the sign around. Drawing out a pen, she wrote something. With that done, she teleported away. Minutes later, one of the ryokan's cleaners came up. Sparing a glance at the doll, she stopped before looking again. Wait! The doll was back in its normal sitting position. What on Earth . . .?

She leaned up to read the note:

_To Whomever This May Concern,  
The Noroi no Ningyō has been removed from the inn for the safety of the staff and customers here. Please do not concern yourself about her fate. This replica has been left in her place to ensure the Ryokan Ningyō-yakata may continue to use its legend to attract tourists and stay in business.  
Though why someone would want to make money out of a side-story of the rape and murder of a young girl by her brother, frankly, eludes me.  
Regardless, continued good thoughts about the doll would be wise.  
Truthfully yours,  
A Concerned Citizen_

The cleaner blinked before letting out a blood-curling scream.

* * *

Chikage stepped out of her bedroom at Welcome House, the Noroi no Ningyō cradled in her arms. Walking around to Aria's room, she stopped and knocked. The door opened to reveal Guenevere a second later. "Oh, Chikage-sama," the governess declared before she waved the sorceress inside.

Chikage nodded as she was waved in. "Thank you, Guenevere. Aria?"

"What is it, Chikage-chan?" Aria asked before her eyes locked on what lay in the sorceress' arms. "Ah!" The young Parisian's eyes sparkled as she slipped off the bed, she walking over, her hands out. "Aria likes dolls very much!" she declared as she took the doll to give her a hug.

Guenevere watched before she jolted on seeing the doll's hands and feet twitch more than what one might have expected Aria's embrace might produce. "Chikage-sama, is that doll . . .?" she asked, turning on the sorceress.

Chikage nodded. "Alive? In her own way, yes."

Aria pulled the doll away. As the women watched, a natural blush crossed the doll's face as her hands touched her cheeks. "Waaaai . . . " Aria's eyes sparkled as she drew the doll into her embrace. "Aria made Ningyō-san blush."

The doll shuddered for a moment, and then, after allowing what strength she had in her body to fade, turned to gaze on Chikage. «Why . . .?» a moaning, female voice echoed in everyone's ears. «Why did you bring me here?»

"To give you a chance to experience more positive things in life," the sorceress responded. "I know how you came to be called the 'Noroi no Ningyō.' In fact, my knowledge of your origins is far greater than the proprietors of that ryokan who named their establishment in your honour. At the same time . . . " Here, she paused. "You need to understand that a person you look on as an 'infidel' is himself - actually HERself - a victim of the carelessness of others. Much in the same manner as your old owner."

«'Infidel?'» the doll wondered before she shuddered. «HIM?»

Chikage nodded. "Hai."

"Kusun!"

"Aria-sama!" Guenevere was instantly at the young Parisian's side as tears brimmed in Aria's eyes. "Aria-sama, what's wrong?"

"Kusun!" Aria sniffed back tears. "Ningyō-san hates Nē-ya! Kusun!"

The governess instantly moved to comfort. Still in Aria's arms, the Noroi no Ningyō quaked, unable to resist the torrents of pure sorrow currently pouring from the Parisian's heart. Immediately, she moved to draw her stubby arms around the young girl's neck, shifting her head to rub Aria's skin with her hair. «No! No! No, Aria-sama! Don't cry,» she pleaded. «Please don't cry, Aria-sama! Please don't cry! Please don't cry . . .!»

"Kusun! Ningyō-san hates Nē-ya! Kusun! Kusun!"

"But Ane-kun doesn't hate Ningyō-san."

Aria stopped, staring quizzically at Chikage. In her arms, the doll turned to gaze on the sorceress. «But he hurt me! He insulted me! He nearly killed me! And why are you calling Saotome a girl? Saotome is a boy!»

"Kusun! Nē-ya is a girl! Ningyō-san hates Nee-ya! Kusun!"

The doll quaked as another tidal wave of sorrow overwhelmed her mystical defences. Seeing that, Chikage reached into her cape and drew a crystal ball. "Perhaps after seeing _this_, you might change your mind," she then declared.

The doll looked as images flowed . . .

* * *

_Running along the main walkway at the inn was an overweight, bespectacled man in a gi, laughing as he drank from a glass bottle. An outraged cry echoed from behind that fellow, "GET BACK HERE, OYAJI! THAT'S MINE!"_

_"BWA-HA-HA-HA! There's nothing like milk after a hot bath!"_

_The fight shifted indoors. Ranma tried to take Genma out with a kick to the back of the head. Genma used a towel to snare Ranma's leg and sent him into the table where the Noroi no Ningyō was sitting._

_"Damn you!" Ranma snarled._

_"BWA-HA-HA! What are you? A novice?" Genma barbed as he fled._

_Picking himself up, Ranma then noticed what else his fight had affected. "Oh, shit!" he moaned as he stared at the broken doll._

* * *

"Nē-ya . . . " Aria whispered.

Guenevere shook her head in disapproval. "Such language!"

Chikage slipped the crystal ball under her cape before gazing on the doll in Aria's arms. "Now do you understand?" she asked.

The doll remained still for a moment before lowering her head ashamedly. «It appears that I have done Ranma-sama an injustice,» she quietly whispered before shuddering as Aria's arms drew her close. «Aria-sama . . . »

"It's alright, Ningyō-san," the young Parisian said. "Chikage-chan, Shirayuki-chan was right. Nē-ya's father IS a stupid idiot!"

"Aria-sama!" Guenevere gasped, utterly scandalized by Aria's words.

The sorceress grinned. "It's alright," she assured her sister. "I suspect that Negako-anekun is presently aware of what has happened. She might see this as an opportunity to teach a few people some harsh lessons. At least, that is something _I_ would contemplate doing. In the meantime, Aria-chan, please keep Ningyō-san here. I do not desire for Ane-kun to learn of her presence here at this time. Ane-kun's memories of her will not be pleasant ones even if she is now estranged from Tendō Akane and her family."

Aria nodded. "Hai! Aria will take care of Ningyō-san."

With that, Chikage stepped out.

* * *

The Moroboshi home . . .

"Interesting idea," Negako mused before turning back to her tea.

* * *

Promise Island . . .

"So you want us to get rid of these rocks, Jii-san?"

The sailor whom Ataru had met the first day he came to the Island nodded. "Hai." "Jii-san" – his real name was unknown to almost everyone on Promised Island – was the resident sage. A wry yet muscular fellow in his early sixties, Jii-san was the one everyone turned to for advice or help. Ataru liked him; outside his considerable quantities of knowledge in everyday things, he had known Moroboshi Nagaiwakai in his youth. Many significant gaps in Ataru's knowledge concerning his late grandmother had been filled by Jii-san.

Ataru, Jii-san and Ranma stood in the lee of First Street East. It was low tide, with an expanse of sand spread out around them for about fifty metres from the main retaining wall. "The town council wants to put another dock here for ferries to Ō-shima and the Izu Islands, but these rocks have to go first," Jii-san reported as he indicated the rocks with his pipe.

Ataru stared at the several large boulders sticking out from the sand. "Okay, that's easy enough. Have it done by lunchtime?"

Jii-san nodded before heading back to dry land. "Fair enough."

Ataru sighed, and then he noticed Ranma staring at him. "What? Never thought to use martial arts in maritime construction?"

"Well, Ryōga's Bakusai Tenketsu was created by a miner, so I shouldn't be THAT surprised." She crossed her arms before gazing on the rock. "Pity I didn't teach myself that when Ryōga was learning it. I could use it here."

"'Blasting Point?' That's a Nǚjiézú form these days, isn't it?" he mused before turning to trace a hand over the rock's surface. "I got something that'll work better. Ready for your first Saikō Jinseijutsu lesson?"

She nodded. "Show me."

"Okay. Permit me to introduce you to, as we call it, the 'killer that leaves a message!' **_SHINZŌ BAKUHATSU SHOKU!_**"

His middle fingertip hit the rock. A quick flash masked the point of impact for a millisecond before the boulder crumbled, exploding seaward in a shower of dust and pebble-sized fragments. Ranma whistled. "Whoa!"

"Wow! Onii-chan, that was so NEAT!"

Ataru spun around, grinning on seeing Karen standing on the roadway beyond the retaining wall, waving at him. "Hi, Karen-chan!"

"What're you doing down here?" Ranma asked.

Karen flustered. "Well . . . I just wanted to make sure that both of you would be there for the piano recital at the school."

"We'll be there, Karen-chan," Ataru assured her. "What? Did you really think I was going to miss my sister's piano recital?"

Karen's blush deepened. "Well . . . "

Ranma chuckled. "Relax, Karen-chan. He's gonna be there even if I gotta drag him up to the school to make sure, okay?"

She beamed. "Hai! Arigatō, Onē-chan!"

She ran off. Ataru and Ranma watched her go, and then the latter turned to the former. "She really needs your support, doesn't she?"

"Don't be surprised." He waved her to the next boulder. "She hasn't always been able to get the support she needed from her family." Stopping before that rock, he ran his hand over the surface. "There were . . . " A pause. "Issues." He glanced at her before he smiled. "But I don't have a right to talk about them in public. It isn't my place, after all."

"That's fair enough," she mused with an understanding nod.

"Thanks." He then braced himself. "Okay, here we go!"

He lashed out. The finger hit the rock. It disintegrated. Watching that, Ranma hummed. "It's like the Bakusai Tenketsu."

He gave her a grateful look as he wiped his fingers clean of the dust from the destroyed rock. Speaking about the sisters' family problems always weighed heavily on him, especially when it came to Karen. "Yeah, it is, but there's a big difference between the Bakusai Tenketsu and the Shinzō Bakuhatsu Shoku." He waved her over to the next rock. "The Nǚjiézú manoeuvre is limited only to rock or rock-like substances. Ours can work against almost all known materials, including living tissue. Here, let me show you . . . "

He placed a hand on the rock. The hand glowed. A forest of glowing lines then appeared over the rock, branching out in almost every direction. Ranma whistled. "Whoa! I never thought ki would exist in rock."

"Well, calling it 'ki' might actually be a misnomer," Ataru mused. "Ranma, the big secret in Saikō Jinseijutsu-ryū is that EVERYTHING in the world, even air molecules, has energy in them. We call it 'ki' for convenience's sake. I think the Zephyrites have a better term. They call it the Te'a: 'That Which Is Above mortal understanding.'"

She was quick to sense the reverent tone in that title. "You mean this is the energy of . . .?" She stopped before whispering, "God?"

"No, not what we'd call 'Kami-sama,' of course. It's a TOO convenient to refer to this as a by-product of that." He waved her up. "Give it a try."

Ranma placed herself by the rock. Remembering what Ataru just did to scan out the energy within the granite, she infused a little ki energy into the rock. The lines on the rock returned. "Okay, where do I aim?" she asked.

He pointed. "Look for the largest cluster of intersecting lines."

She saw that, nodding. "Alright, here I go!"

She pulled back her finger, concentrating her ki, and then . . .

"**_SHINZŌ BAKUHATSU SHOKU!_**"

_WHUMP!_

The rock exploded. Ataru blinked before whistling. "Man, when Onē-san told me what sort of learning prodigy you are, Ranma, she was NOT kidding!"

Ranma laughed. "Dōmo!" she gushed with a smile, an impish look crossing her face before she went misty-eyed on Ataru.

He blinked as she seemed to freeze for a moment, the smile and the sparkle in her eyes not fading. "Ranma, what's wrong?" he asked.

She blinked as confusion crossed her face for a moment. Looking nowhere in particular, she then stared at him. "I . . .!" She blinked before shaking her head. "Um . . .!" Her voice stopped, and then she looked away. "Er, if I told you something that I thought was embarrassing or anything, Ataru, you'd keep it to yourself, wouldn't you? I mean, I . . .!" She shrugged.

"Ranma, we might've only met on Saturday, but you ARE my friend," Ataru affirmed. "I'd think it'd be raw for me to say stuff like that to anyone. However, if I felt you were in any danger, physical or psychological, I would see it as my responsibility AS your friend to speak to those who could help. On that list are Onē-san, Chikage and maybe Sakuya and Haruka. If you don't like that even in those situations, it's no problem. But I hope you'd understand that I WOULD, in those cases, always have your best interest in mind, Ranma."

She took that in before her smile returned. "Thank you," she said as a decision, one with long-term impact, flashed in her eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I . . . " She bit her lip before walking up.

Ataru remained in place as Ranma leaned up against him. She drew her arms around his waist. He blinked for a second as she leaned her head on his chest, a content sigh escaping her. Ataru then reached up to gently cradle her shoulder with one hand, his other reaching up to gently ruffle her hair. Ranma stiffened before she remembered that a hug was normally a two-person affair.

"Sorry."

"First time hugging another man in this body?" he wondered.

She nodded. "Yeah. It feels . . . " A pause. "Really nice."

"Believe me, it feels that way here, too," he mused before he turned to gaze down at her. "Ranma, do you think you can do me . . .?" He stopped before gazing at her. "Actually do yourself a big favour?"

She looked up at him. "What?"

"Would you spend a little time with Sakuya-chan?"

Confusion crossed her face. "Why?"

"Because there are certain . . .!" He paused. "Well, there are certain _things_ you need to know about the body you possess now. Like I told you some time ago – and I'm pretty sure Tampopo-chan might've told you this too when you were out with her – you might have to live with this body for the rest of your life. Hell, there might come a time that you'll get stuck as a girl again, like what Elder Kělún and that Herb guy did to you."

"I learned things from Kasumi when Herb froze me with the Chiisui-ton."

He nodded. "Yeah, but something tells me you got a very abridged version of what you have to know, Ranma. Hell, what you DESERVE to know, especially after what Genma's done to you over the years. Do you really think you can live your life based on all the lies he gave you?"

"Of course not . . .!" she blurted before catching herself. A sly grin then crossed her face. "You are a slick one, Moroboshi Ataru."

He winked, moving to pull away. "Always have been, Ranma . . . "

"Stop!"

He froze, allowing Ranma to sink in again against him. "Sorry," she whispered, that content smile again crossing her face. "I just want to experience this for a little while more, Ataru. Do you mind?"

"No. Friends hug each other. Guys do it all the time, especially if they're enjoying doing something together as a team. Or as a partnership."

She perked. "They DO? Then why didn't Oyaji tell ME that?"

He shook his head. "I really can't answer that. And something tells me he won't be able to answer that even if you pound him into the dirt trying to get a truthful answer from him. Ignore what he told you, okay? You're not gonna be able to live YOUR life looking back at him."

She considered that before nodding. "Yeah, I guess I've been doing that even after I started finding out about all the crap he pulled on U-chan and everyone else . . . " She paused, blinking. "I'll be damned."

"What is it?"

"That's the first time I called her 'U-chan' in six weeks."

"Maybe deep in your heart, you're forgiving her."

"But how do I approach her now, Ataru? I want my friend back. I don't want her as a fiancée. I'm tired of that!"

"I don't blame you, Ranma. But I don't think I can answer that. You know, before the Second Tag Race, when I heard you had all the fiancées and all that, I thought, 'Lucky guy! Wish I was like that!'"

She laughed. "Trust me, Ataru! You don't want MY luck!"

He smirked. "Right. Want to get back to rock-breaking?"

"Yeah, okay." She sighed. "Ataru?"

"Yeah?"

"If I asked you to hug me again, will you do it?"

"Sure thing." He nodded. "Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"Call Ukyō tonight. Tell her what you feel. Don't try to turn it into an argument, okay? I think she can use it."

"But what if she goes into the 'You're my fiancée' routine again?"

"THEN you're entitled to be angry."

"Right."

* * *

With Ranma's help, the rocks were done away with. Ataru then used the Air-Whirlpool Heat-Fire Strike to send the debris into deeper water. Both clambered back to shore. After stopping for some nikuman at a roadside yatai, they made their way back to Welcome House. By then, Sakuya, Toshiko and Kumiko had returned from shopping at the market. Ranma was stunned to discover that her mirror-twins had gone out to buy some button shirts and designer slacks for her. Given that Toshiko and Ranma had the same measurements, the former was able to get some sports bras and plain cotton panties for her template, thus allowing Ranma to forego her normal boxer shorts and muscle shirts.

At first, the mirror-twins were worried that Ranma might resist wearing girl's undergarments even if she seemed more at ease with herself than she had been just two months before when Toshiko and Komakichi/Kumiko first emerged from Mirror Mansion. Ranma surprised them. While she normally wore boxers because they gave her privates room when her curse was triggered, she was locked as a girl for the time being so there would be no worries. Further, when she was modelling, Ranma had been prodded by Tampopo to try wearing bras and panties. Over time, Ranma had become, if not totally comfortable with such clothing, understanding of how useful they were with a girl's body.

After a lunch where Shirayuki did NOT have to yell at Ranma for eating too fast, everyone was off to Stargazer West College for the piano recital hosted by the senior classes. To Ranma's shock and Karen's embarrassment, Toshiko and Kumiko decided to wear cherry blossom-decorated kimonos for the occasion. To the sisters' annoyance, Ranma's mirth and Ataru's embarrassment, the mirror-twins didn't waste ten seconds before they were hanging off his arms, doing their best to win his attention in an obviously more than friendly way. Fortunately, Ataru did his best to keep Toshiko and Kumiko entertained without giving them too much of a false impression, positive or negative.

The recital was meant to demonstrate students' skills with classical music. They could, if they so desired, explore more modern music as long as it was centred on the piano. Karen's best friend in class, Takasu Koji, started the recital with a wonderful version of Sergei Rachmaninoff's _Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini_. Next was Koji's girlfriend, Niibori Yukari, who played the _Tempo di Menuetto_ from Ludwig van Beethoven's Eighth Symphony. Several others came after, they performing tunes whose titles Ranma didn't catch.

And then came Karen.

"This song I'm going to play today was written a few years ago," she announced after being called up to the stage. "This song's composer is a favourite of my brother's. I taught myself to perform the composer's music after Onii-chan first came to the Island." Her eyes fell on Ataru. "To that end, I dedicate this not just to Onii-chan, but to his wonderful new friend, who's also here with us today. Onii-chan, Onē-chan, ladies and gentlemen . . .!" She bowed. "I give you _The End of August_, by Yanni Chrysomallis."

Karen sat down at the piano and began to play. Near the piano, Yukari positioned herself with a violin to accompany her friend. Watching her, Ranma felt her eyes tear as the beautiful melody surged through her heart. She quickly noted Ataru's sister was not really paying attention to the sheet music set up before her, the clear mark of someone who had put in a lot of practice at the keyboard. Ranma glanced at Ataru, he seated beside her (Toshiko and Kumiko sat to his other side and behind him respectively). He blinked, glancing at her. Reaching over, he gently grasped her hand to squeeze it. Ranma smiled as she turned back to Karen, not pulling her hand away from Ataru's.

The song ended. Everyone applauded. Karen stood to give the crowd a bow. To her surprise and delight, Ranma and Ataru were on their feet, giving her a standing ovation. Blushing, she gave them both a deep bow before taking up her music and returning to where her classmates were seated.

* * *

The recital soon ended. Everyone headed into the cafeteria to enjoy some snacks before going home. "So which one did you like the best, Onē-sama?" Sakuya asked Ranma as the gang from the House sat around a couple of tables.

A shrug rolled her shoulders. "I'm not sure what to say about that, Sakuya-chan. I mean, I've never listened to classical music . . .! – Heck, classical? ANY music! – so I couldn't really judge them by the songs. But I could tell that Koji and Yukari both have a natural talent for the piano."

"How?" Rinrin wondered.

"It's the way they moved their hands." Ranma held up her fingers. "There wasn't any sort of hesitation when they moved from key to key. Being as well trained as I am in the Art, I can tell the difference between those who're born to do something and those who've had to work hard to get to that level. Karen-chan's that way. How long has she played?"

"Since she was eight, I believe," Haruka mused.

"Well, I can see a very small amount of hesitation when she goes from key to key." Ranma held up her thumb and index finger, a minuscule space between them. "Most likely, that'll fade, but it's there. It's not to say that she did bad. I liked that song a lot. And I could tell that she poured her heart out in it. And . . . " She then paused, blinking before she wiped her eyes.

Hinako gently tugged Ranma's sleeve. "Onē-tama, why are you crying?"

The martial artist blinked before she gave the youngest sister a smile. "I'm okay, Hinako-chan. I'm just very envious of Karen-chan right now."

"Why?" Yotsuba asked.

She gazed on the detective. "Because when she expresses her love through music, she doesn't hurt anyone. When I used to express my feelings for those I cared for, it always was in some big fight against jokers like those clowns from Nekonron or Saffron or Herb or what-have-you. When I did that, I ended up hurting someone. That's kind of an ugly way to show your love, isn't it?"

"Perhaps, Ane-kun, it is time for you to consider a career change," Chikage then mused. "As you are right now, do you see yourself running a dōjō to perpetuate your school of martial arts?" An eyebrow arched. "Do you see yourself dedicating ALL your life to the Art as you once did?"

Ranma considered that before shaking her head. "No."

The sorceress reached into her jersey to draw out a tarot card. "Then now would be the time to learn what else you can do."

Everyone looked. "The Fool?" Ranma asked. "What does that mean?"

"In the Tarot, this is the first card of the deck," Chikage explained. "One of the ways it can be interpreted is that the person it represents is about to start on a new path in his or her life. Every time I've done a reading on you, Ane-kun, this card has ALWAYS shown up. As has this one."

She reached into her tunic to draw out a second card. Yotsuba looked via her spyglass. "The Three of Wands," she reported.

"What does that one say, Chikage?" Ranma asked.

"It's time for you to step back and take a long look at everything and everyone affecting your life. It's time for you to ask yourself what's really important in your life. You're determined to take your life onto a new direction. To go out and explore what you've missed before, either because of non-interest or fear. You're willing to trust those you will meet in the future with the same openness you've shown before . . . " She held up the Fool. "But this time, you've come to accept that you will face disappointments and potential failures." She held up the Three of Wands. "Your life's adventure isn't over yet, Ane-kun. It's about to become far more interesting."

She put the cards away. "I don't know if I should be content or scared." Ranma then gazed warily at Ataru. "What do you think?"

He chuckled. "I'd rather not answer that one."

"Those are the same two cards Chikage-chan showed Ani-chama two weeks ago," Yotsuba helpfully chimed in, holding up a finger.

"YOTSUBA!"

Everyone laughed.

* * *

Nerima, the Moroboshi home . . .

"You wish to speak to Ranma?"

"Of course, Negako-san." Nodoka sat across from Negako in the living room of the old shrine. Chigaiko had gone to Tampopo's. "He is my son. I've been separated from him for ten years. I do want to try to make up that time."

The grandmaster's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. "Much that I understand why, as Ranma's mother, you would desire to re-forge an emotional bond with her, there is something that concerns me." A pause. "What are your own family's intentions towards her? Specifically your father's intentions?"

Nodoka jolted, her eyes widening in shock before they drooped to the floor. "H-how . . .?" she sputtered. "How did you know . . .?"

"Your ki signature is an open book to me," Negako chided as if she was speaking to an ignorant child. "Your maiden name is Asagaya. Your family hails from Ōmiya in Saitama Prefecture. In fact, some members of your family erroneously look upon Miyamoto Musashi as a distant relative."

Silence fell as Ranma's mother considered her host's words. "Yes, I am of that family. Or rather, I was until I married Genma . . . "

"Someone your father and almost all your siblings viewed as nothing short of burakumin, did they not?" Negako pressed.

Nodoka bowed her head. "Yes." Tears brimmed in her eyes. "He wasn't like that when he was younger, Negako-san. He was . . . " She paused. "A more decent man. A kind and caring man. Someone who was willing to help those in need. That's the way I saw Genma. My sister Hisayo understood my feelings. Otō-sama . . . " She paused again as her lips twisted into a frown. "Did not."

"And when they discovered you had conceived Ranma beyond the bounds of a marriage, they forced you to marry Genma, and then they expelled you from their family because of your . . . " Here, Negako paused as she sought out the right words before she wryly smiled. "Moment of overwhelming lust, shall we say?" Seeing Nodoka reluctantly nod, she continued, "But Hisayo strongly disagreed with Isao's stance against your marriage to Genma. So, atop the 'allowance' Isao paid you to remain clear of your relatives, Hisayo secretly supported you when Genma was taking Ranma on their training trip. And still desires to support you now in spite of the fact that Isao now knows of her actions."

Nodoka slowly nodded. "H-hai. Otō-sama told Onē-chan that if I was to be openly welcomed back, I'd have to divorce Genma. And believe me; I am ready to do that after what you told me yesterday about what he did to Ranma. If Ranma himself is to be welcomed into my family, I'd have to make my son agree to renounce the Saotome name. I can certainly support that. If Ranma does that, then all the agreements Genma forced on him would no longer be valid. I'm sure that Ukyō-chan's father could agree with _that_ at least!"

"Do you realise WHY Isao wants that now, Nodoka?"

Ranma's mother blinked. "I don't understand . . . "

Negako smirked. It was a thoroughly menacing sight. "Do you believe Isao would accept Ranma as part of his family after he rejected Genma when you wed? No. He views Ranma in much the same way as many others have come to view her over the last two years. Not as a person, but as a prize. A living icon of martial arts supremacy. All under your father's control and influence." The smile faded. "I believe Ranma has forcefully expressed her stance about those who see her as a thing instead of a person, Nodoka."

Nodoka sputtered. "But . . . "

Negako shook her head. "No, Nodoka. If it is financial security you seek for Ranma, it will not come from Isao or your siblings. Yes, the Asagaya family is well off. But divide that wealth between Ranma and your nephews and nieces, all of those your older brothers' children. I do not believe there will be that much left over. And would either Ryūzuke or Ichihara truly desire to see part of their inheritance taken away to support Ranma?" A pause before Negako icily smiled, she shaking her head again. "I do not think so."

"But still . . . "

"No, Nodoka. You agreed with me yesterday that Ranma should strive to become a 'gentle person,' one who is as much master of her own destiny as Fate will allow. If you try to force Ranma to submit to your plan, all that work will be for naught. Further, I believe Ranma will not submit to Isao's whim, especially when she learns of what Isao did to you. I wonder what Ranma might do if she learns how your brothers abused you while you were growing up. What might she do to them if she learns how Ryūzuke and Ichihara view you now? How much they will strive to suppress you once you are again within their reach?"

"But Ranma needs a place to belong, Negako-san! Surely you can understand that, can't you?" Nodoka pleaded.

"Yes, I can understand that. But will Ranma?"

Nodoka sighed. "He will when I explain it to him."

"Then ensure you explain ALL to her, Nodoka," Negako ordained. "For if you do not, I WILL tell her everything. After all . . . " A pause. "As her teacher, I have a duty and a responsibility to ensure her welfare, do I not?"

Nodoka gazed on the grandmaster, nodding. "H-hai."

* * *

The meeting was soon concluded. Nodoka took her leave to return back to her rebuilt home. Negako watched her go from the front porch, her eyes narrow. "It may have been better if you never re-entered her life, Nodoka," she grimly whispered before speaking up, "You overheard, Happy?"

"Everything." Happōsai slipped out from the shadows, he gazing in the direction Nodoka had gone. "I can't believe that even after all this time, Isao's angry at me because I stole Nana-chan's underwear and made love to her once!" He crossed his arms. "And he believes he can try to take MY Art under his control? Hah! He can damn hell think again!"

Negako sighed. "You should learn to control your urges more, Happy," she gently scolded, turning to head inside the old shrine.

Happōsai nodded before turning to bound off on his rounds. Negako then stopped, glancing over her shoulder. Closing her eyes, she sighed. "If only you knew what your seduction of Nana led to, Happy. If only you knew."

* * *

Promised Island . . .

"Holy . . .!" Ranma gasped. "Rinrin-chan, you built THIS?"

"Hai!" Rinrin grinned, standing beside her scratch-built submersible, the Plato-Mecha Number Four. With the sun setting, work spotlights had been flipped on. Rinrin had been working on the port turbojet when Ranma came from the House. "I'm getting her ready for a trial after putting in modifications and extra gear. Might take her out tomorrow if the weather's good."

Ranma blinked before she gave the Plato-Mecha a detailed look-over. "She's impressive," she stated, noting the bubble cockpit with its side-by-side chairs. "Ataru told me you loved to make things, but until I saw the Aniki Special and Mecha-Rinrin, I thought they'd be simple stuff. Not THIS!"

Ranma waved to the submersible. "Well, one of the Island's industries IS equipment recycling," the teen inventor noted. "Even the Self-Defence Forces send a lot of their surplus stuff our way; that's how I was able to build the Plato-Mecha." Rinrin waved to her creation. "At least now, thanks to a special fund Aniki set up for me, we've got a navigation system, GPS, radar, sonar and everything else we can use to cruise around the Sagami Sea."

"Really?" Ranma then blinked. "Oh, yeah, I forgot." She snapped her fingers. "Shirayuki-chan's got supper ready."

Rinrin nodded. "Okay!"

She policed the work area, ensuring no fire hazard was left behind. Once done, she fell in beside Ranma as they headed to Welcome House. "Say, Aneki, if we go tomorrow, why don't you come with us?" Rinrin gazed on the martial artist. "It'd be good for you to get some fresh air. We can even show you the cottage where we got conceived!" she added with a wink, holding up a finger.

Ranma gazed quizzically at Rinrin. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Aneki, don't you know anything about how children are born?"

"Um . . . well, it's . . .!" Ranma flustered before sighing. "No."

Rinrin stared at the martial artist before crossing her arms. "You mean to tell me that even with all the crap your dad and all those goofs dropped on you to make you marry Akane, you were NEVER told about the birds and the bees?" On seeing Ranma nod, she exhaled, "Didn't your mom ever tell you?"

A weak shrug responded. "No, not really . . .!"

Rinrin shook her head. By this time, both were on the main path back to Welcome House. "Oh, geez! I've heard of dysfunctional families, but THIS takes the cake!" She looked at Ranma. "Aneki, you BETTER go have a LONG talk with Sakuya-chan about this! Trust me, you'll NEED it!"

Ranma gazed on her. "That's what your brother said to me earlier today when we were breaking rocks on the east side."

"Really?" She made an approving nod. "Good thing Aniki said that to you. Trust me, Aneki! If you're going to have a happy life from now on, especially with your curse, you BETTER know this stuff!"

"I . . .!" A pause. "Y-yeah! Hey, can you tell me something? If you guys know about my curse and all that, why the heck are you all calling me 'big sister' all the time? You know I'm a boy, don't you?"

Rinrin jolted before she looked away, twirling her fingers. She KNEW the truth about what was happening to the person beside her . . . or rather, she knew what Chikage and Negako predicted WOULD happen to Ranma if the latter made certain decisions in the immediate future. Taking a breath, she stared at the House. "Y-yeah, I know that. And I saw you transform back at Tampopo-san's place, but . . . " She paused, sighing. "I dunno. I mean, it's not that I want to insult you, but I really look on you – and I think I'm speaking for everyone else, too – as a girl, not a guy. Besides, what's wrong with being a girl, anyway? I know you were born a guy and all that, but with your ability to change now, you got a chance to see things in a whole different way. You really ought to take advantage of it. I know you're not the type to go crazy about it like some guys might if they had that sort of curse, but . . . "

"But Akane always said that doing that sorta thing's perverted . . .!"

Rinrin's eyebrow arched. "Oh? And who the heck makes that girl the world expert on what's perverted and what's not, Aneki? Who the heck makes that girl the expert on what YOU feel and why? Well?"

Ranma blinked as she looked nowhere in particular while they passed under the gateway to Welcome House. "Yeah, you got a point, but still . . . "

"But nothing! Look, have you seen yourself nude as a girl?"

"All the time!"

"So what's Akane's problem? She's not the one who has to live with that curse! YOU do! She's got no right to force you to conform to what she thinks is proper, ESPECIALLY now that you've told her to take a hike finally! And if she thinks she can force you into doing something she wants, you've got a right to break every bone in her body if that's what it takes to make her get lost!"

"I . . . " Ranma paused, shaking her head. "I don't want to do something like THAT to her, Rinrin-chan! It's not right . . .!"

"Okay! Okay! It's not right then! But it's not right for her to keep treating you like crap, either!" Rinrin protested.

"Yeah, you're right. I . . . " She blinked on hearing a fiddle from Ataru's room. "Hey, what the . . .?" She slowed down. "Is that Ataru?"

"Yeah, it is. I know the song, too," Rinrin declared before singing:

_The sun is sinking low in the sky above Ashokan;  
The pines and the willows know soon we will part.  
There's a whisper in the wind of promises unspoken  
And a love that will always remain in my heart._

_My thoughts will return to the sound of your laughter,  
The magic of moving as one.  
And a time we'll remember long ever after  
The moonlight and music and dancing are done._

_Will we climb the hills once more?  
Will we walk the woods together?  
Will I feel you holding me close once again?  
Will every song we've sung stay with us forever?  
Will you dance in my dreams or my arms until then?_

_Under the moon the mountains lie sleeping,  
Over the lake, the stars shine.  
They wonder if you and I will be keeping  
The magic and music, or leave them behind._

_Will we climb the hills once more?  
Will we walk the woods together?  
Will I feel you holding me close once again?  
Will every song we've sung stay with us forever?  
Will you dance in my dreams or my arms until then?_

_Under the moon the mountains lie sleeping,  
Over the lake the stars shine.  
They wonder if you and I will be keeping  
The magic and music, or leave them behind._

_The sun is sinking low in the sky above Ashokan;  
The pines and the willows know soon we will part.  
There's a whisper in the wind of promises unspoken  
And a love that will always remain in my heart._

_My thoughts will return to the sound of your laughter,  
The magic of moving as one.  
And a time we'll remember . . . long ever after  
The moonlight and music and dancing are done._

By then, both had arrived at the rotunda's main doors. "I didn't know he played the fiddle," Ranma mused. "Where'd he learn?"

"When he and Negako-aneki were training in a special place called 'Sanctuary,'" Rinrin explained as they headed into the dining room. "Aneki taught Aniki how to play the violin and the saxophone, too."

"I just wish he didn't play that damned song," Sakuya muttered from her place at the table as Rinrin and Ranma sat down.

Ranma stared at her. "Why? That was an okay song!"

"'Okay?'" Sakuya snapped. "It makes Onii-sama CRY! Some 'okay!'"

"Ani-kun needs the chance to let the pain in his heart go, Sakuya-chan."

Eyes turned to Chikage as the sorceress took her place at the table. The sisters gave her knowing looks. "There's something you're not telling us about what Anii did when he was with Anē, Chikage-chan. Is there?" Mamoru asked.

Before Chikage could answer, the doors opened, revealing Ataru. "Hi, everyone," he hailed as he took his place at the head of the table.

The others were quick to notice his downcast mood. "Onii-chan, are you alright?" Karen gently probed as Shirayuki wheeled in dinner.

"Not really," he admitted. "I just got a call from Reigi-kun. The Yamaguchi family won't claim either Kinshō's or Muchi's ashes."

Silence fell over the room. The sisters looked down on their plates. "So what will we do now, Anigimi-sama?" Haruka asked.

He sighed. "Rinrin, is the Plato-Mecha ready to go?"

"Um . . . " Rinrin paused before reporting, "I just need to do some final adjustments on the portside impeller. It should take me a couple hours to finish that. Then I can get Jii-san to put her in the water."

"Alright, then. Do that and tomorrow morning, we'll take her out and bury the ashes in the trenches east of the Island, okay?"

Rinrin nodded. "Okay."

"Don't they deserve to be buried like other people?" Ranma asked. "Ataru, even if you did reject them, they deserve . . . "

He gave her a weary look, making Ranma stop. Seeing the guilt cross her face, he moved to moderate. "It's not your fault, Ranma."

"But still . . . "

"It has to be done this way, Ane-kun."

Eyes locked on Chikage. "Why?" Ranma wondered.

"Because our clan's doors have always been open to those who need our protection – a hearth fire, a family to embrace them and make them feel welcome, even a close friend to provide a shoulder to lay one's head on – we grossly frown on any act that seeks to isolate one of us from the rest of the Clan. That is what Kinshō did to Ani-kun five years ago. That is what she could've tried to do to us had she learned of us. Is that right? Is it honourable to isolate someone like that, especially because of greed?"

Ranma sighed. "No, not really, I guess."

"Kaho would've wanted to know Kaho's father," Kaho said. "But what was Kaho's father like? Why did he let Onii-chama be hurt like that? Onii-chama did the right thing letting Negako-onēchama out of Onii-chama's head. Why couldn't he understand? Why didn't he stand up to his wife? Why did he go along with his wife and sell Onii-chama off to Lum? Why, Onē-chama?"

The transformed martial artist nodded.

* * *

Later . . .

"Damn that Oyaji!"

Sakuya stared at Ranma. "I'm sorry, Onē-sama," the former apologised as she placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder. Both were in Ranma's guestroom on the third floor, they having spent the last two hours there. Toshiko and Kumiko had gone off with Ataru to see the sights around the Island. "I mean, we all guessed your dad was a lunkhead, but I'd believe that if he wanted you to marry this Akane girl, he should've given you _some_ warning . . . "

Ranma rose, shaking her head before she stared out the window at Welcome House's courtyard. "Yeah, I know," she replied before her eyes turned to gaze down at her own stomach. "I can't believe it. I mean, I never really sat back and thought about it. I . . . " Her hand fell on her navel. "I can create a life here if I wanted to. I . . . " A shaky breath escaped her. "Oh, man!"

"Yeah, it's really something, isn't it?" Sakuya noted as she stood up to stand beside Ranma. "And your dad always said 'women are weak?' What a dork! He doesn't know anything at all, does he?"

A snort. "More like he doesn't CARE!" Ranma spat out.

"Are you okay, Onē-sama?"

Ranma shook her head. "I dunno. You know, ever since I got to Nerima and got deluged by the fiancée business, I've always wondered what it was about. I mean, Ukyō and Shānpú say they love me. But right now, I don't understand what love is. I don't think I ever really did understand it even with what I said during the fight against Saffron and I thought that Akane was dying! And they expected me to get married, raise kids? How do you do that?"

Sakuya patted Ranma's shoulder. "Onē-sama, you're seventeen! You don't have to worry about kids. Most people these days wait until they're thirty to get married. Some don't even bother with marriage when you get down to it."

"Yeah, but it was honour . . . " Ranma's voice trailed off for a moment. "Well, it WAS honour. Now . . . I just don't know."

"Well, let's go to the basics, then." Sakuya guided her back to the bed before she sat in a rocking chair nearby. "What is love?"

"I don't know. Or at least, I can't describe it in words right now."

"Okay." Sakuya held up four fingers. "For you to say you love someone and to build a relationship with that someone, you need four things. They are Truth . . . " – she dropped one finger – " . . . Trust . . . " – down went the second – " . . . Respect . . . " – the third – " . . . and Hope." She made a fist with her hand.

"Now, Truth." Up went a finger. "You didn't start off right because you met Akane as a girl and you didn't consider revealing the truth until she walked in on you in the furo at her house. Then, everything your dad kept from you piled on. Since you weren't shown the truth about how to interact with people, you had no clear way to navigate yourself out of that particular mess, right?"

Ranma nodded. "Right."

"Next comes Trust." Sakuya held up a second finger. "Akane assumed right from when she first found out about your curse that you were nothing more than a pervert. She didn't change that basic viewpoint no matter how much you tried to explain things to her. Put simply, she never trusted you. Trust, like Truth, is a two-way street to make a relationship work. So, it comes to the point where you no longer trust Akane to believe you. Even after you had to KILL someone to save her life, she still doesn't trust you.

"Then Respect." Up went a third finger. "Since Akane doesn't trust you, she feels she has no cause to respect you. She can't accept you're the better martial artist because you always let her into your guard and she got away with braining you with that mallet, her fist or what-have-you. In fact, she doesn't even respect your Art since no one's forced her to see that you have to WORK to gain a skill, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, then. You know if you want to learn something, you have to work and work at it to get it right. Akane doesn't know that. She can't bring herself to accept that." A pause. "You want to know something, Onē-sama? Akane can't respect you because she doesn't really respect herself!"

Ranma blinked. "Yeah, that's true, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Sakuya put up the fourth finger. "Now, Hope. Tell me something, Onē-sama? Can you see yourself sometime in the future, married to Akane, raising your children, living with Akane until the day you finally die? Can you really imagine that deep in your heart?"

A long pause, and then Ranma shook her head. "Not anymore. I don't think I ever did."

Sakuya shrugged. "Then there's no love between you. And unless those things change, there could never be any love between you."

Ranma gazed at her, nodding.

* * *

On the southwest side of the island, there was a seashore house built on poles hooding a cove, the house resting on a cliff. The cove was bisected with a dock for small boats. Standing on the porch overlooking the beach spread out to one side of the house, Ataru sipped a snifter of spring water. Footsteps heralded the arrival of the mirror-twins from inspecting the interior. "Well?"

Toshiko and Kumiko exchanged a look. "We like it," the former declared. "Still, don't you think it's queer to let us make use of the same house your sisters were conceived in? What do your sisters think of this place?"

"Nice place to visit, especially come summer vacation, but the House has more conveniences, not to mention individual rooms." He set the snifter aside before relaxing against the rail, turning to gaze out to sea. "Here, there's not that much room. It's a vacation cottage. Great for one or two people or maybe a small family, but not fourteen people or more."

"What about you?" Kumiko wondered.

"Even with the work I've done since I came here, I'm still getting used to all this wealth Obā-chan left behind. I guess one of the few good things being with Muchi and Kinshō taught me is how to not put so much value on money. I wasn't born to the rich life like Mendō. Neither were the girls. I think after it all gets ironed out, we'll be letting go of a lot of things."

"Like this place." Toshiko looked around, and then she nodded. "Well, if you're willing to let us live here, we'll move in right away. I just hope that you and Ranma will consent to come live on the Island full-time real soon. I'm sure your sisters would gladly want you back . . . "

Kumiko crossed her arms. "And I'm pretty sure Ranma would like to get away from those morons in Nerima once and for all," she added.

"Agreed."

"Soon as Onē-san finishes fixing Ranma up, I'll pop an invitation to her to come here full-time," Ataru said. "I suppose by then, some solution to Ranma's fiancée problem will be worked out. With that done, she's got nothing hanging over her head, so she can concentrate on the college exams."

The mirror-twins stared quizzically at their host. Kumiko then walked up to relax beside Ataru, Toshiko shifting to his other side. "Ataru-kun, can I ask you something?" the former wondered as she gazed on him. "How much do you know about Jusenkyō and how it's affected Ranma?"

Ataru picked up the flute. "I know in Ranma's case, the full effects haven't sunk in. Mostly that's because of the mental damage she took when that fool Genma forced her to learn the Neko-ken. Why are you asking, Kumiko-chan?"

"And your sisters? Do they know this?" Toshiko added.

He looked at her before nodding. "Yes." He then sipped some water. "I take it that whatever explanation you gave Ranma about you being frozen as a girl wasn't the whole truth. Was it?" He glanced at Kumiko.

The raven-haired mirror-twin nodded. "Hai, it wasn't the whole truth. I would've told her the truth if the Jusenkyō guide hadn't let slip what really happened to Ranma when she and Genma went there."

He nodded. "When you fell into the Niángnìquán, Kumiko-chan, how long was it before you initially transformed back?"

"Truthfully, I didn't wait. When I jumped out of the pool, my sense of balance was thrown off because of the change. I tripped and smacked my head on a rock beyond the pools." Kumiko flustered. "I was out of it for about ten minutes. Toshiko didn't want to move me from where I fell, so the guide went off to get some hot water. By the time he came back to me, it was too late. With general human-based curses, the basic mental changes only need five minutes to take full effect." She deeply inhaled. "Then again, I WAS born of a magical mirror whose underlying spirit was female." A shrug. "So maybe Jusenkyō DID 'set me right' when I fell into that pond."

"When we talked to the guide about it, he always wondered why it didn't take effect on Ranma like it did to you, Kumiko," Toshiko added, and then she frowned. "So how could the Neko-ken interfere with that? The guide said that Ranma didn't change back for almost twenty minutes . . . "

"The Neko-ken's not just a physical art form. It's also a spiritual thing," Ataru said. "Remember, the dorks who created it wanted to infuse a Neko-ken student with not just the physical attack skills of a cat, but its fighting spirit. That's all up here . . . " He pointed to his head, and then his heart. "And here, too. And since Ranma was a boy when she first learned the Neko-ken, the cat-spirit that was formed inside her was a male spirit. Suddenly, you force something like Zhòuquán-xiāng on top of that and . . . "

He shuddered. "So the Neko-ken spirit and the Nyanniichuan spirit have been trying to fight for control of Ranma?" Kumiko wondered.

He nodded. "Subconsciously, yes. At least, that's the way Onē-san sees it. Think about it. Why is it Ranma's such a water magnet all the time, both hot and cold? Yeah, that's typical of most victims of that place, but according to what Onē-san divined from Ranma's ki, it's ESPECIALLY true with her. And Onē-san found out that in most times whenever the Neko-ken madness overcame Ranma, it was when she was male. How did she usually snap out of it?" An eyebrow arched. "People dunked her in water and transformed her into a girl."

The mirror-twins sighed before gazing on Ataru. "Was that why Tampopo-san asked Negako-san to come look at Ranma?" Kumiko asked.

"Hai. Tampopo-chan doesn't have Onē-san's knowledge base when it comes to martial arts, but she could tell that something was REALLY off with Ranma. I'm just amazed at myself that I was able to pick up what else happened."

Toshiko scowled. "Stupid panda."

Ataru made a dismissive wave with his hand. "Forget him. He's harmless. Right now, the big thing is figuring out how to break this to Ranma."

Kumiko shook her head. "The sooner the better, I think."

"Maybe. I've hesitated in saying anything because Ranma's got enough on her plate," Ataru admitted. "But still . . . "

The mirror-twins nodded.

* * *

Later . . .

Ranma sighed as she walked along the southeast seashore of Promised Island. A full moon had just appeared, its reflected sunlight creating eerie shadows in the small town beyond the curve of Stargazer Hill. Her right hand was held up, the fingers going up and down as she ran through what Sakuya told her earlier, applying it to everyone else she knew back in Nerima.

"Ukyō?" Ranma extended the fingers. "Well, I tell her the truth all the time of how I feel. She tells me the truth of how she feels. But the messages never really got across. She's my friend. Is she? I trust her . . . " She dropped the middle finger. "Well, I trusted her until the wedding when she decided to throw bombs at Mom. I respect her, but she really doesn't respect my opinions, so that's out." Down went the ring finger. "And I can't imagine marrying her. I still see her as my buddy from when we were kids. I guess that means I don't respect her, either." Down went the little finger. "And since she don't respect me and I really don't respect her, she can't understand what I'm telling her. Truth is out." She dropped the index finger.

"Shānpú?" Out went the four fingers. "She often lies to me." Down went the index finger. "I can't trust her because her village laws don't allow that sorta thing. She really doesn't trust me. If she did, then she wouldn't be going hog-wild to hook me." Down went the middle finger. "I can't respect her because she doesn't respect me because I'm a man. If how she and her great-grandmother treat Mùsī is any indication, men don't have any real rights among the Nǚjiézú." Down went the ring finger. "I sure as hell can't see myself living with her in that village and I KNOW she can't imagine living anywhere else outside the village. So hope is out." She lowered her little finger.

"Kodachi?" Out went the fingers. They then collapsed. "Forget it."

"Kasumi?" Out went the fingers. "She knows the truth . . . " Ranma then shook her head as her fist closed up. "Nah! I can't think of marrying someone I sorta look on like a big sister! It ain't right. Besides, she can't really want to stay on as a housewife! It ain't fair to her. And I don't want to really deal with that idiot father of hers anymore.

"Nabiki?" Out went the fingers. Ranma then shuddered. "She doesn't tell me the truth. She doesn't trust me. She sure as hell doesn't respect me. And I think I'd rather commit seppuku than marry her . . . "

"There is one more, Ane-kun."

Ranma spun around to see Chikage standing behind her, the latter dressed in a flowing, black lace-up gown trimmed in red-and-silver laurel. "Chikage-chan!" Ranma gasped before she calmed herself. "Shit! Don't DO that to me!"

The sorceress chuckled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Ane-kun. But in sensing your mood, I felt you'd desire a little company."

"I . . . " She sighed. "Um, dōmo! I . . . " She looked at her hand. No doubt, Chikage knew what was bothering her. "I guess I got no one, eh?"

"There is someone else you might consider, Ane-kun."

"Who? One of you?" Ranma quipped.

Chikage smirked, shaking her head. "No, someone else."

"Negako?" Ranma asked, shuddering. "Uh-uh! No than- . . .!"

"I was thinking of Ani-kun."

Silence.

"What?" Ranma eeped as her eyes went wide.

"Here." Chikage reached up to extend Ranma's fingers. "Humour me. Take what Sakuya-chan told you and apply it to Ani-kun."

"WHAT?" Ranma cried out, automatically shaking her head. "Uh-uh! No way! He's a man! I'm a man, even if I'm stuck as . . .!"

"Please?"

Ranma's voice failed as she stared in confusion at Chikage. As far as she knew, from the way Ataru and the other sisters described her, the sorceress NEVER used the word "please" when it came to ANY request she made!

"I . . . " Ranma looked at her hand. "He tells me the truth. But . . . " A pause, and then she shook her head. "I kinda figured out that he's keeping something really BIG from me. And from all you guys, too, I guess. Is it something you know about, Chikage-chan?" Seeing her nod, Ranma breathed out, "Well, I guess that means it's gotta be bad. Really bad. I . . . " Her ring finger wavered. "Then that means he respects me. And he cares for my feelings, too, right? He . . . " A pause. "He's afraid that if I learn it, I wouldn't want to be with him anymore, right? I . . . " Another pause. "Jeez! What would be so bad that he'd feel he'd have to do that . . .?"

"As far as I can presently discern, it was worse than your battle with Saffron," Chikage explained. "INFINITELY worse."

Ranma stared at her before she nodded. "Oh." She gazed on her hand. "And . . . " A pause. "He trusts me to understand that, doesn't he?" She blinked on seeing the middle finger waver. "He knows it's bad and that it'd totally blow my mind away, right? He WANTS to tell me . . .!" Her voice caught in her throat, and then she sighed. "But how can I make him trust me to accept what he's got to say? I just can't walk up and . . . " Another pause, her index finger wavering. "I can, can't I? Or maybe he can't tell it because he doesn't know what to say! Yeah, I can understand that . . .!" Her voice trailed off, her eyes locked on her little finger.

The one finger that had not moved at all.

"I . . . " Ranma blinked. "I want his friendship. I like being with him. I can trust him in case we get into a fight. If what happened on Monday meant anything, we'd be perfect partners. He pretty much told me today that he wants to be my partner, too. I trust him. And to trust him, I have to respect him. And I told him the truth about me and he's pretty much done the same about himself. Yeah! Yeah! I can do that. Then . . . " She paused. "Friendship and love are the same, right, Chikage-chan?"

"'Love' is a strange thing to comprehend even at the best of times, Ane-kun. There are different types of love depending on the situation. But in the end, it is the same. People just find it hard for whatever reason to accept that. After all, you can say that you love a friend. Just as much, as deeply, as one can love a sibling, a parent . . . " A pause. "Or a life-mate."

"But . . . " Ranma pointed to herself. "I'm a guy."

"What does your birth-gender and Ani-kun's gender have to do with love?" Chikage's eyebrow arched. "Ane-kun, there are gay couples out there who enjoy loving relationships, relationships that endure homophobic assaults from every quarter. There're lesbian couples that do the same thing. There are multi-partner groups who are in the same situation. The people involved in those relationships don't find what they do 'unusual.' They see it as a blessed thing. In light of that, do the opinions of society matter? Of course not.

"You and Ani-kun are in the same situation. And, deep in your hearts, you do not WANT to live in such a situation anymore. That is why Fate brought you together. Fate can be fickle, but sometimes, She can be kind. Especially to those who have suffered Her Wrath for as long as you and Ani-kun have."

Chikage turned away to gaze at the moon above. "You know, when he came to this island and we started to bond as a family, Ani-kun started to have nightmares. Nightmares about all the times he felt that he was totally alone in this world. About all the times Kinshō said 'I wish you were never born!' About when Miyake Shinobu left him, abandoning him so she could pursue a rich narcissist like Mendō Shūtarō. About the time he came to believe Lum could not accept a potential 'husband' who refused to bow to her every whim and desire. About the time when he allowed Negako-anekun to live her own life . . . and the betrayal that followed, which ultimately killed our grandmother from a broken heart. About even the time when Nokoko-anekun disappeared after she learned that she was not Ani-kun's cousin, but his sister.

"Every time we heard him cry, it tore into our hearts. Even me." Her eyes closed, eyelashes glistening. "Even Negako-anekun. Every time we looked into his room, there she was, holding his hand. No doubt feeling guilty over what her being tricked by Kinshō five years ago had cost him, the man who gave the _Saikō Jinseijutsu_ her dream. And it hurt, Ane-kun. It hurt so much."

She gazed on the moon. "So I came here. Looked up. It was a full moon. I prayed. We all prayed in our chosen way. For someone to come to show Ani-kun he wasn't alone in his sufferings. And that someone could be with him. And love him. Through their shared pain, they would enjoy a shared healing." She looked at Ranma. "And thus, Fate brought you into Ani-kun's life."

Ranma blinked as Chikage stared at her. "I don't know . . . "

"It's alright to be unsure." She drew Ranma's hand up, holding it between her own hands. "But know this: You have endured considerable brain damage since you were exposed to that pit." Sensing Ranma shiver, Chikage touched a shiatsu point to calm her. "And as Negako-anekun strives to heal you, you WILL change, evolve into someone different than you were. You will evolve into a whole new being. And as you evolve . . . " Her eyes locked on Ranma's. "You will then learn Zhòuquán-xiāng's most horrible secret."

Ranma stared at her before she squeezed her eyes closed. "No . . . "

"Ane-kun, how long after you first fell into the Niángnìquán?" Chikage asked. "How long was it before you changed back?"

"I . . . " Ranma sucked in her breath, biting her lip. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She didn't react. "About . . . " she began, her voice suddenly very dry. "About twenty minutes, I think. I . . . " A gulp. "I just got so angry at Oyaji for taking me into that place, totally destroying everything he made me believe and accept as the right thing . . . " A shudder shook her again as her voice started to break. "And I . . . " She blinked. "No, it was the guide. He changed Oyaji back right away, but then I lost it and went out to beat his ass. The guide couldn't do anything to me. So I didn't change back until after I got done chasing Oyaji all over the place . . . "

A sob stole her voice as Chikage moved to comfort, she shushing Ranma as she held her close. As the strength in Ranma's body faded, Chikage scooped her up, carrying her to a bench. Sitting her, Chikage allowed Ranma to remain close, the latter sobbing. Time became meaningless as Ranma wept, the words spoken at Jusenkyō by the guide repeating again in her mind . . .

* * *

_A year ago, in the mountains of China . . ._

_"Oh, Honoured Customer, is too late for you!"_

_"What?" Ranma demanded._

_The portly guide shook his head, drawing out his pipe as he stared out at the scattered ponds with their bamboo training poles. He had just poured hot water on Ranma. Genma was hiding, not wanting to deal with his child at this time. "I no tell this to you before other Honoured Customer. I think he no understand. I also think he might hurt you for thing that is not your fault."_

_"Whaddayamean?"_

_"Zhòuquán-xiāng give worse than body to those who no change back right away after falling into spring." The guide waved to the ponds. "Spirits of those who drown in springs in springs. When someone fall in, spirits of those who drown in springs also copy into that person. Like you, Honoured Customer."_

_Ranma deflated. "Wh-what?" he stammered. "Y-you mean . . .?"_

_"I see it not happen. But it will happen, Honoured Customer. For that, I sorry. I no can tell you unless it happen. It part of my curse, see?"_

_"N-no . . .!"_

_The guide's eyes fell on the young man from Japan. Who, the guide knew, would one day become a young woman, in body AND spirit. "No cure for that, Honoured Customer. You have to change right away back to normal or else spirit's copy mix with your spirit. When that happen, you become a girl here." He pointed to his heart. "No cure for th- . . . "_

_"Ranma!"_

_Ranma turned as Genma marched towards them, both backpacks in hand. "C'mon, we're leaving! There's more training to do!"_

_Ranma blinked, nodding. "Right!"_

* * *

"No cure . . . "

Chikage watched as Ranma sat up, the latter wiping her eyes as she took several breaths to compose herself. "Yes," the young sorceress confirmed with a nod. "And one day soon, you will no longer DESIRE a cure. Perhaps even come to look on your birth-form with the same disgust you once looked on your cursed-form. You will think of yourself in your heart and soul as a woman. How that will affect you? Well, that is for Fate to decide. You can run from it as long as you can, Ane-kun. But there is no escape."

"Why didn't it latch on then?" Ranma wondered.

"The damage to your mind from the Neko-ken training, that supported by the abuse from all those you've fought in Nerima. Now, Ane-kun, you have a choice. And it is a difficult choice, indeed. Do you wish to live as a man? And be forever afraid of cats? Not have conscious use of the full mental capacity you were blessed with at birth? And perhaps one day confront someone who could easily manipulate you just like your father did? Or would you wish to live as a woman? Heal the wounds you've suffered from for all those years? Turn Zhòuquán-xiāng's curse into a gift? A gift of freedom and control over your life? Then embrace the gift Nature gave you and ensure you remain free?"

Silence fell as Ranma considered that. A shudder raced through her as a very dim memory suddenly came forth from her subconscious mind. "I used to like c-cats . . . " she stuttered that one word which had haunted her nightmares for so long. "There was this one alley c-c-cat that lived near my house. I useta take food out to him all the time, before the trip. I . . . "

"You desired to adopt him as your pet," Chikage finished. "By the time you were taken from your mother by Genma, the cat had come to trust you very much. Then you were gone. And sadly, survival eventually demanded that he turn his attention to more vital matters as soon as he came to realise, in his own way, that you would never come back to him."

Ranma jolted, her eyes widening. "You know . . .?"

"Negako-anekun told me." A pause. "There is more to that story. Four years after you were taken away from your mother, yours and Genma's training voyage returned you to the Tokyo area. That is when Genma decided it was time for you to learn the Neko-ken. So he went far and wide, seeking out alley cats to serve as the training 'mechanism.'"

She stopped. Ranma blinked as her skin paled. "That c-c-c-cat . . .?"

"Yes, he was in the pit," Chikage confirmed with a nod. "But before he and you faced the Neko-ken, he – along with the others – had been starved to the point where any 'domestic' behaviour that might've been ingrained into them was eliminated. All he saw when you were lowered into that pit every time was the food wrapped around you. All he wanted was the food. He couldn't recognise you – even if he remembered you – because his hunger blinded him to EVERYTHING but the food. And that is what he went after. As did they all."

Silence fell anew as Ranma shuddered, fresh tears flowing down her cheeks as she hugged herself, the fear the Neko-ken had unleashed in her for so long fighting the grief she felt at a lost friend who had suffered because of her. She blinked as Chikage's hand squeezed her shoulder. She stared at the sorceress. "What happened to . . .?" Ranma asked before her voice faltered.

"Several days after you and Genma left, someone found the pit," Chikage reported. "The Humane Society was called in to investigate. Since the pit was so deep, the sides so sheer – and the cats themselves so weak from hunger – they couldn't crawl out to seek out fresh prey. So, being carnivores, they turned on each other. By the time they were discovered, only four were still alive. Your friend included. But because they were so weak from being starved for so long, it was then decided to humanely put them to sleep."

"No . . . "

Fresh sobs took away Ranma's voice as Chikage moved to comfort. "Hush!" she soothed. "You cannot change the past, Ane-kun. You can change the future. Seize the day, Ane-kun. Let this and all the days ahead be yours once and for all. Be free . . . "

_And help Ani-kun be free, too_, she mentally added.

Time became meaningless again as Ranma wept. The reasons became irrelevant to the martial artist as the many mental dams holding back years of abuse, emotional neglect, even contempt, from Genma and so many others, finally shattered. Chikage remained still, her hand gently stroking Ranma's hair as the sorceress became a rock for the martial artist to cling to. Finally, Ranma's moans morphed into sniffles as a hand reached up to wipe her eyes. Straightening herself, she drew Chikage into an embrace. "Dōmo."

"You needed it, Ane-kun." Chikage reached up to dry Ranma's cheeks with her thumbs before she then smirked. "What a stupid fool your father is. He doesn't begin to realise how much he's ultimately failed. Not just you, but his friend and Sōun's children, not to mention his wife."

A blink. "You mean about what the guide said?"

A nod. "Hai. And that transformation of your spirit HAS been happening, bit by bit, since you left Zhòuquán-xiāng. Unfortunately, atop yours and everyone's resistance to the idea of you being a girl, you personally do not have a proper example to template yourself from when it comes to BEING female."

"I . . . " Ranma blinked before she gazed out to sea. "I . . . geez, Chikage-chan, I really don't know . . .!" She bit her lip before looking anew at the sorceress, a shrug rolling her shoulder. "I mean, I still got a lot of trouble believing what the guide said. Yeah, it's been easy for me to dress up as a girl and act kawaii and all that, but geez! I do that all the time."

"True. You should remind yourself, however, that dressing as a girl and – as you say it – 'acting kawaii' are very small parts of what being a woman is about." Chikage chuckled, crossing her arms. "Since it would be best for you to remain in one body while Negako-anekun and Ani-kun are busy healing you, you should realise you'll be facing one LARGE element of being a woman three weeks from now when you endure the peak of your first-ever menstrual cycle."

"My first period, you mean?" On seeing Chikage nod, Ranma sighed. "Kasumi told me about that when Herb froze me with the Chiisui-ton. But I didn't go through it because I was able to unlock myself shortly after."

"Good for her. Sadly, given that you have not had any chance to evolve naturally through menarche into adolescence as other women have, I suspect you'll be experiencing a particularly painful 'first blood.'" The sorceress rose to stand again beside Ranma. "I can only guess at how others, even those women who are 'close' to you, might react, given their attitudes towards you."

"Oh, boy, you sure got THAT right!" Ranma winced before she rattled off on her fingers. "Akane will have another damned excuse to call me a pervert. Shānpú might decide that since I'm not a man, she'd have to go back on her first mission and try ta kill me. I think Ukyō MIGHT accept it since she's legally registered as a boy and all that . . . "

"What is written on paper can NEVER stand up to the facts of biology," Chikage warned. "Besides, look at what good can come out of it. If you become a woman, your engagements are effectively rendered null-and-void. Isn't that what you want, Ane-kun?" Seeing Ranma nod, she continued, "And if they understand you had no choice, I believe things will change to everyone's benefit. Didn't Akane say to you when you met 'Let's be friends?' Yes, she betrayed her own words not two hours later when she learned of your curse. In fact, you might say her being forced to deal with you potentially reinforced her attitudes towards boys as a whole. And you have to take into account your over-protectiveness towards her as well, Ane-kun. It did not do Akane any good."

"That's true. But what about Ukyō and Shānpú? What do I do with them?"

"Given Genma's attitudes – and in the worse-case scenario, Nodoka's – if he learns you are a woman in spirit as well as body, he might decide enough is enough and renounce you then and there. If he does that, Ane-kun, Ukyō effectively succeeds in the mission her father charged her with: The break-up of the Saotome family and the end of the Saotome-ryū. When Ukyō's father learns of that, atop learning what has happened to you AND what you've planned for Genma in case he did decide to renounce you, I strongly believe there to be no good reason for him not to release his child from what she was forced into. In the end, you both would come out of that whole situation as winners."

A smirk crossed Ranma's face. "Yeah, that's true, isn't it?" She then sighed. "What about Shānpú?"

"As for her, there is no threat from the Kiss of Death," Chikage said, a light smile crossing her face. "Shānpú's failure towards that end was punished by her receiving her curse from the Māonìquán. All you face now is the Kiss of Marriage. And when you emotionally become a woman, her claim on you will become questionable. I don't believe she is bisexual, so . . . "

"'Bisexual?'"

"Attracted sexually to both men and women," the sorceress explained before her eyebrow arched. "And there is another thing you have to deal with."

Ranma paled. "What?"

"Your awakening sexuality, Ane-kun."

The martial artist gargled. "M-my . . . "

"As Genma repressed your ability to learn, he affected the areas of your mind which controls your sexual responses," Chikage explained. "Now that that's being repaired, I think you will begin to look on people, both men and women, in a much more _intimate_ manner than before."

Ranma gulped. "Even more so, Akane and Shānpú BOTH haven't helped you in those matters," the sorceress added. "Akane, of course, looks on any intimate experience, even the times when she only **suspects** something is going on, as perverted. That has only reinforced your own embarrassment when it comes to such issues. And with Shānpú flinging herself on you every time she can, your embarrassment only increases. And since that most often happens when Akane is nearby so she could provoke her . . . " A shrug rolled her shoulders. "It's no wonder you've avoided this topic, Ane-kun," she wryly mused.

"Um . . . " Ranma waved her hands. "Could we get back to what I can do with Shānpú if I become a girl full-time, Chikage-chan? PLEASE?"

Chikage gazed at her before she sighed. "I'm sorry. Anyhow, when you become a woman full-time, Shānpú could simply announce to the Nǚjiézú Council that she cannot pursue you romantically anymore. What she could then do if her great-grandmother pressures her into it – since it is obvious that the Nǚjiézú would desire access to your skills and abilities in case matters with the Musk or other peoples pick up – is employ the Blood-Sibling Law and declare you as part of her family. When that happens, you, as Shānpú's former fiancé, could then declare who might 'succeed' you as Shānpú's new fiancé. You could make Mùsī very happy at that point, should you be so inclined."

Ranma hummed. "Yeah, that is true, isn't it? But then again, Shān hates Mùsī's guts." She then slapped her head, a groan escaping her. "Cripes, it'll be the same as before!" she moaned. "If I do it, Shan will hate my guts! If I don't do it, Mùsī will be all over me like before!"

"There is a third option."

"Bein'?"

"Simply declare that you respect Shānpú's freedom of choice and, given your own experiences concerning multiple engagements – of which, Kělún is aware of – you cannot morally force her into a marriage she does not desire," Chikage explained. "You realise that women have much greater say, gain greater respect, in the affairs of the Nǚjiézú than men. By doing this, you will reinforce your image as a woman. Thus, you simply say Shānpú has full freedom of choice when it comes to a mate. This will not only win Shānpú's respect, it will also win the respect of the Nǚjiézú AND make Mùsī realise he has to change his attitudes considerably if he is to ever win Shānpú's hand. Surely, you've noticed how much he pines after her, how much that sort of pining only disgusts her in the end. If Mùsī does not, then he makes himself a total pariah amongst his clans-people. I do not believe Mùsī will go that far."

"I dunno when it comes to Mùsī," Ranma noted. Silence fell over them as they gazed nowhere, and then Ranma stared at her hands. "Chikage-chan?"

"Yes, Ane-kun?"

"You really sure that I'm gonna be a girl?"

Chikage gazed at the martial artist before nodding. "I am."

Ranma bit her lip. "And you'd like it if Ataru and I fell in love, right?" she asked, staring anew at the sorceress.

"As would all of us," Chikage admitted. "Ane-kun, I truly believe you and Ani-kun are fated to be together. I have already foreseen it in various Tarot readings. Are you afraid you might be attracted to any other man? Say your friends Hiroshi or Daisuke? Much less Kunō Tatewaki or Hibiki Ryōga?"

Ranma blanched. "Ugh!" she gagged. "Cut it out, okay? Geez, I don't wanna even THINK of doing that stuff with THOSE two jerks!"

Chikage giggled, covering her mouth before she hummed. "Well, then . . . " she trilled as she gazed on the moon briefly before looking back at Ranma. "There is a way to find out if you can find yourself, even now . . . " A pause, and then she finished, "Attracted to Ani-kun."

An eyebrow arched. "There is?"

"Hai. For fairness' sake, I could even include your 'fiancées' into this scenario." Chikage shrugged. "Would you care to try it?"

Ranma considered that. "I really don't know . . . "

"Ane-kun." A hand fell on her shoulder. Ranma gazed into Chikage's eyes, the former quickly sensing the latter's concern and her determination not to back down from this. "I know that many people have tricked you before. Using your pride and your unwillingness to refuse a challenge to force you into all sorts of utterly ridiculous situations. Situations that, if you consider it, did you no real good in the end. I will not demean nor insult you by following that path. You do not deserve it. But I strongly believe if you are to EVER enjoy an intimate relationship with anyone, you have to shake off this attitude Genma and Akane forced on you about these matters. And very soon, you will have no choice but to confront those feelings, Ane-kun. And I happen to know that you are not the type to take an oath of celibacy and become a nun." She winked. "Just like Ani-kun certainly can NEVER become a monk."

Ranma smirked. "Yeah, that's true." Chikage pulled her hand away as the martial artist considered what the sorceress was offering, and then Ranma asked, "Can this be done without hurtin' anyone?"

"Yes. Further, it can be done in such a way your 'maidenhead' will not be violated. I know you don't understand the value of that now, but I believe your mother will be concerned if your 'virtue' is called into question."

Ranma sighed. "Yeah, she would." She DID understand somewhat what the terms 'maidenhead' and 'virtue' mean when it came to girls. An eyebrow then arched. "No Kunō or Ryōga, right? Just the girls and Ataru, right?"

"Hai."

"Well . . . " The martial artist sighed. Yes, in spite of the words Chikage just said, this WAS a challenge. A challenge that took what Kamekichi Tampopo once gave her some weeks ago to the nth degree. To take the necessary steps and learn what he – what SHE – really was?

"Okay, let's do it," she then said with a determined nod.

* * *

Later . . .

"Tadaima."

"Nē-sama, you came . . .!" A pause. "Are you alright, Nē-sama?"

Mamoru and several others looked towards the doors. Stopping, they saw Ranma at the doorway. There seemed a confused, bewildered look on her face. As if Ranma had just been parachuted into the Twilight Zone and there was no Rod Serling available to tell her what she just endured. "Nē-sama . . .!" Shirayuki, who was holding up a tray of snacks, whispered, her body quivering.

Ranma then noticed the food in the chef's hand. "Oh . . . " She reached over to take the tray. "Dōmo. I'm a little hungry."

Mamoru walked up. "Anē, you okay?"

"I . . . " The martial artist then tried to smile. "I'm not sure, Mamoru-chan. Um, has Ataru come back with Toshiko and Kumiko?"

"Toshiko-san and Kumiko-san are staying the night at the cottage on the other side of the island, Aneue-sama," Marie reported as she petted Michael and enjoyed some of her cherry tea. "Aniue-sama is in his room, I believe."

"Oh, great." Ranma nodded, turning to head off. "'Night, everyone."

The others watched her go. Silence fell as the sisters tried to interpret what happened. "What's with her?" Mamoru asked.

The other sisters shook their heads.

* * *

A knock. "Come in!" Ataru called from inside.

Ranma walked in. "Got some food Shirayuki-chan just made. Want some?"

Ataru sat by the window, he gazing at the full moon beyond. He then glanced at Ranma, quickly noting her dampened cheeks before he turned back to gaze on the stars. "Chikage told you, didn't she?" he gently declared.

Ranma smiled. "Yeah. How long have you known?"

"Right after we met. Onē-san told me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but . . . " A pause. "With all the crap coming down on your head, I felt dropping THAT bombshell onto your lap would've hurt you bad."

"Thanks." She straightened herself. Then, as a quirky smile crosses her face, she moved her hands up to her shirt buttons.

"Please don't do that."

Ranma glanced at Ataru. "I thought you said to me that I was beautiful," she reminded him, an eyebrow arching knowingly.

"True, but I understated it," he admitted. "You know, when Lum came into my life, I said to myself, 'There can be no one more beautiful than her.' I mean, the unreality of it kept hitting me again and again. Someone like THAT actually wanting ME of all the people in the galaxy? Even when Sakura came afterward, no one could've held up a torch to Lum in my eyes. Believe it or not, it's the one thing I could agree on with all the guys in Tomobiki." He looked down. "Then I had to let her go. And then I met Sakuya-chan when I came here the first time. I said it again. 'There can be no one more beautiful than her.' And then I added, 'Thank the gods she's my sister.' And then . . . "

He stared at Ranma. She stared back. "And then?" she lightly prodded for an answer with a knowing smile.

It came: "Then you came into my life."

They stared at each other. Ranma walked over to stand beside him, her hand reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. Ataru's hand gently fell atop hers, giving her a warm squeeze in return. "I wish I knew what to say now," she whispered, a tired sigh escaping her. "Even with what Sakuya-chan told me, I still don't understand what love and everything about it is."

"That makes two of us," Ataru admitted with a wry chuckle. He stared out the window at the stars. "I've been around for quite some years, counting all the time I spent in Sanctuary, and I still don't know what love is, Ranma."

"Then . . . " A pause before she smiled. "Let's find out together."

They looked into each other's eyes. Ataru nodded. "I'd like that."

He reached over. Ranma didn't resist as she was guided into his lap. They stared into the other's eyes. She then reached up to gently touch his cheek under his eye. "But before we do, can you tell me something?"

"Well . . . " he began, and then he paused before nodding. "When you killed Saffron on Mount Phoenix, Ranma . . . how did you feel?" Another pause. "Outside of being relieved that Akane was still alive, of course."

She leaned her forehead against his. "Like a part of me just died. Like . . . " She bit her lip before sighing. "I always believed that what I did, the Art I practised, was pure and good. It was something noble. You know, even with all the idiots coming at me bellowing 'Die, Saotome!' all the time, I . . . " She shuddered, and then took a deep breath to calm herself. "I never believed it would go all the way to THAT! That I'd have to take that one final step I sure as hell didn't WANT to take. But I had to."

"And from then on, it was sullied?" he wondered.

"Yeah."

"'S'funny." He leaned back, laying his head against the window. "After the Second Tag Race, things between Lum and I settled down. I just couldn't bring myself to look on another girl like I used to. You might say I grew up a bit. Then I started to feel as if what was going on between Lum and I was as pure as you looked on your Art. For two weeks, it seemed like a dream. But . . . " He looked down. "Negako-onēsan came back. And I realised how soiled my life – and by extension, my relationship with Lum – was."

"But she loved you, Ataru!"

"Did she? Maybe she did. But . . . " Ataru paused. "I had to separate from her, Ranma. When Onē-san showed me how much my life, my SOUL, was in such a mess, I had to break it off. And it hurt. I didn't want to cause her, who in the very LEAST was the only real friend I felt I had, any more pain. But I had to do it, Ranma. If she stayed with me – I mean, there were loads of ways of avoiding what the United Nations decided – I believed she'd endure a hell of a lot MORE pain. I had no choice. Because of what happened to me. What was going on with Lum's people and the Noukiites. And . . . " He looked to the stars. "What I later learned what was going on out there."

Ranma looked. "Where?"

"See, up above Cancer?" Ataru tilted his hand to allow Ranma a better aiming point. "That light that looks like a mini-galaxy?"

"Yeah, I see it."

"Well, it's not. It's a ternary star system. The Phentax group. Three stars and 23 planets. It's incredible to look at, you know." He sighed. "The centre star is a big old red giant, as big as Betelgeuse. And the two smaller stars are stacked over the poles of the big guy. And they got planets orbiting them, all three of them. It's so incredible to see."

She looked at him. "So what happened there?"

Ataru sighed. "On the second planet, there's this race. Humanoid like ours. But they're a. . . " He bit his lip. "Well, they're a very imitative lot. They mimic outside cultures when they contact them, but really can't come up with their own culture, if you know what I mean. Like that one classic _Trek_ episode. You ever see that?" At Ranma's nod, he continued, "Well, about ten years ago, they decided to mimic their culture after the Oni. After Lum specifically. Turns out that when she was a young girl, Lum saved the life of some kid who was the son of a magistrate on Phentax Two. And he . . . " He shuddered. "He somehow persuaded everyone that Lum was a living goddess."

Ranma's jaw dropped. "You must be joking."

Ataru shook his head. "No joke."

"Oh, brother . . . "

"Hai. Well, when Lum moved to Earth, the Niphentaxians kept an eye on things. And when Megane and his crew started their fan club and everyone got on the bandwagon, the Niphentaxians just went CRAZY! They rebuilt ALL their cities into replicas of TOMOBIKI, for cryin' out loud! They started callin' Megane, Mendō and that crowd the 'Holy Apostles' and all that! Called everyone else 'The Goddess' Holy Company' or something stupid like that! And . . .!"

"Let me guess. You were their Satan."

Ataru nodded. "Yeah. 'The Great Evil!' That's me."

"Geez!"

"Yeah. Well, I was never told about any of this until Onē-san took me into Sanctuary. By then, I'd found out about the crap the Oni heaped on the Noukiites, so I didn't care for what Lum's people were goin' through at that time. Hell, they deserved it. But it didn't take me too long to realise that if Lum got killed, the Niphentaxians would go totally ballistic! So . . . "

"You had to stop them?"

"Yeah. It seemed so easy. Just get rid of Ōgi. He was the guy that Lum rescued who started the whole mess. He was the president of Phentax Two at the time. It was a sweet set-up! All the leaders of the factions in the Church of Lum were praying for a chance to unseat him and take over. Perfect set-up for a civil war! And if they were too busy fightin' each other, there's no way they could come help the Oni! So, Onē-san and I decided we'd do a little body snatch. And since I was the 'Great Evil' as they called me . . . "

Ranma wryly smirked. "You decided to be bait."

"Yeah." He closed his eyes. "I got there, got caught. And then I found out that underneath the Church of Lum and all the 'churches' that have existed on Phentax Two over the years . . . there was this group that called themselves 'Guardians.' They believed if a faith came that took the attention of all of Phentax Two, THEN if something happened to shatter that faith, Phentax Two would be destroyed. And SOMEHOW, they got their hands on a weapon whose power you can't BEGIN to imagine, Ranma. The power of the Universal Tao, the Te'a Itself, in all Its levels . . .! This weapon could tap into the Te'a Itself! How the HELL do you fight something that has the power of the UNIVERSE backing it up? And . . . " He shuddered. "The head Guardian . . . she touched me on my forehead with the weapon's power crystal, a ruby-something . . .

"Then, I don't know HOW, It touched a part of my mind that got sheared off when Onē-san's soul was put into me when I was six . . .

"And . . . "

Ataru hissed, tears flowing as that period in his life rolled through his mind. Ranma gripped his shoulders as he looked on that star, around which orbited a planet that was the place where his innocence was forever shattered.

His voice took on a far-away quality. "A little boy . . .

"A little boy that was me, but somehow . . .

"Somehow remembered all the bad things that happened in my life . . .

"That boy cried out, 'NO MORE!'

"And the Te'a . . .

"It responded . . .

"And I blacked out, but I saw it all. I remember it all . . .

"The boy became One with the Te'a . . .

"And in his scream, MY SCREAM, of pain, the Te'a's weapon remembered the Guardian's fear, the prophecy they lived their lives by . . .

"And the Te'a and the weapon and **I** lashed out . . .

"And made it all come true."

With a shudder, his voice failed as sobs took over. He allowed Ranma to wrap him tightly in her arms. Her eyes squeezed shut as her imagination, overwhelmed by the SCALE of what he had just told her, fell silent. Together, they held each other, sobbing for the loss of people who had been victimised by those who held power over their beliefs, their thoughts, their very LIVES . . .

"And . . . "

And once . . .

Just once . . .

But that once was enough . . .

By the pain and terror of one who himself was a victim.

Ranma shuddered. "And what, Ataru?" she soothed. "Tell me."

Ataru took a deep breath before closing his eyes.

"And three billion people died . . . "

**_To be continued . . ._**

* * *

**WRITER'S NOTES:**

1) Koi Shinjin appeared in _The Senior Year_ story "Lum's Lesson." The whole story about what eventually befell the Niphentaxians due to the Guardians was revealed in the stories "Great Father Ataru Stage One: Renewal" and "Great Father Ataru Stage Two: Remembrance."

2) While I do believe Hiroshi's and Daisuke's family names were mentioned in the _Ranma ½_ manga, Sayuri's and Yuka's family names are my own creation.

3) The Noroi no Ningyō appeared in manga episodes #331-332 ("The Doll of Vengeance" and "The Doll's Trap") of the _Ranma ½_ manga. The flashback scene shown here is from episode #331.

4) This was the first story where I introduced Nodoka's twin sister, Hisayo. It should be noted that the family relationships here are much different than what I used in _Phoenix From the Ashes_.

5) The Plato-Mecha first made its appearance in the eleventh and twelfth anime episodes of _Sister Princess_, "Secret Tour with Aniki" and "Vacation is Love."

6) Translations:

**Jii-ya** – _Grandpa_ (Aria-speak)  
**uzura-dango** – _quail dumplings  
_**ohayō/ohayō gozaimasu** – _good morning  
_**Ryokan Ningyō-yakata** – _Inn of the Antique Doll  
_**onsen** – _hot springs  
_**Bakusai Tenketsu** – _Breaking Point_


	7. 4th Part A: Freedom From The Past

"Oh, Lum-sama! Forgive Your humble servant for failing You."

The glowing figure in the middle of the chamber prostrated before the exquisitely carved statue. Life-sized, it was a representation of the Great and Immortal Lum, the Martyred Representative of Creation to Her Blessed Children of Phentax Two. "Over three billion of Your Faithful were killed by the Great Evil, Oh Lum-sama. Many more, those that did not fully accept the One True Faith in You, are now without any sort of guidance from Your Ministry.

"Lum-sama, please, Your humble servant beseeches You . . .

"Grant me the strength to destroy the evil one who betrayed You, flouted You, laughed at You, defied You!

"Grant me the strength to destroy all the evil one's allies on the world below, those who call themselves followers of the 'true faith,' who actually presumed they had the right to judge Your Holy Apostles!

"Let me be Your terrible swift Sword upon those who would spit upon You as the Great Evil spat upon You, Oh Lum-sama."

He bowed again. Rising, he allowed his astral body to drift out of the meditation chamber, leaving the icon to Lum in darkness.

* * *

**_Lonely Souls  
_**by Fred Herriot

Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.

Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

* * *

**THE FOURTH PART, "A" SIDE - FREEDOM FROM THE PAST**

"Excuse me? Is anyone here?"

"Enter, Hinako."

Ninomiya Hinako stepped into the compound of the Moroboshi home. The metamorphic teacher was currently in adult form courtesy of two stray dogs that had been fighting a block away. Negako sat on the front porch of the old shrine, gazing dispassionately at her visitor. Beside her was Inu Chigaiko, the ex-Tomobiki High sophomore dressed in stylish slacks and blouse. Hinako bowed. "Ohayō gozaimasu. You must be Moroboshi Negako. I'm . . . "

"Ninomiya Hinako, homeroom teacher of Fūrinkan High School, Class 3-F, for the coming year," Negako finished for her. "That class being the one Ataru and Chigaiko will be assigned to once the necessary registration is completed."

Hinako stopped as her eyes widened. "How . . .?"

"It is my business to know these things, especially when it concerns my brother, not to mention a student of a friend of mine."

Blink, blink. "That student being . . .?"

"You," Negako plainly answered, rising. "Follow me."

They stepped inside. Hinako, used to more jovial greetings from her students' parents, was unnerved by the cold, crisp manner Negako demonstrated. Gazing at the teacher, Chigaiko tried not to look too sympathetic. Negako, as Nabiki had surmised the previous day, had no understanding of tact. "Chigaiko, conclude your business with Hinako while I prepare some tea," she ordered.

"Ah, h-hai!" Chigaiko sputtered. As Negako stepped into the kitchen, she gazed on the visiting teacher. "Sorry about that, Sensei."

Hinako returned her look. "Is she NORMALLY like this?"

"Hai, she seems to be. Er, let me get my student file."

She headed off. Hinako sighed as she relaxed by the living room table. Chigaiko returned, a large envelope in hand. She handed it to the teacher. By the time Negako returned with a tea tray, Hinako was nodding as she looked over Chigaiko's report cards. "A good record, Inu-kun. Though I see some of my fellow teachers from Tomobiki never thought to refer to you by name . . . "

"That was a constant in my life, Sensei," Chigaiko admitted. "For some reason, everyone save one, never bothered to try to remember my name. Teachers and students alike. If they didn't have to take a look at the nominal rolls in class to remind them, they either said 'Hey, you!' or, if this was basketball practice, it was 'Yon-san.' I was given the number 'four' on the team."

Hinako shook her head. "Disappointing. Did you ever learn the reason why, Inu-kun?" She gazed at the Tomobiki native. "Did they question something about your demeanour or your family ancestry or some other stupid reason?"

"No. Near as I could tell, it was a combination of my being such a 'normal' girl mixed with my schoolmates' and teachers' attraction to an Oni bitch and a rich snob, both of whom I was forced to call classmates."

The teacher considered that. "Lum and Mendō Shūtarō, you mean?" On seeing Chigaiko nod, Hinako sighed. "You will not receive that treatment in my class. Granted, some of my classes will have their share of eccentric personalities, but I do my best to ensure that ALL of my students have a chance to involve themselves in class work. I will not tolerate any delinquency but I do strive to make the learning experience as enjoyable as possible. And from what I see, you are a good scholar. I'll expect to see that in classes."

Chigaiko bowed her head. "Hai, Sensei, I understand."

Hinako then blinked as something came to her. "By the way, if I may ask, who was it at Tomobiki that remembered your name? Was it . . .?"

"Ataru-kun? Hai, it was. At least in THAT respect, Ataru-kun did prove himself much better than that greasy-haired jerk Mendō!"

"I see. I haven't heard many good things about him. However, given Moroboshi-kun's actions on Monday, I shall wait to develop my own judgement of him. In the meantime, Moroboshi-san, do you have your brother's records?"

Negako handed Ataru's file over. Hinako scanned through them, a frown turning her lips. "It seems to me the teachers there did not like him. Except this Hanawa fellow." She pointed at one report. "Why is that?"

"Hanawa Mitsu chooses to ignore unusual occurrences by draping them within his own mind with a veneer of normalcy," the ninjutsu grandmaster reported. "For example, he never truly accepted Lum was an alien. And yes, he was the exception to the rule when it came to teachers performing their duties for Ataru. Most other teachers in Tomobiki my brother dealt with were of the mind that if someone odd happened, regardless of what caused such TO happen, Ataru was to blame. Hence, his words to his former teachers on Monday."

"I see. Would you say he's matured since he left Tomobiki?"

"He has. You will find him willing to give you the respect you desire. If you treat him with fairness, he would look upon you favourably, much more so than others in your class do. Indeed, Ataru would view your ki-absorption abilities as 'par for the course.' He has encountered far worse, especially in the time he has been with me. That, I believe, will grant you an ally when dealing with the malcontent elements among the Fūrinkan High student body."

Hinako blinked before she realised that Negako had prepared a cup of tea for her. Sipping it, she gave the ninjutsu grandmaster a curious look. "How is it you can speak of such things, Moroboshi-san? Are you a mind-reader?"

"I have several skills which allow me to understand all that surrounds me. Looking at your ki field alone tells me you use the abilities Happy gave you to deal with thirty or so 'chronic delinquents' at school on a regular basis. I should warn you that many of them now dream of the day when your guard is down, then, because they view you as subhuman, they will kill you."

Hinako gaped as her skin paled from that bombshell. "Wh-what . . .?"

"It is true. They know in your younger body, you are more vulnerable that you would be as an adult. They will take advantage of that. If you wish, I could see to it they would have a more difficult time dealing with you."

"How so?"

"By allowing you to remain as an adult full-time."

"R-r-really . . .?" Hinako stammered, a hopeful smile crossing her face.

"Really. I do not seek to curry favour for you to treat my brother any better than his peers by offering you that, Hinako. Ataru would not tolerate such actions. However, you are Happy's student and Happy is my friend, so I will deal with you in that matter. And I am speaking the truth when it comes to potential threats from the 'chronic delinquents' at Fūrinkan High, Hinako."

"I see . . ." Hinako then gulped before taking in a calming breath. "Well, I will consider your offer, Moroboshi-sensei. In the meantime, I best get these files to the school so the staff may see them. Excuse me . . . "

"Hinako."

The teacher gazed on Negako. "Yes?"

The grandmaster's eyes were narrow. "The first rule when dealing with me: Do not call me 'Sensei.' I despise that title and all those like it. My name is Negako. I will tolerate '-san' but nothing else from those beyond my family. Further, inform Gōdai that Ataru will not tolerate his continued falsification of school policy, especially when it concerns hair length and facial hair. My brother is forced to wear a beard and moustache, plus maintain his hair to the length it presently is. By the letter of the Fūrinkan High student's handbook, Ataru cannot be forced to remove such from his face."

Hinako blink-blinked again. "Um, pardon me for asking but . . . "

"It is a medical matter," Negako explained.

"Oh, no! I wasn't concerned about that! But who's 'Gōdai?'"

Negako appeared nonplussed. "Kunō Gōdai." Seeing Hinako's eyebrow arch, she augmented that with, "Your principal."

Silence.

More silence.

Still more silence.

Then . . .

"Gōdai . . .?" Hinako asked . . . and then, in a flash, she transformed to her pre-adolescent form. "What a funny name . . .!"

She then started to giggle. Negako gazed on her before shaking her head. She then perked as a voice hailed from the front door, "I'm here, Negako-san! Where are . . . huh?"

"Ohayō, Nabiki-san!" Chigaiko hailed as Nabiki stepped inside.

Nabiki stopped on seeing her sister's old homeroom teacher laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Would you believe a person's name?" Negako replied.

Nabiki nodded. "I've heard worse."

* * *

Tomobiki . . .

"You did WHAT?"

Shinobu smiled. The Miyake family and their guest were enjoying breakfast. "Ryū-chan, you wanted a chance to bury your father at sea. What better place than the island? That's where your father's friend is buried, remember?"

Ryūnosuke considered that for a moment as she stared at her plate. "Um, y-yeah, that's true! But why'd you ask Mendō to loan his helicopter to take us out there, Shinobu? I don't wanna be dependent on him . . .!"

"Oh, relax," Kimiki scolded. "Yes, that fellow does seem to be a tad over-possessive when it comes to the ladies he knows, but he is – or SHOULD be – an honourable man. And he is your friend and classmate. It'll be alright."

The tomboy flustered. "Well, if ya think so, Aunt Kimiki."

"Dad, do you think we can ask Father Cristobal to do a service for Ryū-chan's dad?" Shinobu wondered as she gazed on her father.

Toshoba sighed. "Well, I could call him . . . "

"Don't bother."

Shinobu spun on her friend. "Ryū-chan!"

Ryūnosuke smirked. "Oyaji wasn't a religious person, Shinobu. If he ever had anythin' like a religion, it was worshipping the sea. I don't think he'd like it if some priest, even if that priest's your friend, said prayers for him. He was a simple guy even if he dreamed of ways to make it rich, Shinobu." She closed her eyes. "I want him to go the same way."

The three members of the Miyake family gazed at her, understanding looks on their faces. "Well, we could ask Father Cristobal to offer some prayers to your father and Nagisa-chan on Sunday when we go to church," Kimiki moderated. "Anyhow, Dear, I think it's time you went to work." She stared knowingly at her husband.

Toshoba rolled up his newspaper. "Hai, hai."

Shinobu gazed at Ryūnosuke, and then at her parents. "We better get to the school. I promised to meet Mendō-san there by nine o'clock."

Ryūnosuke nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

* * *

Later . . .

They walked through the front gates of Tomobiki High. Ryūnosuke carried the urn bearing her father's ashes. Shinobu had a wrapped box in her hands. The Mendō Conglomerate's construction crews were hard at work rebuilding the school's northwest wing. Parked by the front door was a familiar command car. "Mendō-san!" Shinobu hailed, waving on recognising the person in the back seat. She then saw the young woman presently accompanying Mendō Shūtarō. "Oh, Asuka-san! Ohayō!" She forced a smile for Mizunokōji Asuka.

"Ohayō, Shinobu-san." Asuka's eyes sparkled with that eerie light as she bowed to her fiancé's old girlfriend. They then widened on seeing the person with her. "Ryūnosuke-oniisama!" she gushed, stepping out of the car. "Here, let me do that," she offered, her hands reaching out for the urn.

"Ah . . . O-oh!" Ryūnosuke nodded as she allowed Asuka to take the urn.

Asuka placed the urn in the shotgun seat. She then turned to embrace one of her "big brothers." "Onii-sama, I'm so sorry about your father and Nagisa-san," she said. "Are you sure you'll be alright with Shinobu-san's family?"

Ryūnosuke nodded as she reached up to give Asuka's hands a squeeze, grateful that Asuka hadn't squeezed too hard when she hugged her (as the younger Mizunokōji often did to her brother, Tobimaro). "Yeah, I'll be okay."

"You seem to be handling being in public a lot better," Shinobu noted.

"Hai, I am," the androphobic Asuka acknowledged with a smile as she pointed to the reading glasses covering her eyes. Seeing those, Shinobu and Ryūnosuke were quick to recall the "physical" the Tomobiki High principal forced on the students of his school just prior to when Ryūnosuke first met Shiowatari Nagisa. That exercise had forced everyone to break through the considerable anti-male defences at Asuka's school, Keppeki Girl's Junior High, to obtain a shūban armband from either Asuka or one of her schoolmates. Of course, with Moroboshi Ataru and Lum present, the whole "physical" soon turned into a running fight that nearly destroyed the school! "These glasses the Headmistress gave me have helped a lot. And a lot of my friends at Keppeki have helped, too. If any other man touches me, though . . . "

"Ya still freak out, right?" Ryūnosuke finished for her.

"Hai."

Shinobu and Ryūnosuke nodded. They realised another factor contributing to the containment of Asuka's phobia was the fact that Moroboshi Ataru had not pestered her over the previous two months. Thinking about that, Shinobu wondered what Asuka's reaction might be if she ran across Ataru these days. What would win: Superhuman strength or a thousand years of accumulated martial arts skills? Considering _that_, a shudder raced through Ataru's old girlfriend.

On second thought . . .!

Ryūnosuke then stared at Mendō. "I appreciate you doin' this for me, Mendō. Thanks." She gracefully bowed to him.

"It was my pleasure, Ryūnosuke-san." Mendō returned her bow before he shuddered, a flash of pain ripping through his head.

Shinobu reached for him. "Mendō-san, are you okay?"

"I . . . oh, g-gomen," he stuttered, nodding thanks as Asuka moved to support him. "I haven't fully recovered from Monday's events, it seems."

"Shit! You should'a stayed in bed, man!" Ryūnosuke protested.

"It's alright." He shook his head, and then he relaxed as Asuka touched his temple to massage his skin. "I won't stay away from this. At the same time, I . . . " He turned to the school. "I needed to see this, too."

They looked at the wreckage. "To believe something like _this_ happened," Shinobu lamented before turning to gazing at where the statue of Lum had once stood. Her eyes then widened on seeing that people had been by to lay flowers and pictures at the base. "Jesu Cristo . . . "

The others watched her walk over to take a look. Ryūnosuke followed. Asuka and Mendō exchanged a look, and then she helped him out of the car so they could join the others by the memorial. Gazing at the flowers and pictures, Shinobu knelt, clasping her hands in prayer. Gazing at the pictures placed there, Ryūnosuke sighed as Asuka and Mendō stopped beside her. There was no picture of either her father or Nagisa. No picture of Ataru's parents either. A single bouquet of flowers had been laid out before each of the Bodyguards' pictures. More flowers for the two other girls who died on Monday.

"At least they're happy now, I suspect," Mendō mused.

Ryūnosuke stared at him. "What d'you mean?"

"Satoshi-san, Hiroyuki-san, Kōsuke-san and Akira-san," the scion of Japan's richest family noted. Ryūnosuke and Shinobu gazed on him; it was the first time either had heard Mendō speak of any of the Stormtroopers by their given names. "They're with Lum-san in Heaven. Their devotion paid off."

"None of them should've died in the first place, Onii-sama," Asuka noted. She then stared quizzically at Ryūnosuke. "Ryūnosuke-oniisama, don't you have pictures of your father or Nagisa-san to put here?"

"Nah. Don't have nothin' recent of Oyaji and nothin' at all of Nagisa," Ryūnosuke admitted. She sighed as she gazed on the morning sky. "Then again, there might be somethin' on the island. We can check it out when we go there."

Shinobu rose, and then she crossed herself. "That's a good idea." She then gazed on the northwest wing. "A pity, isn't it?"

Mendō stared at her. "What is, Shinobu-san?"

"Alhamzi-san. We scream at what he did, yet to him . . . " She closed her eyes. "He felt he was doing the right thing. The PROPER thing . . . "

Ryūnosuke spun on her. "What the FUCK is so 'proper' about turnin' yourself inta some sorta smart bomb and killin' people?" she spat out.

"Don't be so surprised, Ryūnosuke-san. Not so long ago, we did the very same thing to the Americans," Mendō mused.

She turned on him. "The kamikaze, ya mean?" she asked. Seeing him nod, she then wryly smirked. "Yeah, ya gotta point there . . . "

"Ataru-kun's grandfather was a kamikaze pilot."

Eyes turned on Shinobu. "I didn't know that," Mendō admitted.

"It was on TV Tōkyō last night," she reported. "Yumoa-san told reporters about what happened between his grandmother and his mother and how it ended up with Ataru-kun suffering from selective amnesia for five years. He even talked a bit about that Negako woman and how she came into being. I . . . "

"Shinobu-san, do you really want to deal with him again?" Mendō asked. "After all, he clearly doesn't want to deal with you!"

She spun on him, eyes brimming with tears. "I HAVE to!"

Silence fell as they gazed on each other. Ryūnosuke then moved to moderate. "Look, let's drop this! Please?" she pleaded. "C'mon! Let's get to the chopper so we can get to the island and get it over with! Please?"

They stared on her. Both then flustered as they remember what actually brought them to school today. "Gomen, Ryū-chan," Shinobu apologised.

"I am also sorry, Ryūnosuke-san," Mendō added before he glanced to the blue skies overhead. "Indeed, since it seems to be a very clear day, why don't we leave now? We could make it to the island before noon."

The others nodded.

* * *

Promised Island . . .

A moan escaped from under the covers as a hand peeked out. It shifted the blankets back to reveal a weary-eyed Ataru. As he rubbed the bridge of his nose to get the sleep from his eyes, his arm brushed against something soft and feminine hidden under the blankets. He stopped, and then looked over, barely picking out locks of bright crimson hair sticking from under the blankets.

"Ranma . . .?" he whispered before pulling the covers away to reveal the transformed martial artist, still asleep. He was quick to note the dampness of her cheeks. A shudder shook him as the memory of last night's conversation came back. After telling her about events on Phentax Two, both had broken down and wept for the three billion misguided unfortunates ultimately killed by the insane dreams of a man named Ōgi ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh. After they recovered, Ataru decided to go to bed. Ranma stepped out of the room to let him sleep. But for the life of him, he had no idea when she came back, much less why.

"Ranma . . . " He stroked her nose. That made her stir. "'Morning."

"Hunn . . .?" She then smiled. "'Morning. Feel better?"

"Why'd you come back?"

"I felt you didn't want to be alone after what you told me last night," she admitted, sitting up – _Thank the heavens she's wearing pyjamas!_ Ataru mused – before she stretched herself. "Hope you didn't mind."

He blinked. "Did I mind? A lovely woman like you coming into MY room and spending the night with ME? Should I've minded?"

She acked. Then seeing a knowing grin cross his face, she gave him a glare. The door then opened, revealing Karen. "Onii-chan! Breakfast is ready," she announced before stopping as her eyes widened. Before Ranma could think of saying something, ANYTHING to explain what she was doing in Ataru's room, much less his BED, Karen smiled. "Oh, Onē-chan! There you are!" She blushed. "Breakfast is ready!" she then repeated her statement.

Ranma watched her go before staring at Ataru. "Are they normally like that?" she wondered as he stood up to stretch.

He shrugged. "You get used to them after a while."

"Aniki?" Rinrin peeked into the room, seemingly nonplussed on seeing Ranma in Ataru's bed. "Hi, Aneki! Aniki, the Plato-Mecha's ready. Reigi-san delivered their ashes to Jii-san. They'll be waiting for us at the dock."

Ranma waved. "Ah . . . 'm-morning, Rinrin-chan."

She left, to be replaced by Kaho in her cheerleader outfit, pom-poms in hand. "Onii-chama, Onē-chama, are you going outside to get some exercise?"

"Ah, not today, Kaho-chan," Ataru admitted, not noticing Ranma's flustered look. "Ranma and I aren't in the mood and we've got to get to the dock before noon if we're going to get back to the House before nightfall."

"Oh, that's too bad." Kaho smiled before stepping out.

And in came Shirayuki. "Ohayō gozaimasu desu no, Nii-sama, Nē-sama. Should Hime make one or two bentō for everyone today?"

"Make it two, plus extras just in case some of us gets an attack of the munchies," Ataru ordered as he glanced amusedly at Ranma.

The martial artist blushed. "Hai desu no!" Shirayuki acknowledged.

She left. Ranma then sighed. "So what else happens on 'normal' days here?" she asked as she slipped out of bed, moving to head out.

Ataru grinned. "What's 'normal?'"

* * *

Nerima, the Tendō home . . .

"Kasumi, have you seen Nabiki this morning?"

"Oh, Nabiki-chan's busy with Moroboshi-sensei right now, Father," Kasumi reported from the kitchen as Sōun relaxed in the living room.

The Tendō patriarch perked, looking over his newspaper. "Is Nabiki working to bring Ranma-kun back to the house?"

"I don't believe so," Kasumi admitted as she walked into the living room with a breakfast tray, placing it on the table before her father. "As a matter of fact, Ranma-kun is off with Ataru-kun for the remainder of the week. Ranma-kun told Nabiki-chan that he wouldn't be back until Sunday."

"Tadaima!" a voice called out.

"Akane-chan!" Kasumi gasped as Akane stepped inside. The youngest Tendō daughter's right arm was in a sling, a cast immobilizing her arm from under her armpit to her wrist. "Welcome back! How do you feel?"

"Hungry right now," Akane admitted. "They didn't give me much of a breakfast at the hospital before they let me go."

"Alright, then. I'll make something right away."

Kasumi headed back to the kitchen. Akane sat down, looking around. "So where's Oji-chan, Otō-chan? Did he finally decide to move out?"

Sōun stared tearfully at his daughter. "Akane, how can you say such a thing? Saotome-kun is a guest here . . . "

"Gee, some 'guest!'" Akane cut him off, and then she blinked on seeing Genma step in. "Oh, speak of the devil and you see his horns!"

"Akane!" Sōun burbled.

"Tendō-kun, we have a problem," Genma reported.

Sōun gazed on him. Noting the scowl crossing his friend's face, he nodded. Both walked out of the house. Akane watched them go, and then she turned to Kasumi as the eldest daughter stepped into the sitting room, a small breakfast tray in hand. "What's with them?" the youngest daughter asked.

Kasumi set the tray down. "Let's find out."

She led Akane upstairs into Nabiki's room. "Onē-chan, what are . . .?" the youngest asked before stopping as the eldest sat at Nabiki's work desk.

Kasumi opened one of the side drawers to reveal a tape recorder. Scanning the buttons, she tapped several before hooking the recorder into a speaker beside Nabiki's computer. Turning the volume low, she relaxed as Sōun and Genma's voices echoed from the speaker:

**SŌUN**: He can't do that!

**GENMA**: That old fart's going to do it, Tendō-kun! And Nodoka's helping him along! She's already filed divorce papers!

**SŌUN**: But what about the schools?

**GENMA**: Relax! As soon as we get the boy back to the house, I'll straighten him around, and THEN I'll make sure Nodoka won't be able to touch him! Once that happens, Asagaya won't be able to do a damned thing, especially if the boy doesn't go along with Nodoka's idea of having him renounce the Saotome name!

**SŌUN**: Then the schools can be united?

**GENMA**: Exactly! But first things first! We have to find that Moroboshi woman and make her remove whatever she did that made the boy hurt Akane! We can't get anywhere with bringing the schools together that if the boy ends up hurting your daughter if she cooks him another meal, Tendō-kun! Do you want that?

**SŌUN**: OF COURSE NOT!

**GENMA**: All right, then! You have to damn well lean on Nabiki to tell you where Moroboshi lives, then we'll deal with her together!

A pause.

**SŌUN**: Saotome-kun, there might be another way.

**GENMA**: What do you mean?

**SŌUN**: What if we transfer the engagement to Nabiki?

"What?" Akane hissed, and then she ducked as Kasumi shushed her.

**GENMA**: The boy HATES her, Tendō-kun!

**SŌUN**: Hai, true! But maybe, just maybe, that could change. I never told you this, Saotome-kun, but Nabiki always had the better skill in the Art. She was forced out of the dōjō because of an accident five years ago . . .

**GENMA**: So?

**SŌUN**: Genma, I saw Nabiki-chan come from the martial arts store with a _gi_ and _hakama_! That means she's prepared to go back into the dōjō! And if she's with Moroboshi and if that woman's as skilled as the Master says . . .!

Silence.

**GENMA**: She's helping Nabiki heal?

**SŌUN**: Yes! We ARE dealing with a being possessing a thousand years of martial arts knowledge! If we let that woman heal Nabiki, then I can get her into the dōjō and train her hard enough to make HER more attractive to Ranma-kun! You know your son will forgive anything, especially when it comes to people who practice the Art! Look how long he's tolerated Hibiki!

A low hum rumbled from Genma's lips. Kasumi shook her head before staring at Akane. The youngest Tendō daughter was shuddering, her face downcast as tears flowed. Kasumi reached over to draw Akane into an embrace.

**GENMA**: All right! If Nabiki gets back into shape, I'll consider moving the engagement to her. But what if Akane doesn't want it to happen?

**SŌUN**: I think after what happened on Tuesday, your son's made it clear that he won't put up with Akane-chan anymore. Much that I DID want it to happen between them, it's clear that Ranma-kun needs to start afresh. Besides, he's tired of the Kuonji girl and the China girl. And he doesn't want anything to do with the Kunō girl, if he EVER did! And Ranma-kun might be impressed when he sees Nabiki-chan show her passion for the Art, Saotome-kun. If he sees that, I'm SURE he will be willing to forgive what she did to him in the past!

**GENMA**: That good, eh?

**SŌUN**: Hai, that good!

Laughter echoed over the speakers.

**GENMA**: Well, you always were the optimistic one, Tendō-kun!

**SŌUN**: Hai, I was that, wasn't I?

More laughter.

**SŌUN**: Saotome-kun?

**GENMA**: What is it?

**SŌUN**: Why did you do what you did to Ranma-kun? Much that I've always known how devoted you were to teaching him, doing THAT . . .

A sigh.

**GENMA**: I had no choice, Tendō-kun! I . . .

Pause.

**GENMA**: When he was a child, his ability to learn things was phenomenal! He could walk before he was two, was speaking full sentences before he passed his third birthday and could read way past his age level before he turned four! But . . . the boy had no DISCIPLINE, Tendō-kun! He was TOO curious for his own good! Whatever crossed his path, he took TOTAL interest in! Try as I might, I couldn't force him to concentrate on the Art! Nodoka was a problem, too! That's why I had to take the boy away from her! But that STILL wasn't enough, so I had to find scrolls that allowed me to focus the boy's learning skills on the Art! And it WORKED! I WANTED him to be the best, Tendō-kun! And with the gods as my witness, I damn hell made sure he BECAME the best!

"I can't believe he's so blind," Kasumi whispered.

**SŌUN**: But still . . .

Another sigh.

**GENMA**: Sōun, it's like I've said all along! How could the boy have saved Akane from Saffron if he hadn't been forced to train himself as hard as he did in the Art? Yes, I missed out on some things that might've helped him deal better with other people! I admit it! But what do you want? Do you want a skilled fighter, the BEST fighter, for one of your daughters to marry or do you want to weep over your daughters' graves? Well?

**SŌUN**: I . . . yes, you're right, Genma! But maybe you should hold off on trying that again with Ranma-kun until he cools off. With what Moroboshi just did to him, if you try that on your son, he'll kill you!

**GENMA**: Feh! Don't worry about that, Sōun! That's why we'll have to go out and find that woman to make her UNDO what she did to the boy . . .

Kasumi clicked off the recorder. Setting everything to the way it was, she waved Akane out of Nabiki's room. They went to the elder daughter's room. "I don't believe it," Akane hissed. "He doesn't care a damned bit about what Ranma might want, what he thinks or feels! All he cares about is turning him into the perfect fighting machine to marry one of us! What's wrong with him?"

Kasumi sighed as she considered that point. "I don't know. It could be many things, Akane-chan. Pride, greed, ignorance . . . " She paused to take a breath. "Or maybe a combination of all three. Who knows? I . . . " She then smiled. "I'm glad that Father's trying to stick up for Ranma-kun."

"You call THAT 'sticking up' for Ranma?" Akane muttered.

The elder daughter nodded. "Hai, you have a point. But . . . " She paused to gaze on her sister. "Akane-chan?" she gently probed.

"I still love him, Onē-chan."

Kasumi sighed. "But does he love you now?"

Akane lowered her head. "I hope he does. I really hope he does," she whispered before staring at her sister. "So what do we do?"

"We wait until Nabiki comes back and tell her what happened," Kasumi said. "I want to know what Oji-san was talking about concerning Oba-san's relatives. I think we may have to talk to Negako-san about that, too."

Akane nodded.

* * *

Promised Island . . .

"Well, here they are, Ataru-kun."

Ataru blinked, gazing on the urns sitting on the Plato-Mecha's weather deck. Neither was marked. He took a breath, putting his ki-sensing ability under tight control to ensure he didn't learn which urn contained whose ashes. "Well, let's get these somewhere safe so the girls don't see them," he stated.

Ranma and Yumoa Reigi watched as Ataru placed the urns under a deckhead overhang topped with radar and sonar suites; they were several of the improvements Rinrin had just worked into her submersible. The overhang itself served as the frame for an airtight bubble canopy that created a special observation area whenever the Plato-Mecha was underwater. Complete with carpeted decks and several storage boxes lining both sides of the ship, it was connected to the main passenger compartment by a circular hatchway close to the open-air observation tower above the control cockpit. Drawing out a blanket from one of the storage boxes, Ataru draped that over the urns, and then he set everything in place to ensure the urns would not draw too much attention.

Watching him, Ranma turned to Reigi. "What do you think about this?"

Reigi shook his head. "A waste. Much that I can understand why Kinshō wanted the best for herself and Muchi, to do it THAT way . . . " He crossed his arms. "Back before Negako-san was taken out of Ataru-kun's head, we often used to get together as a family. Ataru, me, all of Oji-chan's wards. We were a happy family before that happened. Now, thanks to what Kinshō did . . . "

"Gotcha." She nodded before stepping onto the Plato-Mecha. "Ataru?"

He turned to her, sighing. "Let's get the girls!"

"Okay!"

* * *

"Ryūnosuke-shima" was the name chosen by Ataru, Lum, Shinobu and Mendō for the small isle, twenty kilometres east of Promised Island, where Shiowatari Nagisa and his father Shin set up their teashop. Nagisa had enthusiastically supported that; after all, he told Ryūnosuke, a "wife's" family had to give up her dowry to her "husband." That statement had earned a full-tsunami wail from Fujinami Fujimi, resulting in him flying on Air Ryūnosuke back to Tomobiki.

Ryūnosuke blinked as the memories of the day she met Nagisa flashed through her mind. She looked out the window as the Mendō Air Corps helicopter began its approach to the dot of sand named after her. A hand gently squeezed hers. She looked over to see Shinobu gazing warmly at her. Ryūnosuke blinked before giving her friend's hand a squeeze as the pilot flared his machine for landing. Dust whirled up around the helicopter, and then it settled as the engines were shut down. As soon as it appeared clear, a Kuromegane opened the doors, and then he helped Mendō step off. Everyone else disembarked under their own power. Asuka then moved to support her fiancé. "We will wait here, Young Master," the Ray-ban bespectacled bodyguard vowed as he bowed.

Mendō nodded. "Thank you."

The four teens made their way past the boarded-up shop to the other side of the island. Stepping onto the beach, Shinobu breathed in. She then blinked on seeing a hump of land in the distance to the southwest, it topped with what appeared to be a humanoid statue. "What's that?" she asked, pointing.

Ryūnosuke looked. "Ōmure-jima! Nagisa told me about that place."

"Do people live there?" Mendō wondered.

"Yeah, there's a small town on the north side of the island, closest to Odawara. About five thousand people, I think. Some of the fishermen from there came by here when Nagisa and his dad were running their teashop."

Mendō sighed. "I don't recall noticing that when we were last here."

Ryūnosuke shrugged. "Accordin' to Nagisa, the folks there tend ta be clannish. Can't stand it when 'mainlanders' visit. Well . . . " She looked at the urn bearing her father's ashes. "Might as well get this over with."

"Ryū-chan, do you want some help?" Shinobu wondered.

The tomboy smiled. "Nah, I'll be okay. Thanks."

She slipped off her shoes and socks before stepping towards the surf. Keeping her eye out for any foot-wounding obstacles like sea urchins and the like, she allowed the water of the Sagami Sea to wash over her feet. Taking a deep breath, she headed on, ignoring the fact that the water was now soaking her jeans. By the time the water got to mid-thigh level, she stopped before looking at the urn in her hands. A glance back revealed that she was twenty metres or so from shore. With that, she smirked, staring at the urn anew.

"You lost, Oyaji," she said as she opened the urn. "I'm a girl! And now there's nothin' you can do to change that, you dumb fool!"

She allowed seawater to flood the urn. Closing the lid, she wound up. A thought then came to her, making her place the urn on the seabed. Reaching to her top, she unbuttoned her shirt, reaching in to get at her sarashi. Undoing that, she gently pulled the cloth away from her body. She then used it to tie down the urn's lid. "There!" she declared with a grin as she picked up the urn, and then she wound up. "Off ya go, Oyaji! Enjoy your fuckin' drinking binges with Nagisa's dad for all I care!" With a fling that could have been surpassed only by Shinobu or Asuka, Ryūnosuke sent the urn into deep water. She remained still as the urn splash-landed some dozens of metres away. It sank, carrying with it the remains of a man who, so she believed, couldn't see reality with his own eyes. Ryūnosuke remained still as she gazed on the spot where the urn had landed. She then buttoned her shirt up before wading ashore.

Standing on the beach, Asuka stared quizzically at Shinobu. "Is Onii-sama going to be okay, Shinobu-san?" she wondered.

"I think so, Asuka-san." Shinobu then gazed heavenward. _Dear Lord, please, I beg You, don't be angry at her_, she silently prayed.

* * *

Some distance away . . .

"Well, it's a smoother ride now than last time!" Yotsuba admitted.

People on the Plato-Mecha laughed as Rinrin guided the submersible from the Island. It was doing a steady fifteen knots as it headed east towards several trenches in the seabed between the Island and the Miura Peninsula separating the Sagami Sea from the Uraga Passage and Tōkyō Bay. Relaxing on the observation tower, Aria, Kaho and Hinako watched a school of dolphins swim alongside the Plato-Mecha. Yotsuba stood by the ladder leading to the younger sisters' perch, snapping pictures of the cackling sea mammals with her camera. Chikage was opposite Yotsuba, gazing on her crystal ball as the wind gently shifted her hair. The other sisters relaxed around the overhang as Haruka prepared tea. Ranma was asleep, her head in Toshiko's lap as the latter gently stroked her template's hair. Kumiko was showing some basic Tàijíquán manoeuvres to Marie on the starboard side. Sakuya knelt beside Haruka, allowing Ataru to relax his head in her lap. "Yeah, sure is!" Mamoru gazed on Yotsuba. "Pity that Rinrin-chan couldn't make this thing go fast enough for water-skiing."

Karen giggled. "Is that all you can think about, Mamoru-chan?" she asked. "There's more to life than sports, you know!"

The athlete blinked. "There IS?"

Laughter echoed over the waves. Ataru opened his eyes. "Let her have her fun, Karen. Rinrin, how far are we from the first trench?"

"Twenty minutes, Aniki," Rinrin's voice echoed over a speaker overhead, which was clicked on so she could hear what was going on. "Good thing the sea's calm. We're making good time! Might do speed trials tomorrow."

"Hey, Rinrin-chan, next time you make a boat, make a speedboat, okay?" Mamoru called out as she lay down on the deck.

"Other projects come first, Mamoru-chan!" Rinrin retorted. "'Sides, you can buy a Jet-Ski if you're so hot to do some water-skiing!"

More laughter. Shirayuki stepped up from the main compartment. "Here's lunch!" the chef announced as she passed up bentō boxes.

Mamoru reached for one. "Oh, great! I'm starved!"

"Make sure I get one!" Rinrin called out.

"Hai desu no!" Shirayuki replied as she passed more up-deck.

"Rinrin, alter your course east-southeast."

Everyone stared at Chikage. Ataru sat up. "Something wrong?"

"Not really, but I believe you would want to avoid close contact with the people currently on Ryūnosuke-shima, Ani-kun," the sorceress reported.

"What island's that?" Rinrin demanded. "That's not on any charts!"

"It's the small island due south of Fujisawa, Rinrin-chan," Chikage stated. "Three kilometres off-shore. It's dead ahead of us now."

"Wait . . . " Rinrin called back as she looked at the readout on her surface-scan radar. "Okay, I got it now. Hey, Aniki, is that the island Fujinami Ryūnosuke's dad bought for 300 yen?"

"Yeah, that's the one." Ataru nodded as Haruka handed him a cup of tea. "Oh, thanks, Haruka-chan. Hey, Ranma, lunchtime!"

Instantly, Ranma sat up, looking around. "Lunch? Where?"

Everyone laughed. "Who's on that island, Chikage-chan?" Sakuya asked.

"Ryūnosuke-kun, Ani-kun's 'ex,' Mendō and his fiancée, plus a Kuromegane and a helicopter pilot," Chikage reported before she stared at Ataru. "I believe Ryūnosuke-kun has the same intentions towards her father's remains as you do towards your former parents' remains, Ani-kun."

Ataru sighed. "Oh, wonderful. Rinrin, go southeast! I'm not in any mood to deal with those dorkheads today!"

"Hai!" Rinrin called back.

* * *

Ryūnosuke-shima . . .

"Ryū-chan, you look wonderful!"

Ryūnosuke blushed as she gazed on a mirror inside the island's teashop. She was wearing a knit V-neck sweater over a white blouse, it over an ankle-length skirt. She wore a sports bra underneath her blouse; a half-dozen of those had been the first items of clothing Shinobu's family purchased for her in the wake of Monday's events. Wearing that in lieu of her sarashi, the tomboy's curvy figure was on display for all to see. "I do, don't I?" She flustered before gazing at Shinobu. "Dōmo, Shinobu! I really needed it."

Shinobu walked up to embrace her. "Hai, you did."

Ryūnosuke drew her in. Blinking, she turned her head to give her friend a kiss on the forehead. Shinobu froze, and then her eyes misted as she rested her head on her friend's shoulder. "I love you, Ryū-chan," she then admitted, closing her eyes. "I'm so glad you're free of that man."

Ryūnosuke nodded. "So am I."

"It's a pity Nagisa-chan couldn't have lived to see this day."

The tomboy nodded. "Yeah, I know. He deserved it as much as me. Well . . . " She closed her eyes as she gave her a hug. "Much that I know it ain't right to speak ill of the dead, but maybe Nagisa was livin' on borrowed time."

A hum escaped the other woman. "Maybe. So what are you going to do with this place? The island's in your name now, you know."

"Burn it."

Shinobu jolted. "What?" she gasped. "Why?"

"What do you think? For as long as I could remember, all he talked about was tryin' ta make Hamachaya work. At the same time, he kept harpin' on about how he was so proud that his 'son' was gonna take over the place when he died. Well guess what, Shinobu? I don't friggin' CARE about Hamachaya! As far as I'm concerned, this place and everythin' Oyaji had's gonna go up in smoke."

"Ryū-chan . . .!"

"No! This place is worthless, Shinobu. You know how much Oyaji 'paid' Nagisa's dad for it. And . . . " She paused. "I can't come back here anymore, Shinobu. I wanna put everythin' here outta my life once and for all!"

Shinobu stared at her friend, and then she nodded. "Alright. But let's do it right, okay?" She held up a finger before waving Ryūnosuke with her.

The tomboy followed her outside, where Mendō and Asuka were waiting. Seeing Ryūnosuke as she truly was meant to be, Asuka's eyes widened. She then lowered her eyes ashamedly, not wanting to insult her "big brother" by staring. Ryūnosuke was quick to notice. She then walked over to place her hands on Asuka's shoulders. "Hey, I tried to tell you the truth about me, Asuka!"

Asuka blinked. "But you wore a sarashi like Onii-sama does . . . "

Ryūnosuke thumbed in the direction of where she had buried her father. "That's 'cause my lunkhead dad wouldn't let me buy a bra."

The young heiress of the Mizunokōji sporting empire took that in before she bowed her head. "Gomen nasai," she apologised before leaning in to embrace the taller girl. "And you'll still be an 'Onii-sama' to me."

Ryūnosuke smiled, returning her embrace. "How about we make that 'Onē-chan' and I'll call it even, okay?"

Asuka nodded. "Hai, Onē-sama!"

The others smiled. "Mendō-san, we need a favour," Shinobu then said.

He turned to her. "Anything within my power, Shinobu-san."

* * *

Ten minutes later . . .

"Nii-ya! There's a fire!"

"Onii-tama! The whole island's on fire!"

Ataru bolted up, turning to look towards the observation tower. "What?"

He then automatically looked west towards Promised Island. Sakuya pointed northeast. "No, Onii-sama! Over here!"

Ataru turned to gaze where the eldest of the sisters was pointing. His eyes then widened. "What the hell . . .?" he muttered as he walked to the guard-rail before calling out, "Rinrin, what the hell's going on?"

"Not sure, but radar's picked up a helicopter near Ryūnosuke-shima," the inventor reported. "Nothing on any radio frequency."

He then noticed Chikage standing nearby, her crystal ball held out before her. "What's going on, Chikage-chan?"

"It appears Ryūnosuke-kun has decided to do just more than bury her father at sea," the sorceress reported. "She deliberately set the teashop on the island alight. I believe all her father's belongings were there."

"What little that abusive bastard had, you mean," Ataru muttered as he crossed his arms, turning to gaze towards the island in the distance. "Well, I could see her doing that, especially after what that moron did to her."

"That's still a fire hazard, Ataru," Ranma noted.

Ataru nodded. "Rinrin!"

"What is it, Aniki?"

"Call the Coast Guard!" he ordered. "Tell them there's a possible out-of-control fire on that island!"

"Right!"

Yotsuba thumbed the urns, both of them having been brought out on the deck in preparation to dump them in a trench. "What about them, Ani-chama?"

Ataru sighed before shaking his head. "Forget it!" he spat out. "Everyone, head below. Rinrin, get this thing ready to dive!"

"Okay!"

The others quickly picked up their belongings before heading below decks. In a minute, all that were left on the weather deck were Ataru and Ranma. "You okay?" the latter asked. "If they want to fight, we can take them."

She nodded towards Ryūnosuke-shima. He shook his head after considering the point. No doubt, Ranma suspected that once the call went into the Japan Coast Guard about the fire, Mendō might try to back-trace it to Rinrin, which could lead him right back to his old rival. "No, I'm not going to provoke something with those clowns anywhere close to them." He pointed down to indicate his sisters. "It's not fair to them, Ranma."

Ranma considered that before nodding. "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

Ten minutes later, the Plato-Mecha was underwater. The urns bearing the remains of Ataru's birth parents were dumped overboard before the submersible slipped below the waves. Since the Mendō helicopter didn't come equipped with anti-submarine warfare gear – a surprising omission in the clan's paramilitary capabilities given that several of the Conglomerate's widespread properties were on seashores – there was no way anyone on Ryūnosuke-shima could learn that anyone, much less Moroboshi Ataru, has been in the area.

Not that they had time to consider that.

Just as the Plato-Mecha was turning for Promised Island, a helicopter and three fast speedboats from the Coast Guard's Third Region intercepted the Mendō machine before it could have flown back to Tomobiki.

* * *

The Tendō home, later . . .

"That idiot . . . "

Akane scowled. "Tell me about it."

Nabiki stared at her sister before looking at the ceiling. She had come back to enjoy lunch. She sat at her work desk, having just listened to the recording Kasumi made earlier. Her sisters were relaxing on her bed. "What do you know about Auntie's relatives, Nabiki-chan?" Kasumi asked.

"Pretty rich, but that's going down some since a lot of their wealth's invested in real estate. That market's been VERY depressed as of late, especially here in Tōkyō," Nabiki reported. "Oba-chan herself has some choice bits of property in and around Tōkyō. She rents that to store and restaurant owners to generate income for herself. All in her name. No, Genma can't touch that. She also gets a stipend from her father to support her home. Reason why . . .?" She paused. "I'm not too sure, but I think it's to make her mind her own business. From what my friends have told me, the only relative she has any frequent contact with is her twin sister, Hisayo. Something tells me . . . "

"That her family didn't approve her marrying the panda?" Akane asked.

"That. More likely, I think Oba-chan got pregnant, then was forced into marrying Genma and thrown out of the house," Nabiki concluded. "The marriage date and Ranma's birthday are only six months apart."

"Oh!" The other sisters nodded understandingly, and then Kasumi asked, "Do you think you can talk to Moroboshi-sensei about it?"

"I'll do that tomorrow. By then, my arms should be back in gear and I'll start training in earnest." Nabiki pointed to her shoulder, and then she sighed as she gazed on Akane. "Akane-chan, I won't take him away from you."

Akane jolted. "But what about what Otō-chan said . . .?"

"Akane, I think that if Ranma-kun's going to marry anyone, he'll do it out of love, not because the panda tells him to do it," Nabiki warned. "That means you have a chance to get back in his good graces since he _did_ love you. Love can be rediscovered if it was there. If you don't pull any of the stunts you pulled before with him, you'll be okay in the long run."

The younger sister gave Nabiki a warning look. "Then you'll swear never to butt in on our relationship ever again?" she demanded.

"Don't need to do that anymore, especially with the money he has, plus what he gave us," Nabiki assured. "Besides, this is the crunch year. I have to start worrying about college even if Ranma-kun's pretty much paid for it."

"Tōdai?" Kasumi asked.

"Maybe. If I had the choice, I'd pick Harvard or one of the other Ivy League schools in the States. They have the better programs."

"You'll make it, Onē-chan!" Akane then leaned her chin on her raised knee. "I should start worrying about that, too."

"So should Ranma-kun," Kasumi mused.

"Oh, that'll be no problem," Nabiki noted. "Negako-san told me that once she's undone the damage the panda caused him, Ranma-kun will have no problem in the future when it comes to academic schooling. If he really goes hog-wild, he'll breeze right through the college entrance exams. Probably get a scholarship or two along the way. If he doesn't get that, hell, he could pay his way right through to a doctorate degree if he wanted to."

Akane shook her head. "That, I just HAVE to see."

Kasumi smiled. "Yes, it would be quite incredible to see, ne?"

The sisters laughed. Nabiki reached into her shirt pocket to draw out a cell phone. That was handed to Akane. Glancing around the room for a moment, Nabiki then pulled out a pad of Post-It notes and a pencil. She wrote down something, and then held it up for Akane to read:

**RANMA - DIAL #9**

Seeing that, Akane asked, "Why did you . . .?"

Nabiki ripped the note off, and then she crumpled it. "Umisen-ken."

Kasumi paled. "He wouldn't . . .!"

"Bets?"

The others considered that. "Call him tonight, when Otō-chan and the panda are off drinking, so they won't interfere," Nabiki advised.

Akane nodded. "Right."

* * *

Promised Island . . .

"Oh, so THAT'S how you do it! Damn!"

Rinrin laughed. "Yeah! Easy, eh?"

Ranma tapped the RETURN key to save her latest journal entry onto an ultra-high density diskette loaded into one of Rinrin's spare laptops. After returning to the Island from their boat trip to the area around Ryūnosuke-shima, Rinrin offered Ranma a chance to get her own laptop, an "Aneki Special" as the inventor called it. They haggled over it – Ranma didn't want to get a computer free of charge even if Rinrin liked making them – and then they settled on Ranma paying for the parts and Rinrin building it as a gift.

Ranma then made a startling – to Rinrin! – revelation: She didn't know the first thing about _using_ a computer! After all, as far as the heir of the Saotome-ryū understood these things, computers had no practical use in martial arts, either for training or fighting. Rinrin decided that would change. For the last six hours, they had been in Ranma's room learning the tricks of the trade. While doing that, Ranma had taken time to transcribe her personal journal onto diskette. "Sure is!" Ranma turned to Rinrin. "But how can I make sure that Oyaji or Nabiki can't get their hands on what's on the disk?"

"Well, your dad doesn't know anything about computers, right?"

"Yeah!"

"No problem. If he destroys the diskette, the information's lost. If he destroys the computer, same thing. I'm one of a few people in the country who uses that model of UHD diskette, though that can change. And if he comes after me to get the information, Aniki and Negako-aneki will deal with him then."

"Not to mention me," Ranma assured her.

Rinrin blushed. "Hai."

"What about Nabiki?"

"Well, all you have to do is secure your files under a special encryption lock when they're loaded into your hard drive. It's like the combination lock on a bank safe door. If you want to, erase and reformat the diskettes to make sure there're no spare copies of your diary around. That's easy to do. I write my own encryption programming and even the folks working for Reigi-san at Toranoseishin say they're impenetrable. Nabiki doesn't have access to one of the Cray supercomputers the Americans have, does she?" Rinrin asked.

"No, I don't think so. Then again, it actually wouldn't surprise me if she knew someone who did," Ranma ruefully mused.

"Well, if she tries to steal your computer, break her arms like you did to Akane." Rinrin chuckled, taking the diskette in Ranma's hand and slipping that into a protective container. "There. Now . . . "

A _beep!_ echoed from Ranma's slacks. Reaching in, she drew out a cell phone, flipping it open. "Moshi-moshi? Who's this?"

"Hi, Ranma. It's me."

Silence.

Ranma's voice went cold. "Akane-san, how did you get my number?"

"Um . . . " The youngest Tendō's voice trailed off as she sensed the sudden switch in Ranma's mood. She then coughed to clear her throat. "Negako-san programmed your number into a cell phone she gave Nabiki."

Hearing that, Ranma sighed. "Oh, wonderful. Now everyone knows . . . "

"That's not true!"

"Excuse me, Akane-san, but are we talking about the same Tendō Nabiki?"

"I know you don't trust her, but she knows when to control herself."

"Akane-san, if you're going to waste my time excusing your sister's pathetic behaviour and giving me an earache and headache along the way, this conversation ends now. What do you want?" Ranma demanded.

"R-r-Ranma . . .?" Akane stuttered.

Longer pause. "Well?" Ranma prodded.

"Ranma, you're being unreasonable!" Akane snapped.

"Too bad. YOU'VE been fuckin' unreasonable since the day YOU walked in on ME in the furo. Then YOU started calling me a pervert when I never did anything against you OR ANYONE ELSE! If you think I'm going to crawl back and let myself be your punching bag, you are VERY mistaken. Now what do you want? You've got five seconds." She held up a hand, turning her thumb in. "Four."

"Ranma, stop this!"

Down went the index finger. "Three."

"Why are you doing this . . .?"

Middle finger. "Two."

"Ranma, please . . .!"

Ring finger. "One."

"I LOVE YOU!"

Ranma jolted, her eyes widening in surprise at Akane's shout. She then sighed. "No you don't. Don't call me again."

She cut the connection before slipping the cell phone into her pocket. "Aneki, are you okay?" Rinrin gently prodded.

The martial artist blinked. "I'd like to be alone now."

"Okay."

* * *

Nerima, the Tendō home . . .

Hearing gentle sobs from her bedroom, Kasumi raced up to Akane's door, knocking. "Akane? Akane-chan, are you alright?" She knocked again, and then she opened the door to look inside. "Akane-chan . . .?"

The youngest Tendō was face-first on her bed, wailing. The cell phone was on the floor. Seeing how unstrung she was, Kasumi moved to comfort. "There, there, Akane-chan!" She drew her into a hug. "It's alright . . . "

"N-no, it's n-not alright, O-Onē-chan . . . " Akane moaned as she buried her face into Kasumi's shoulder. "He h-h-hates me . . . "

"What happened?"

Taking a deep breath, she repeated the conversation she just had with Ranma. Hearing her admit she screamed out "I love you" to Ranma elicited a smile from Kasumi. That instantly faded when she heard Akane repeat Ranma's reply. She then drooped her head on hearing Ranma's parting words to Akane.

"Oh, Akane . . . "

"Wh-what do I do n-now, Onē-chan?" Akane pleaded.

The elder sister shrugged. "I don't know."

* * *

Promised Island . . .

A knock was heard. "Come in!"

The door opened, revealing Ranma in pyjamas. Ataru stared at her. He then noted the neutral look on her face. "You okay?"

"I . . . " Ranma began before sighing. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

He took that in, and then he stood, walking over to place supportive hands on her shoulders. "What happened, Ranma?" he gently prodded.

"Oh, nothing much." She tried to smile. "Akane just called me. Negako gave Nabiki my number and she passed it on to Akane."

Hearing that, Ataru winced. "Ranma, I'm sorry . . . "

"Nah! Nah! It's okay." Ranma shook her head. "Look, can you ask Negako to make sure they don't have my number anymore?"

"Sure, I'll contact her right away."

* * *

The Tendō home . . .

"Oh, damn it, Akane! I'm sorry . . . "

Akane waved Nabiki down. "No, it's not your fault!"

She lifted a teacup. The sisters were sitting around the dining table. Kasumi sighed. "Maybe it'll be best for us to leave Ranma-kun be for a while."

"What about what Oba-chan's doing?" Akane asked. "He needs to know . . .!"

"He will be told."

The sisters spun to the main doorway. "Negako-san!" Nabiki gasped on recognising the newcomer. "What the hell are YOU doing here?"

Kasumi smiled. "Oh, Moroboshi-sensei! Please, come in!"

The elder sister then rose, heading into the kitchen to prepare some more tea for the ninjutsu grandmaster. Negako watched her before moving to sit beside Akane. She held out her hand. "Your cellular phone, Nabiki."

Nabiki sighed as she handed it over. "He asked you to do this?" she wondered as Negako flipped it open to tap controls.

"Through Ataru, she did. Did you write the number down?"

"No. No one else knows, not even Akane."

Negako handed the phone back. "You can control yourself if you give yourself a chance. That will serve you well in the future."

Akane gazed on the other woman. "Sensei?"

"Do not call me that, Akane," Negako ordered.

"Eh? B-but . . .!"

"Relax, Akane-chan. Negako-san told Hinako-sensei the same thing this morning when she came by to pick up Ataru-kun's student records," Nabiki said, and then she giggled on seeing Akane's reaction to Negako's order.

"I . . . " Akane stuttered.

"Why, Negako-san?"

Negako looked up as Kasumi stepped into the sitting room, a new tea tray in hand. As the eldest daughter prepared the tea, the ninjutsu grandmaster sighed. "Easily answered. In the eyes of That Force from which we all emerge at birth and will return to on our death, we are all, in the end, the same. In the face of that, such stratification as expressed by the use of titles like 'sensei' is ultimately worthless. Further, as history has shown time and time again, the social divisions between the 'haves' and 'have-nots' creates a level of friction that has led to things such as crime and war. Why propagate something which, in the long run, does more harm than good?"

The sisters gazed on her, intrigued by her explanation. "You are strong in your beliefs," Kasumi noted as she handed Negako a cup.

"And very direct in your dealings with others," Nabiki added.

"I have explained why. Also, I have had little 'positive' experience in dealing with others. Some might say it jaundiced me when it comes to dealing with others. I disagree. Most cloak themselves needlessly for some of the most curious, foolish, reasons. Pride, insecurity, selfishness, hatred, the desire to be seen as the most important . . . feh! Meaningless in the end."

Akane gazed on her. "You're a Taoist?"

"I could be described as that. The foundations of my family's Art are centred on Lǎozǐ's theories. It is a belief that eliminates the illusions those who seek that valueless chalice called 'power' blind themselves with, not to mention those who are the victims of the power-seekers themselves." A pause. "'Honour,' in the eyes of my family, is a concept which demands the truth first and foremost. Throughout the years, my family learned that Bushidō could not facilitate the promulgation of such truth. Hence, our Art is the art of the ninja, not the samurai. Light blinds people, especially if the light is shined into a person's eyes. Granted, there have been those samurai and other such 'gentry' throughout the history of Japan who have lived very exemplary lives. But, as you can easily guess, they are VERY few and far between."

Kasumi's eyebrow arched. "You reject our history?"

"No. My family rejects those who glorify the wrong lessons that history teaches. We also do not allow the 'glory' history presents us to blind us from the truth, like so many others seek to blind the new generation in school and elsewhere. I believe the reason Ataru and Ranma have become friends is that Ranma shares many of Ataru's beliefs. They have led emotionally harsh lives. They have been raised to believe certain things, then have come to realise those beliefs are based on lies perpetuated by those they once trusted."

"Yeah, I can see that," Nabiki mused. She then perked on hearing the faint sound of the front gate opening and closing. "Uh-oh . . . "

Kasumi sighed. "Oh, it's Otō-san and Oji-san."

Moaned singing wafted through the front doorway as two drunken men staggered inside. They quickly stopped on seeing the extra woman sitting at the table. "Eh . . .?" Sōun muttered. "Who's this, Kasumi?"

Kasumi grinned, ignoring the warning look from Nabiki and Akane's rolling eyes. "Why, Father, this is Moroboshi Negako!"

Silence.

Sōun went into Demon Head, that action making his daughters scramble away from the coffee table. "**_WHERE IS RANMA-KUN?_**"

Negako gazed dispassionately on the hideous, twisted creature floating before her. She then yawned. "Pathetic." She held up a finger, and then she dropped the boom. "Go to sleep, Sōun. **_SEISHIN RĒZĀ KŌSEN!_**"

A bolt of ki punched through the Demon Head, sending Sōun flying out of the house and into the koi pond. Nabiki whistled. "Wow!"

Growling, Genma lunged for Negako. Before he could grab her, she disappeared behind what the Tendō sisters instantly recognised as the Umisen-ken cloak. Genma slammed face-first into the floor. He then bolted back up. "WHERE ARE YOU?" he spat a torrent of alcohol-laden spittle from his mouth. "How dare you use MY technique against me, you stupid girl?"

"Once you taught her your 'sealed' techniques, it then became _Ranma's_ technique, Genma. She gave me permission to use it," Negako's voice drifted from every corner of the room. "Sufficient, but it can tolerate improvements."

Genma shuddered at the implied insult before he laughed. "Hah!"

He vanished under his own cloak. Nabiki paled. "Oh, shit . . .!"

"**_SEISHIN SHURIKEN ARASHI!_**"

A scream echoed from nowhere. Genma appeared near the door. Slamming into him were invisible bolts of ki. The Tendō sisters gaped in disbelief as the portly martial artist was blasted back by the invisible Psychic Shuriken Storm. He was then punched HARD in the gut. The force of the blow sent him flying into a koi pond just evacuated by a dazed Sōun. Only then did Negako reappear. Nabiki and Akane breathed out together. "Wow . . . "

Happōsai then appeared, returning from a late evening panty raid. "Tadaima!" the grandmaster yodelled as he bounced off Sōun's head, landing beside Negako as he dropped off his bag of delights. "Hello, Negako-chan. What brings you about this part of the neighbourhood tonight?" he hailed.

"Hello, Happy. Ranma asked me to ensure Nabiki could not spread her cellular phone number to every interested party in Nerima."

"Ah . . .!"

"'HAPPY?'"

Both gazed on Sōun. The Tendō patriarch was madly stammering, his finger waving from Negako to Happōsai to Negako and back. "Y-you . . . " he stuttered before turning on Happōsai. "Master, you're FRIENDS with her?"

Happōsai smirked. "Of course, boy! Don't you remember what I told you on Monday? We've run across each other many times over the last hundred years." He stared fondly at his fellow grandmaster. "Right, Negako-chan?"

"Quite correct," Negako confirmed. "Oh, Akane, come here."

Akane walked over. Negako turned, gently sliding the sling away from the younger Tendō's cast. She tapped several points on the plaster. Everyone gaped as it crumbled into dust. Akane winced as the gentle shift on her upper arm sent waves of pain from her shattered bone into her brain. Negako placed a hand on Akane's elbow, closing her eyes. A reddish aura then encased the grandmaster from head to toe as ki poured into Akane's body to mend the wrecked bone, tendon and muscle tissue. That effect lasted for a minute before the aura faded. Negako released Akane's arm. The younger Tendō gasped on sensing no real pain from her once-wounded extremity. Reaching tentatively to feel her upper arm bone, she jerked as a burst of discomfort surged through her. But it was clearly obvious that the bone was whole and intact.

"I . . . " she gasped, staring wide-eyed at Negako. "I . . .!"

Negako looked away. "Kasumi, make sure that, for the next three days, Akane consumes twice the amount of food she normally takes. This will help restore her ki levels to a more optimum state. If Kunō Tatewaki intends to re-initiate the 'Fight for Akane's Heart' on Monday morning, she will have to be in the best shape possible to deal with her would-be suitors."

"I . . . " The eldest daughter then nodded. "H-hai, Negako-san, I'll see to it right away. Does Akane-chan need specific foods?"

Negako turned to leave. "No. Standard diet will do her well. Nabiki, be at the house tomorrow morning at the usual time."

Nabiki nodded. "Right."

Negako then caught herself. "Oh, one more thing." She reached into her top to draw out a sealed package. "For you, Happy."

"What's this?" The aged grandmaster then saw through the clear plastic that the package contained a very frilly bra and panties. "For ME? Hot-cha!" He ripped it open to draw out the newest parts of his collection. "Oh, so soft . . . " He felt the silk on his skin, and then he tensed, his nose twitching. "Wait a minute." He took a sniff before his eyes misted over. "Ranma-chan."

"What . . .?" Sōun's jaw hit the patio. "No . . .!"

"Ranma-chan, you sweet darling!" Happōsai launched into his own mega-wail. "You are SO devoted to your poor, suffering master!" He rubbed his face into the bra and panties. "Oh, such a WONDERFUL present!"

"Toshiko and Kumiko promise their own gifts to you as soon as they can arrange for their delivery, Happy," Negako reported.

"Toshiko-chan and Kumiko-chan, too?" Happōsai jolted before screaming out through a megaphone, "**_I'M THE LUCKIEST MAN ALIVE!_**"

Shaking her head, Negako stepped towards the front gate. Along the way, she tapped her foot on the ground. That sent a ki pulse into the cherry tree overhanging the koi pond. A low-hanging branch broke away, dropping on Genma-panda's head. The transformed martial artist grunted before collapsing into an unmoving heap in the water. By the time the onlookers could have pulled their eyes away from that scene, Negako was gone. Akane whistled. "Wow . . .!"

Sōun dropped to his knees. "Oh, the schools will NEVER be joined now . . .!" he wailed, dousing his patio with tears.

His daughters ignored his weeping. Happōsai gazed on his old student. Then, feeling Ranma's silky gift against his cheek, he headed upstairs. "I'm going to spend some time with Ranma-chan's darling gift! Good night, ladies!"

He waved before bounding away. "Good night, Ojii-chan," Nabiki called out. As soon as the aged grandmaster had left, she snapped her fingers. "So THAT'S how Ranma-kun got Ojii-chan to play along with his last training trip!"

"Very smart thinking on Ranma-kun's part, ne?" Kasumi wondered.

"Got that right, Onē-chan."

Akane shook her head. "Ranma no baka."

* * *

Promised Island, the next morning . . .

"Eh? Onii-chan and Onē-chan are sleeping together?"

Yotsuba nodded. She was standing with Karen in the foyer near the door leading into the kitchen after dawn. "Checky! Yotsuba checked Ane-chama walk into Ani-chama's room last night and she ASKED if she could sleep with him!"

"She did?" Karen gasped, and then she started to quake with delight. "Oh, that's so WONDERFUL! Onii-chan and Onē-chan are falling in love!"

"I think Aneki's still falling OUT of love when it comes to her old 'fiancées.' She won't be able to do a damned thing with Aniki until that's finally settled," a voice then hailed from the stairs behind the other girls.

"Rinrin-chan, ohayō!" Karen smiled as she and Yotsuba watched the inventor come down. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Got a bit," Rinrin replied. "Finally got some molecular processors for Mecha-Rinrin, plus I'm getting parts together for Aneki's computer. I think I'll skip the trial with the Plato-Mecha. I'm not in the mood to sail around."

Karen beamed. "That's wonderful." The sisters knew some details about Rinrin's most ambitious project to date: To create an android replica of herself, one she called "Mecha-Rinrin Mark II." "How soon do you think you can hope to wake Mecha-Rinrin-chan up?" the pianist then asked.

Rinrin shook her head. "Not for a bit. I'm straying into serious unknown territory here, Karen-chan. Worrying constantly about that's going to get me nowhere with her fast. I'm kinda glad that I can do things like make Aneki's computer. If I concentrate too much on Mecha-Rinrin at any one time, I'll probably never be able to see her fully functional!"

The others nodded. Sakuya then stepped out of the dining room, heading for Ataru's bedroom door. Knocking, she called out, "Onii-sama? Onē-sama? Are you two awake? There's something you have to see, Onii-sama!"

"What's wrong?" Karen wondered as the others moved towards her.

Sakuya pointed to the dining room. "Go see the Rinrin Viewer."

The door opened, revealing Ataru, still in his pyjamas as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Oh, everyone, hi! What's wrong?"

Sakuya guided him into the dining room. "You have to see this."

The others followed, save Yotsuba, who slid up to the door to Ataru's room. Peeking in, she then gasped on seeing Ranma suddenly appear before her, an incensed look on the latter's face. Fortunately, the martial artist was in her pyjamas; she also just woke up. "Yotsuba, is it even _remotely_ possible that a person can do things in this place without you spying on them?" she grumbled before closing the door on the would-be detective's face.

Yotsuba sighed. "Ane-chama no baka!"

* * *

Ataru stood in the dining room, gazing on the Viewer. It was replaying a segment of NHK News. "We hope that in light of his actions on Monday after the school was destroyed, Ataru-kun would be there for the memorial service we plan for our loved ones today," Aisuru Rui was explaining to what appeared to be a conference. "We realise that, thanks to past misunderstandings provoked directly or indirectly because of that Oni . . . " – Ataru was quick to sense the outrage in Rui's voice on mentioning Lum – " . . . and her alien friends, Ataru-kun might not feel welcome in Tomobiki. That's wrong. We want him to know that, regardless of what happened in the past, his home is here . . . "

The screen then flicked to an image of Yumoa Reigi relaxing in his office. "So what's the real deal, Reigi-kun?" Ataru wondered.

"Believe it or not, the Tomobiki PTA _is_ serious about wanting you to come to the service," Reigi reported. "As are a lot of other people. Now, could that be some scam to draw you to Tomobiki so Mendō or someone else can come after you? I'd say the chances are slim to nil. There's the threat of it going public, right in front of the media. And after the lack of sympathy shown by the world media after Monday's bombing, that you would be set up for something like THAT wouldn't go down, especially among those who probably said 'good riddance' when Lum and her friends were kicked off the planet."

Everyone turned to Ataru. He considered that before shaking his head. "No. I have no reason to go to that service. I don't want to show any sympathy for Ryūnosuke's old man. I ESPECIALLY don't want to show sympathy for Megane and his goofs. I hardly knew Nagisa, much less Himiko and Mikiko. Look, Reigi, if someone asks, tell them that while I was happy to help out on Monday, the fact that I really didn't know or actually HATED the people who died that day – plus the fact that I wouldn't these days trust anyone living in Tomobiki more than I can throw them to the Moon – made me stay away. And if they got a problem with that, that's just too damned bad . . . "

A hand fell on his shoulder. "Onii-sama, there's something you CAN do," Sakuya said before whispering her suggestion into his ear.

Ataru blinked. "You think so?"

She nodded. "It's the right thing to do."

He considered that before sighing. "Oh, alright."

"You want me to change that statement?" Reigi asked.

"Keep it the same. Sakuya, Chikage and I are gonna visit the Kawamura and Serizawa homes after the memorial is done and they're home." He then looked over to the pianist. "Karen-chan, can you contact the flower shop on Second Street to get two memorial bouquets made up right away?"

Karen nodded. "I'll call them now."

She headed out. Ranma came into the room. "Hey, what's going on here anyway?" She then noted who was calling them. "Oh, hi, Reigi-san!"

"Ohayō, Ranma-san. Oh, I just remembered!" The financier held up a finger to emphasise his point. "Your mother's initiated divorce proceedings against your father. I suspect that sometime soon, she'll learn of what Tampopo-san did to make sure you could work during your last training trip."

Ranma considered that before shrugging. "Oh, that's nice."

"Aneki, aren't you worried?" Rinrin asked.

"About Ofukuro and Oyaji? Not really." Ranma shook her head. "I'm just tired of them pretending I don't really exist, Rinrin-chan. If they want to break up and go their separate ways, that's okay by me."

"Um, Ranma-san, there's a bit of a problem," Reigi warned.

"Being?"

Reigi sighed. "There are more players involved. Grandmaster Negako warned me about this yesterday. It seems your mother's relatives are looking with envious eyes at your martial arts skills. They're hoping to take control of them and they're planning to hook you in by offering you the chance to use their family name as a way to dissolve your engagements. Grandmaster Happōsai is aware of this now and we can pass it on to Elder Cologne if you want."

Ranma took that in. "And their feelings for me?"

"Questionable at best."

Rinrin scowled. "Another family of total jerks, you mean."

Sakuya shook her head. "Oh, delightful."

"Slam their faces into the dung heap for all I care, Reigi-san," Ranma stated with a sneer before turning to head out. "I'm gonna visit Toshiko and Kumiko at their cottage this morning if anyone's interested in finding me."

"And if someone seeks to challenge you, Ane-kun?"

Ranma acked, stunned to see Chikage standing by the doorway. Seeing the panicked look on the martial artist's face at the sorceress' appearance, the others laughed. Taking a moment to compose herself, Ranma then considered what Chikage just asked before she shrugged. "Hell, I'll punt the jerks into the sea if I have to. Toshiko and Kumiko can help if they're close by. Don't worry about it." She waved at them as she turned to leave. "Later, all!"

Ataru waved as she headed out. "Have fun, Ranma."

* * *

Sakuya peeked into Hinako's room. "Hinako-chan, are you here?" She then saw the youngest sister snuggled against Kuma-san, asleep. "Hey, sleepy-head! It's time to get up!" Sakuya hailed as she walked in to gently jostle Hinako.

"Huh . . .?" Hinako sat up, looking quizzically around the room before she focused on Sakuya. "Oh, Sakuya-chan! What's wrong . . .?"

Sakuya smiled. "I need a favour from you and Kaho-chan, Hinako-chan. It's something special for Onii-sama and Onē-sama!"

Hinako blinked. "What's that?"

* * *

Nerima . . .

"The Tenchiaiki Jūkazoku?"

Nodoka's lawyer, Nishiki Maya, nodded. "Hai."

Also present in the office, located in downtown Nerima some blocks from the main train station, was Nodoka's twin sister Asagaya Hisayo. Despite their matching looks, there was a world of difference between them. That was as readily apparent as their clothing. Nodoka had come to this day's meeting in her usual kimono, the Saotome honour sword cradled in her arms. Hisayo was dressed in a conservative business suit, a briefcase by her feet.

"What exactly ARE the Tenchiaiki Jūkazoku, Maya-san?" Hisayo asked.

"They're ten families who, to this day, feel themselves solely answerable to the Imperial Household," Maya explained as she sat back in her chair. "Their traditional task was to locate and aid those people who, for whatever reason, were abandoned or exiled from their families or communities. It is a task they take with grave seriousness, Hisayo-san. And it is a task that they have carried out faithfully for the past 1,300 years."

"Thirteen hundred years?" Hisayo gasped. After exchanging a look with Nodoka, she then asked, "Then why hasn't this ever appeared in a history book?"

"Why?" Maya chuckled. "Could you imagine what could happen if . . .?" She paused as she considered what to say before carrying on, "If people learned that there are those out there in society who had burakumin ancestry? And yet those people had ALL clues to that ancestry wiped out. Then were given a new identity – a virtual clean slate! – to carry on their lives? And no matter how much people would suspect the truth, they could never produce the proof because all records of same had been wiped off the face of the Earth?"

Nodoka shook her head. "That's illegal!"

"Oh? Does that make persecuting burakumin legal?" Maya wondered.

"It's been done for years!" Nodoka stated.

"So has this."

Silence fell as Ranma's mother considered that. She then asked, "Why does this happen, Maya-san? Why is this allowed?"

Maya sighed. "Nodoka-san, under Article 14 of the Constitution, it is against the law for anyone to discriminate against a citizen of Japan, to deny him or her rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, without due process of law. Article 13 of the Constitution states that citizens of Japan have the right to the pursuit of happiness. In effect, those who discriminate against people because of burakumin ancestry, for example, ARE breaking the basic law of Japan. However, we don't DO anything about it because our society is more comfortable with keeping to old traditions. One of which is to not 'rock the boat' and legislate against those traditions." She shrugged. "The Jūkazoku seek to redress problems like that to the benefit of the victims."

"In other words, they keep a balance," Hisayo finished.

"Exactly."

"These families only respond to the Imperial Household Agency?" Nodoka demanded. "To the Emperor himself? Not the Diet or the Prime Minister?"

"Exactly. As you are aware, there are those families who, back in the old days, never prostrated before the Shōgun, but swore loyalty to the Emperor. The Jūkazoku are part of that group. And because of that, they're given a lot of leeway when it comes to unique situations . . . " Maya held up a finger in a shushing motion. "As long as they handle it with discretion."

Hisayo nodded. "That seems logical."

"And my son is now under the protection of one of these families?" Nodoka pressed. "And has been for the last month?"

Maya nodded. "Yes. An independent agent of the Jūkazoku learned of your son's problems and concluded that Ranma needed some outside help to put his life in order. The specific charge brought up was the possibility that your son has suffered from child abuse, child neglect and practical spousal abuse. She arranged to have the people who've interacted with Ranma – yes, Nodoka-san, including you – investigated to either prove or disprove those charges. Once that is done and a case is made, it will then go before the Court of Special Appeals. That's a branch of the Imperial Household Agency, with power that equals the Supreme Court only in family matters such as this. If the judge decides the charges are true, you and your husband BOTH will lose custody of Ranma. All agreements made by either of you on Ranma's behalf will have no legal standing. You could not threaten Ranma with disowning him. If he wants to keep the Saotome name, he would have that power. It will be as if he was starting a new clan, free from any influence from either you or your husband."

Hisayo whistled. "That's incredible!"

Maya nodded. "Yes, it is. After that is done, Ranma could, if he so chose, ally himself with one of the Jūkazoku families. In fact, I can tell you now that one such family has taken considerable interest in him."

"Which one is that?" Nodoka wondered.

"The Moroboshi family of Sendai and Wakkanai."

Nodoka blinked. "Are they related to Moroboshi Ataru?"

"Ataru-san is the Patriarch-in-Waiting of that family, Nodoka-san," Maya warned. "When he becomes of age, he becomes the Patriarch. His half-sister, Sukeyama Sakuya, is the current Matriarch-in-Waiting. When she becomes of age, she will become leader of the clan. And by her word ALONE, Ranma could be adopted into the Moroboshi Clan. And if he wanted to stay as 'Saotome Ranma,' he could. No one could stop it at that point. Not you and not Genma."

Nodoka took that in before sinking back in her chair. "Gods . . . "

Maya nodded. "Yes."

"What are my sister's options right now?" Hisayo asked.

"Very limited, Hisayo-san. Even under a normal family court, Nodoka-san could easily be accused of wilful child abandonment, if not collusion to child abuse. The seppuku agreement Genma forced Ranma to acknowledge would be seen as the ultimate proof of your negligence towards your own child, Nodoka-san." She gazed at her client. "In that case, you or Genma could strike Ranma from your family register and the normal courts would have to acknowledge that. But with the Moroboshi family and the power of the Jūkazoku behind him, plus the threat of facing the Court of Special Appeals?" She shook her head. "Impossible."

Nodoka considered that before taking a breath. "That there is a family willing to help my son come through this time in his life . . . " A pause. "It makes me very happy, Maya-san. I want my son to have a good life, a happy life. But . . . " She bowed her eyes. "To be implicated as one who allowed her own son, her own flesh-and-blood, to be hurt . . .?"

"People have different opinions about everything under the sun, Nodoka-san," Maya warned. "I know you would never think of intentionally hurting your child. But clearly, Ranma has a different viewpoint of what place – if any! – you have in his life. My advice is this: Seek your divorce from Genma. Then when he's out of the way, try to fully reconcile with Ranma. Most of all, Nodoka-san, forget this whole idea of having him adopt your maiden name. I don't think he'll accept that sort of thing. Clearly, from what you've told me of what he's done in the last four weeks, he wishes to live the remainder of his life as 'Saotome Ranma.' Now he has the ability to do just that, Nodoka-san. Don't try to take it away from him. It's his life. Let him live it."

Nodoka considered that before nodding.

* * *

Promised Island . . .

_Oh, man! How the heck did I get on an island?_

A panting black piglet with a tiger-striped bandanna wrapped around his neck took a careful view of the countryside. His perch was the highest point on Promised Island: The top of the statue at the apex of Stargazer Park. Ryōga's backpack and clothes, the latter tied around the straps so he didn't lose them, rested by the statue's base. _Where the hell am I?_ the wanderer wondered as he took in the view. _And how the hell do I get back to Nerima?_

"Hey! Who dropped all this?"

P-chan looked to see a teenage girl balancing herself on inline skates standing beside his pack. Squealing, the piglet bounded off the statue, making a four-point landing near the pack. The girl gazed at him before her eyes went wide. "Hey, you're Hibiki Ryōga, right?" She pointed at him, skating over to scoop him up. "What the heck are you doin' here on Promised Island?"

P-chan's eyes widened. "Bweep?" _How do you know who I am?_

Sensing his meaning, Mamoru chuckled, sliding over to scoop his backpack. Seeing her lift that – which had his umbrella stowed on it – without any sort of struggle, Ryōga grunted in approval. Very few could lift his pack with one hand, especially when you included the umbrella. "My big brother told us about you. He's Moroboshi Ataru," Mamoru explained as she skated towards Fifth Street, the inner of the "ring" roads circling part of the island.

Hearing that name, Ryōga jolted before emitting a tired "Bweep!" _Moroboshi Ataru?_ he grumbled as dark thoughts flashed through his mind, and then he gazed upon Mamoru. _Your big brother? Oh, man! I pity you!_

"Fortunately, you're in luck," Mamoru announced as she curved around a corner, taking a path towards the southwest side. "Anē – Saotome Ranma, I mean – well, she's on the Island with her sisters. I'll take you to 'em now."

He jolted on hearing Ranma's name. Then his eyes went wide as two unfamiliar concepts Mamoru mentioned rolled through his mind . . .

First: Why was this girl calling Ranma "big sister?"

Second: When did Ranma supposedly GET sisters?

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed Mamoru skating towards what appeared to be a cliff. "Hang on tight, Hibiki-san!" the athlete warned as she bounded up at the last minute, angling herself toward the patio of a seashore cottage some metres below, with the sea stretched out beyond.

" . . .!"

Mamoru tossed his pack and umbrella in the air before landing on one leg. Dropping P-chan to the deck, she shifted onto the other leg as the pack landed in her outstretched arms. Mamoru then skidded to a halt by the edge of the patio before gently gliding back to stop before the transformed Ryōga, and then she gave him a curtsey. "Here we are!" she announced.

P-chan tried not to sway too much as his mind rolled through what he just experienced. _Oh, man! She's got LOADS of potential . . .!_ he managed to think before gloved hands picked him up. He was turned to gaze into an ultra-cute smiling face framed by platinum blonde hair topped with a frilly headband, her face pierced by sparkling purplish-blue eyes. "Bweee . . .?"

"Ah!" the girl gushed, moving to playfully rub her nose against P-chan's snout. "Bubu-san! Aria likes Bubu-san very much."

The transformed Ryōga's eyes went wide. _'Bubu-san?'_ He tried not to moan. _Oh, man! That's even worse than being called 'P-chan!'_

"Um, Aria-chan, that's Anē's," Mamoru warned.

Aria gazed on her. "Bubu-san is Nee-ya's pet, Mamoru-chan?"

"Um, y-y-yeah." The athlete flustered, wishing to hell that the young Parisian could handle the whole concept of Jusenkyō curses. That didn't mention, of course, the fact that Ryōga would be in his birthday suit if hot water was applied to him at this time. There was NO WAY that Guenevere would allow her ward to be subjected to THAT! "Let me hang onto him." She lifted P-chan from Aria's grasp. "Anē and Toshiko-san should be back from the convenience store soon, so I'll give him to her then, okay?"

"Alright." Aria nodded, turning to leave. "Bye-bye, Bubu-san." She waved at the transformed Ryōga, and then she opened her umbrella as she headed up the rock stairs to the path leading back to Welcome House.

P-chan gave her a squeal in return before looking at Mamoru. The athlete remained in place until Aria was out of earshot. "Sorry about that, but Aria-chan there freaked out when Anē transformed back into a guy right in front of her. 'Sides, we really gotta get your clothes washed, Hibiki-san. Let's go in." Picking up his pack, she skated into the living room. "Tadaima!"

"Mamoru-chan, ohayō!" a voice that sounded exactly like Ranma's as a girl hailed from the kitchen. A second later, a raven-haired girl who – save for hair colour and a different, more tomboyish, hairstyle – looked EXACTLY like Ranma as a girl, stepped into the living room. She was in a white, strapless, thigh-high dress that left utterly NOTHING to the imagination. "What have you . . .?" She then noticed the pack. On seeing the piglet in Mamoru's other hand, she squealed, "Oh, Hibiki-san! What are you doing here?"

Ryōga's eyes went wide as this doppelgänger of Ranma leaned down to gaze at him, giving him a perfect view of her cleavage. "Not too sure yet!" Mamoru chuckled, not noticing the trickle of blood leaking from Ryōga's snout. "I found him up atop the statue in Stargazer Park, then brought him here. Mind if I clean out his pack and put his clothes through the wash? They need it!"

"Oh, I'll do that, Mamoru-chan." Kumiko held out her hands. "I've wanted the chance to meet Hibiki-san ever since Toshiko told me of the times she stole kisses from him after she got out of the mirror."

Mamoru handed the pack and P-chan over. "Sure thing."

_'Mirror?'_ P-chan perked as he glanced up at Kumiko. _Wait a sec' . . .! Akane told me something about that once . . .!_

Mamoru turned to leave. "Nice ta meetcha, Hibiki-san. See ya!"

The athlete headed out. Kumiko sighed before she looked down on the transformed Ryōga. "Well, let's get you to the washroom so you can get back to normal again, then we'll worry about your laundry," she then announced.

Kumiko carried P-chan into the bathroom. Ryōga was surprised to see that, for a cottage, this place had a furo as well as a shower stall. Setting him on the floor, Kumiko put the pack aside before proceeding to fill and warm the furo. "Let me see if I can salvage some clean clothes from your pack." The raven-haired woman winked before carrying the pack out of the room.

P-chan remained in place, his mind whirling in confusion as he tried to put together this insane puzzle he had just got dropped into. All questions about Moroboshi Ataru and his very athletic sister – Or should he have said "sisters?" After all, Mamoru and Aria DID seem pretty close! – were set aside as he tried to figure out where that raven-haired near-twin of Ranma came from. And what the heck did a mirror – _Oh, what DID Akane say about that?_ he mentally roiled – had to do with some girl named "Toshiko?"

"Ah, Ryōga-sama! What are you doing here?"

Ryōga looked to see a red-haired Kumiko standing at the doorway to the bathroom. She was dressed in a black version of Kumiko's dress, groceries in hand. "Oh, did you just come back, Toshiko?" Kumiko hailed. "Where's Ranma?"

"She'll be here soon," the redhead replied. "Mamoru-chan wanted to talk to her. You warming up the furo for Ryōga-sama?"

"Hai!"

"Okay!" Toshiko purred. "Be back in a moment, Ryōga-sama." She winked as she stepped out, her free hand hiking up her skirt a ways, revealing to the transformed wanderer that she had a thong on under the dress.

Ryōga blinked. His eyes then went suddenly wide as it finally clicked in. Oh, no! No! NO! It was HER! That crazy, lovesick, magic mirror-replica of Ranma's female half who kissed him in a park in Nerima one day. What the HELL was she doing here? Akane said that Nabiki was going to get rid of her when the chance finally came! What the hell went wrong . . .?

"Ryōga-sama?"

He looked before squealing on seeing Toshiko standing at the doorway, now only in her thong – and no bra to cover those . . .!

Those . . .!

Those . . .

Oh, no!

NOW he was noticing how beautiful Ranma's female form was?

P-chan's heart hammered like a thunderstorm in his brain as the smiling seductress walked up to scoop him into her hands. Lifting him to eye-level, she bestowed a tender kiss on his snout. That kiss overwhelmed him, his eyes rolling into his head as the strength in his body failed . . .

* * *

"Huh . . . where am I . . .?"

Ryōga's eyes fluttered as he found himself staring at a strange ceiling, a fan whirling overhead. The wetness encompassing him from chest down seemed a relief. Well, it was hot water and he was human! Looking around, he jolted on recognising the room he was in. Before he could determine a path of escape, a voice called out, "You okay? The girls didn't freak you out, did they?"

He turned to see Ranma soaping herself in the shower stall. Seeing her hair was mid-back length – he remembered that Toshiko and Kumiko had their hair cut to a taper at the middle of the neck – he relaxed before jolting on realising something else. Something that sent chills down his back.

Ranma was bathing in HOT water.

And she was not a man.

His jaw dropped in shock. "Ranma . . . "

Ranma blinked, staring at him for a moment before turning back to her ablutions. "I'm locked for the time being as a girl," she explained. "You met Aria-chan when Mamoru-chan brought you here, right?" On seeing the wanderer hesitantly nod, she continued, "Aria-chan's got a big enough problem seeing me turn into a guy, so Ataru's elder sister Negako locked me as a girl while I'm with them. That's why Mamoru-chan told Aria-chan you were my pet. You didn't want to end up changing in front of her, did you?"

"I . . . " Ryōga blinked before shaking his head. "No, of course not! I . . .!" Here, he paused, and then he peered intently at Ranma. "Wait a second! How many sisters does Moroboshi have in the first place?"

Ranma sprayed herself down before shutting off the shower. "Thirteen. Twelve half-sisters, including Mamoru and Aria. Same dad but different moms. Then there's Negako. She's adopted. The best martial artist I've ever met, even better than Jijii or Elder Kělún COMBINED! I'm YEARS behind someone like her!" She stepped out of the stall. Checking herself in the mirror to ensure she had no suds on her, she moved to step into the furo. "Shove over, Ryōga." She sat down to relax. "Aaah, that feels so good!" she then breathed out.

Ryōga blinked, his mind whirling over those facts. He then pointed to the doorway. "What about those mirror-clones of yours?"

"I didn't like the idea of Nabiki putting them back in that mirror, so Jijii and I busted them out, then we sent them on their way . . . "

"Wait! Wait!" the wanderer cut her off. "Go back a bit! You said that some sister of MOROBOSHI ATARU of all people . . . "

Ranma nodded as a headache started to arc through her brain. "Yeah."

"Whom YOU say happens to be a better martial artist than Cologne AND Happōsai – not to mention YOU of all people acknowledging she is supposedly BETTER than YOU! – just waves her hand and you're frozen as a girl . . .!"

Tendons spasmed. "She used leftover energy from the Chiisui-ton . . . "

"**_AND YOU DON'T EVEN CARE!_**" Ryōga shrieked, frantically waving his hands. "What the HELL else did sh- . . .?"

Ranma spun on him, her battle aura instantly flaring as she loomed over her friend/rival. "**_OH, SO I'M SUPPOSED TO SAY 'NO' AND FRIGHTEN A TEN YEAR-OLD GIRL TO _DEATH_, AM I?_**" Before Ryōga could try to conceive of what to do or say next, Ranma made a dismissive wave with her hand as she sat back in the hot water. "Hell, you'd probably WANT me to do that to prove how much of an 'honourless, selfish, cheating bastard' I am, like you've accused me of being ever since we were in junior high fighting over bread at lunchtime!" She passed him a snide glare that made Ryōga wilt. "I apologise for presuming I have the right to attempt to redeem myself in your eyes, Hibiki-san."

A waterfall of scorn echoed every word she spoke. Silence then fell as Ranma sank herself into the furo water, water than no longer seemed warm to the man sitting beside her. Ryōga remained frozen in place as he tried to figure out what the heck was happening with the transformed martial artist beside him. Quickly realising that in this instance, his usual approach to dealing with Ranma was not going to produce any tangible results, the wanderer sighed.

"Sorry."

Ranma perked before she leaned against the rim of the furo. "'S okay."

"Still . . . I mean, you letting someone freeze you as a girl . . .!"

"It's not me? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Well, y-yeah!" He nodded, pointing to the bathroom door. "Besides, how the heck can you trust MOROBOSHI ATARU of all people? Much less any relative of his? Don't you realise what sort of guy he is, for Heaven's sake . . .?"

Ranma sighed before staring impatiently at Ryōga. "Don't tell me you're still angry at him because he smelt your curse out at first glance, then used it against you before you could've started a fight with me on Sunday morning?"

"**_HE THREATENED TO KILL ME! HOW ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO REACT?_**"

"Oh, so he was supposed to just stand there like a dumb tree and let you wreck his friend's restaurant just because YOU were peeved at ME? And by the way, Ryōga, the person who owns that restaurant happens to be MY friend, too!"

Ryōga jolted at Ranma's retort. He then moved to retaliate before stopping. "What friend are you talking about?" he demanded.

Ranma sighed. "How do you think I've been earning all that money these last few weeks?" she wondered. "I've been off modelling from here to Korea to Hong Kong to Singapore and everywhere in-between to get some independence in my life! Tampopo-chan – she's the one who owns the restaurant you nearly tried to trash on Sunday – arranged it! She's one of the few friends I've got! And I'll be DAMNED to the lowest pit in Hell if I'm going to allow you or anyone else to take that friend away from me!" She then shrugged, turning away from the wanderer. "Oh, forgive me! I forgot! Saotome Ranma's not supposed to HAVE friends!" A snide grimace crossed her face. "All he's supposed to have are selfish fiancées, self-centred rivals and no sense of peace whatsoever!"

Silence. Ryōga stared wide-eyed at Ranma, stunned that he had just heard THAT come out of his friend's/rival's mouth. The wanderer slowly turned away, his gaze focusing inward for a moment as his mind whirled through what Ranma just said. He then glanced once again on her, his voice surprisingly subdued. "Um . . .! Ah, so . . . this friend of yours helped you get all that money that you gave to Kasumi and Nabiki, right?" Seeing her slowly nod, he then asked, "So what was all that money for, anyway? I mean . . . "

"It was to pay back the hospitality they extended to me since I arrived at the dōjō, plus give them a chance to get out of that place and get on with their lives without that pimp they call a father trying to stop them," she neutrally replied. "There's enough money in the account to even give a tidy sum to Akane-san should Nabiki choose to do so. All I asked of Nabiki was to ensure that Sōun never gets his hands on any of it, even if it is to just repair their dōjō from the wedding." A pause. "Before you ask, I've also paid back Ukyō-san and Shānpú for all the free meals they've given to me since they first came to Nerima. And I think you know about Ukyō-san's yatai."

"Er . . . y-yeah, I do know about th-that!" he sputtered before taking a deep breath. "Ranma, look! Even if he was looking out for his friend's establishment and all that, how the heck can you trust a guy like Moroboshi Ataru, much less a sister of his . . .?"

"Do you know how old Negako is?"

"Eh?"

"Eight hundred years, give or take a few decades."

Silence.

"'Eight hundred years?'" Ryōga eeped, his jaw dropping into the furo.

"Yes. And for over 600 of those years, all Negako could claim to be was a slave. Nothing more than a databank of martial arts knowledge that was shuttled from one grandmaster of her family's Art to another like you'd pass on a clan's honour sword from father to son! Hell, if you don't believe me, ask Jijii or Elder Kělún if you want! They can tell you a lot about Negako!"

"So what the heck is she up to, anyway?"

"I told you, already! Aria-chan was scared to see me change into a guy!"

"Then why are you staying with these people anyway?"

"Because they want to be my friends and they're willing to let me stay with them! What's so wrong with that?" Ranma snapped back before she took a deep breath. "Besides, I don't feel welcome at the Tendō dōjō and I sure as hell won't stay with Ukyō-san or Shānpú for that matter!"

Ryōga waved his arms. "Of course you're still welcome at the Tendō . . .!"

She stared in stunned disbelief at him. "Don't you remember Tuesday?"

He jolted, shaking at the chill in her voice. "You could've DIED that day!" Ranma snapped. "If it wasn't for Tampopo-chan and the special anti-toxin powder she gave me to guard against the garbage Akane calls her 'cooking,' you MIGHT have died that day! And look what the hell happened next?" A pause. "This ain't got nothing to do with me keeping your curse a secret from her! You know that! I saved her pet and what does she try to do to me? She tried to HIT me! I saved your bacon from potentially being fried permanently and THAT'S the way she 'thanks' me? All most likely because she couldn't hack the fact that I proved that, once again, she can't cook without someone standing over her with a goddamned hammer to make sure she doesn't screw up!"

Her eyes turned away from Ryōga as she crossed her arms, an exasperated breath escaping her. "You broke her arm!" he reminded her.

She turned once more to stare at him. "Do you think I've forgotten that?" she wondered. "Yeah, I know what I did. Do you want to know WHY it happened? Do you want to know what Negako has to do to me to help fix MY mind up from shit Oyaji unleashed on me when I was just FIVE?" She pointed to her head. "You want to know another reason why I have to stay as a girl? Because for the next two weeks, Negako has to put all her knowledge to use into helping me be able to think straight for a change! To make me stop thinking of EVERY DAMNED THING I face as a fight! To make me STOP being the brainless 'best martial artist in the world' Oyaji wanted me to be! I'd think that after all the shit that's happened between us, you'd WANT that to happen to me . . .!"

The door opened. "Onē-tama . . . OOOPS!" Hinako's cheeks reddened on seeing a strange man beside Ranma. "Um, g-gomen ne . . .!"

Ranma spun on her. On seeing the youngest sister shy away, she chuckled. "Try knocking next time, Hinako-chan. What's up?"

"Ah, y-yeah." Hinako laughed. "Kumiko-chan told Hina that Hibiki-san's clothes are gonna be done in an hour. Could Onē-tama come back to the House after? Hina and Kaho-chan have got a big, big, BIG surprise for Onē-tama!"

"A surprise? For me? Sure thing!" Ranma beamed, waving Hinako out of the bathroom. "Now scoot, Hinako-chan!"

"Hai, hai!"

Hinako left, closing the door behind her. Ryōga blinked, blinked again, and then he pointed at the door. "Is she . . .?"

"Ataru's youngest sister? Yeah." Ranma nodded. Sighing, she rose to stretch herself. "Oh, that felt good. Anyhow, I'm gonna help make lunch with the girls. Try not to turn yourself into a prune, okay?"

"Um . . . r-right. Th-thanks." Ryōga nodded as Ranma stepped out.

After she dried herself, she headed out. Ranma stopped at the door. "Oh, by the way." She glanced slyly at him, giving him a seductive wink along the way. "If you DO happen to BE seduced by my sisters, please treat them with kindness. They deserve it for all their sufferings."

Ryōga acked, ducking under the furo water. Ranma laughed as she headed out. A second later, he burst out of the water, his body quivering as a familiar anger again welled up from the depths of his heart. It just as quickly went away as the words Ranma spoke to him came back like a relentless tide. Confusion settled on his mind like an all-encompassing cloak as he gazed absently at the door where his friend/rival just walked through. Ryōga then shook his head as a claw of – well, FEAR! – grasped his heart.

"Ranma . . . " exhaled from his mouth as he sank into the furo water.

* * *

Tomobiki . . .

"Why isn't he here?"

Ryūnosuke looked around. While the memorial for Monday's victims, hosted by the only Buddhist temple located in Tomobiki, had just been organized by the PTA yesterday afternoon, attendance this day was huge. An honour guard from the Mendō Panzer Division lined the pathway to the shrine. Behind them were representatives from the town's schools, all of them wearing black armbands in solidarity with their grieving peers from Tomobiki High.

"Guess he didn't want to come." Ryūnosuke shrugged, she standing beside Shinobu and the others of Class 2-4 near the entrance. "After all, he didn't really care for Megane and his pals. Probably didn't really care for Nagisa either, much less Oyaji. And we KNOW what he felt about his mom and dad. And . . . well, I doubt he really knew the other girls who got killed on Monday."

Shinobu blinked before lowering her head. "Oh . . . "

A bell rang. Everyone turned as the memorial procession walked into the grounds. Cherry lead the procession, he followed by the senior cleric of Niiza Temple. Junior monks lead each memorial party into the grounds next. Each party was composed of two Tomobiki High students holding a picture of the deceased. They preceded the deceased's parents, who were carrying their lost relative's ashes. As the procession passed the assembled students, they bowed respectfully. The temple's bell began to toll as they headed inside.

Shinobu shuddered, her tears flowing. Until that very moment, a cloak of unreality had rested on her heart concerning the outcome of Monday's events. As if she kept asking herself, "Is this REAL?" There was no doubt now with the parents carrying the ashes of their children into the temple.

Aisuru Satoshi.

Urayamu Akira.

Kawamura Himiko.

Shitto Kōsuke.

Serizawa Mikiko.

Daremo Hiroyuki.

Six lives – ten when you counted Ataru's parents, Ryūnosuke's father and fiancé – snuffed in the roar of Semtex, trigged by someone who looked on what had happened in Tomobiki over the last two years as the Devil's handiwork.

A hand rested on her shoulder. She turned to see Ryūnosuke gazing at her. Shinobu nodded, wiping her eyes as she turned to watch the procession.

The ceremony was short. The victims' ashes were taken out of the shrine for internment in the town's main cemetery. Along the way came an announcement from the chairwoman of the Tomobiki Parent-Teacher's Association, Hozumi Ayane: A memorial to Monday's victims would be erected at Tomobiki High, on the very spot once selected for Lum's memorial. Watching the crowd, Shinobu was quick to notice the frustrated looks etched into the faces of many of the Tomobiki High boys. No doubt, they felt, even in the light of Monday's tragedy, Lum still deserved her own memorial.

Would Mendō try to do something about it?

* * *

As the crowds broke up, leaving Niiza-ji for home, Shinobu and Ryūnosuke walked together. "He didn't show up," the latter noted.

The former nodded. "I know."

"Shinobu, ya gotta let him go."

Shinobu stiffened. She then relaxed, reaching over to gently grasp Ryūnosuke's hand. "It's hard," she admitted.

The tomboy looked at her. "How come? You dumped him long before you and I ever met. Why are you still pinin' for the guy?"

"I . . . " The other woman shook her head. "I don't know, Ryū-chan. I just don't know. I mean . . . I didn't like a lot of the things Ataru-kun did, just like everyone else, but . . . there were times he was . . . well . . . "

Her voice trailed. "He wasn't being a jerk, right?" Ryūnosuke finished.

Shinobu nodded as she crossed her arms. "Hai. Especially before Lum came to Earth. I've cared for Ataru-kun for a very long time, Ryū-chan. Ever since kindergarten, when my cousin Hitomi and her family moved to Nerima. The day she left, I thought the world had come to an end. Then Ataru-kun came along and told me that Hitomi-chan wouldn't be gone forever. I'd eventually see her again. I . . . " She grinned. "That's the day I fell in love with him, I guess. Or at least, I decided I wanted him to be part of my life."

"By the looks of it, he don't agree to that anymore."

Hearing that, Shinobu bowed her eyes. "Hai. It hurts, Ryū-chan."

"Maybe he's hurtin', too."

Shinobu blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I was thinkin' about what Yumoa-san said to us. About Moroboshi feelin' he had no friends here, how happy he felt on leavin'. Personally, if he wants ta go, Shinobu, I wouldn't hold him back. And really, you shouldn't think of holdin' him back, either. But maybe . . . " She paused to take a deep breath. "Under all that happiness, he's hurtin'. Maybe he's wishin' things could've been different, but he's afraid that we won't bend for him anymore."

Shinobu considered that for a moment, and then she nodded. She looked across the street before stopping, her eyes widening. "Ryū-chan, look!"

Ryūnosuke looked. "I'll be damned!" she gasped on seeing someone standing before the middle-aged couple the tomboy recognised as Kawamura Himiko's parents. Then she noticed Ataru was not alone. "Who're those girls?"

Shinobu jolted. A flash of jealousy ripped through her before she calmed herself. While both women, appearing to be about their age, had wrapped their arms around Ataru's, they didn't seem to be projecting an aura of intimacy at him, certainly nothing like what Lum did whenever she was around her Darling. In fact, it seemed as if the two young women were close friends, if not . . .?

Shinobu shook her head. _Oh, no! That's impossible!_ Ataru was an only child, though Shinobu remembered him having a cousin, Nokoko, living in Sendai. And he had Negako, though she felt a profound sense of shock and disbelief as what Marubeya Momoe said about Negako echoed again through Shinobu's mind.

As they watched, the girl with the long ponytails handed Mrs. Kawamura a floral bouquet. Respectful words were exchanged, and then the parties parted. Shinobu and Ryūnosuke watched the Kawamura family head towards their own home. They then noticed Ataru and his companions head off down a side street. "C'mon." The former beckoned the latter with her as they crossed the street to follow.

"Shinobu, this ain't a good idea," Ryūnosuke warned.

Shinobu shushed her. They remained a respectful distance behind Ataru and his companions. Too far to overhear their conversation, though it seemed the pony-tailed girl was the only one speaking to Ataru. The purple-haired girl wearing the cape with the stylized Gothic crosses kept quiet. Why?

A few more turns passed, and then Ataru pointed at one house. Shinobu and Ryūnosuke watched as they walked up. The pony-tailed girl pressed the doorbell. An older woman in formal dress – Serizawa Mikiko's mother, Shinobu and Ryūnosuke realised – stepped out to greet them. The caped girl drew out a bouquet like the one Ataru just gave the Kawamura family. Greetings were then exchanged. "He's visitin' them privately," Ryūnosuke mused.

"I guess so." Shinobu sighed, a sense of relief flooding her heart. Yes, Ataru had NOT truly walked away from Tomobiki. No doubt, her ex-boyfriend was concerned about what people like Mendō might do to him, but he had not forgotten his hometown. _If he really hated everyone in Tomobiki, he wouldn't have come at all_, she then mused, a delighted smile crossing her face.

"You okay?" Ryūnosuke wondered.

Shinobu nodded. "I'm alright."

Finally, Ataru and his companions bowed to Mrs. Serizawa before turning away, they heading up the street. As Mikiko's mother headed into her house, the pony-tailed girl drew out a cell phone and made a call. Once that was made, she went back to hugging Ataru's arm. They headed to one of the main streets, stopping under a leafless cherry tree. Shinobu and Ryūnosuke placed themselves behind a telephone pole several metres away, doing their best to not make any noise. At least here, they could overhear them.

" . . . PTA contacted Reigi-kun about your absence."

"Oh? They didn't vow Heaven's vengeance on me for my ignoring their wishes to go to that memorial?" Ataru sarcastically wondered.

"Not really." The pony-tailed girl smirked. "They were saddened that you didn't feel safe about coming to the service. Apologised Reigi-kun's ears off for that. But they do want you to come see them, Onii-sama."

Shinobu's eyes widened. _'Onii-sama?'_

Ataru snorted. "In a million years. I've got other things to worry about. Did Reigi tell them about how I felt about those people?"

The pony-tailed girl shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Maybe you should've told Reigi-kun to speak of Megane and his fools as 'traitors to the human race,' Ani-kun?" the other girl mused.

Shinobu's eyes widened even more. _'Ani-kun?'_

"That might've made them shut up." He chuckled before tensing on hearing a toot! echo through the streets. "Ah! There we are!"

Shinobu and Ryūnosuke watched as a stylized tractor, shaped like an old-fashioned train, stopped before Ataru and his companions. He helped the girls get aboard the passenger compartment being towed by the tractor, and then he moved to board. Taking a step up the ladder, he stopped. "By the way, don't you have something better to do than follow me? Miyake-san? Fujinami-san?"

The Tomobiki High sophomores gasped as he gazed their way. Before either could respond, he leapt into the compartment. The tractor moved off downtown. Shinobu and Ryūnosuke watched it go. The former moved to follow. "C'mon!"

She beckoned her friend with her. "No, Shinobu!"

The tomboy remained still. "Ryū-chan!"

"Forget it." Ryūnosuke shook her head, her hand keeping Shinobu in place. With the latter's superhuman strength having vanished after Lum went home, there was no fear of Shinobu tearing her friend's arm off. "Didn't you see the look on his face, Shinobu?" She pointed where the road-train had gone. "It's over. He doesn't see you as a friend and he sure doesn't see you as his girlfriend anymore! Leave him alone! You're only gonna hurt yourself . . . "

"I . . . n-NO!" Shinobu screamed as she tried to pull free before she collapsed on the sidewalk. "No! No . . . n-no . . . Ataru-kun . . . "

Ryūnosuke moved to help her back up before walking her home.

* * *

Promised Island . . .

"A wedding dress party?"

Hinako nodded. "Hai."

Ranma was sitting with most of the sisters in the dining room. Shirayuki was busy preparing late afternoon tea in the kitchen. Much to her annoyance – though it didn't really surprise her these days – Ryōga had vanished after his clothes came out of Toshiko and Kumiko's dryer and they had lunch. The mirror-twins were busy tracking the wanderer down. "We liked playing 'wedding' with Onii-tama before he went to Sanctuary to train with Onē-tama."

"It should be enough to make Anigimi-sama relax after what happened on Monday," Haruka added as she fanned herself with her gunsen. "Not to mention what he must've endured when he spent a whole week away from the Island."

"Yotsuba only wishes she could've gone to Sanctuary with Ani-chama and Ane-chama to check up on them," Yotsuba lamented.

"What DID happen to him?" Mamoru asked before she stared hopefully at Ranma. "Hey, Anē! Did Anii tell you anything?"

Ranma sighed.

* * *

_"And . . . "_

_Ranma shuddered. "And what, Ataru?" she soothed. "Tell me."_

_Ataru took a deep breath before closing his eyes._

_"And three billion people died . . . "_

* * *

"I'm sorry, Mamoru-chan. I can't say anything."

"Why?" Karen pleaded. "He's our brother, Onē-chan!"

"I know, I know," Ranma assured her before taking a deep breath. "It's just that . . . well, first of all, I don't feel at liberty to say something your brother told me in confidence. There's no honour in that. And . . . "

"What?" Marie prodded.

"It . . . " The martial artist paused. "Well, it's just that it was something that . . . it was so awful! Unlike ANYTHING I could ever hope to describe to you. I don't think it's something that could hurt you. At least, Ataru HOPES it won't come back to hurt you. You girls are so precious to him. He doesn't want what happened to him to hurt any of you. I know you love and care for him, but PLEASE don't ask me about that anymore. He . . . "

The doors opened, revealing Shirayuki with a tea tray. "Tea's ready!"

"Dōmo, Shirayuki-chan." Ranma smiled, grateful that the younger woman had come in, thus distracting the other sisters from pestering her.

As tea was served, Karen walked over to kneel beside Ranma. "Onē-chan?" she prodded. As the martial artist looked at her, she smiled. "I understand, Onē-chan. Onii-chan is so lucky to have you as a friend."

Ranma gave her a knowing look. "You girls would like it if I became more than just Ataru's friend, wouldn't you?"

"Hai, we would. Please don't think we're pushing you into Onii-chan's arms, Onē-chan. But we care for you just as much as we care for him. We want you to be happy. You deserve it after all you've been through. And . . . "

She paused, looking down. "You know about what Zhòuquán-xiāng's gonna do to me once Negako fixes up what the N-n-n-Neko-ken . . . " Ranma stopped, her body quivering as a cold feeling fell on her heart. "Did to me."

Karen gazed at her, squeezing Ranma's shoulder. "How could that awful man do all those things to you?" she wondered.

"He wanted to create the perfect martial artist." Ranma shrugged. "In a way, I can understand. Martial arts are pretty important to Oyaji and he does have a lot of knowledge he wanted to pass on. It's just . . . " She sat back in her chair, nodding thanks as Shirayuki handed her a cup of tea. "It's the things he did to make me that perfect martial artist . . . " She then sipped her tea before relaxing. "That's what's bugging me. I mean, if he tried to do something to make things right in the long term, that'd be okay. But no! He just turned around and shoved it all onto me, telling me it was my 'duty,' my 'responsibility' to make it right. Idiot . . . " She shook her head.

"Pass the Buck-itis."

Both looked as Yotsuba relaxed beside Ranma. "That's an interesting way of looking at it, Yotsuba-chan," Karen mused with a giggle before nodding thanks as Shirayuki handed her a cup of tea.

Ranma shrugged. "Never heard it called that before."

"Way Yotsuba checks it, everyone Ane-chama's dealt with has got it," the detective mused. "'Oh, no, it's not my fault! It's his fault!' And it always checked right back to Ane-chama." She flipped out her spyglass to give Ranma an inspection for a moment. "Now Ane-chama wants to get away from that, but all of Ane-chama's so-called 'friends' won't let her."

Karen shook her head. "Selfish people."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, you got a point, Yotsuba-chan."

"Onē-tama?"

"Hmm? What is it, Hinako-chan?"

The youngest sister paused as she glanced down at her teacup. "Can Onē-tama be Onii-tama's bride today?" she asked.

Ranma blinked, staring wide-eyed at Hinako as her question rolled around her mind. She then sat back in her chair. "Well . . . "

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Onē-chan," Karen prodded.

Ranma blinked before she sensed the others gaze on her. "I . . . "

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Marie said. "But I have to confess, you WOULD look so beautiful in a wedding dress."

"Aria wants to see Nē-ya as a bride."

"Kaho thinks Onē-chama will be Onii-chama's perfect bride!"

"Please, Onē-tama?" Hinako pleaded.

Ranma shuddered as a scream of denial surged up from deep within her heart. On seeing the look on Hinako's face, she looked down. _I'm still a guy_, she lamented before blinking as Chikage's words from last night echoed through her mind once more. _Am I?_ Tears brimmed her eyelids as the potential implications of her embracing womanhood in its entirety sank into her heart. _I'm still a guy_. She shuddered. _Am I?_

"Onē-tama . . . "

Ranma rose. "Excuse me."

She walked out of the dining room, breaking into a run as soon as she hit the doorway. "Onē-chan!" Karen called out.

Silence fell over the dining room. Rinrin sighed. "We pushed her too hard." She shook her head. "We pushed her WAY too hard."

"But she can't run away from it, Rinrin-chan," Karen warned.

"She can't think of going back to those people," Mamoru protested. "After all the crap they heaped on her? Would she go back?"

"I don't believe she will go back," Haruka said. "If we're not careful, we might make her feel she has no home here. And if that happens . . . "

The other sisters nodded. Hinako then rose to run out of the room. "Ah! Hinako-chan, where are you going?" Karen called out.

Hinako stopped by the doorway. "Hina'll bring Onē-tama back!"

She raced out of the rotunda. The others watched her go.

* * *

"So this is the only way on or off the island, huh?"

"Hai, unless you want to wait for low tide and cross on foot. Or perhaps convince Chikage-san to let you travel using one of those magic rainbows of hers. Or you can ask Rinrin-san if she'll give you a lift on her submarine." Jii-san puffed his pipe as he relaxed on his boat's quarterdeck.

Ryōga, wearing clean clothes for the first time in a while, stood on the dock, gazing at the Plato-Mecha. "Right." The wanderer nodded, and then he turned around just in time to see a red-haired woman walk past the dock from the direction of Welcome House. "Huh? Ranma?" He then looked at the old fisherman. "I'll come by a little later, Ojii-san. I hope."

Jii-san nodded as Ryōga raced off. "Take your time, son."

Fortunately for the wanderer, he was able to get to the steps leading to First Street without taking a wild detour to the Amazon rain forest. "Ranma!"

Ranma stopped, staring quizzically at Ryōga before looking away. "Aren't you trying to get back to the mainland?" she muttered.

That pained look was enough to tell him something was VERY wrong with his transformed rival. "Hey, you okay?" He reached First Street, moving to grasp Ranma by the shoulder. Sensing that, she tensed before relaxing, reaching up to squeeze his hand in thanks. Ryōga blinked. "Ranma . . . "

"Sorry," she whispered before smiling. "What? Did you expect me to pound the daylights out of you like I did Akane on Tuesday?"

He sighed. "What's happened to you?"

"Oh, nothing. Everything. My whole life's being turned inside-out as usual. Par for the course. But . . . " She took a deep breath. "I'm just tired of it all. I'd think that after the wedding, things would finally calm down." She rolled her eyes. "Boy, was I wrong."

"Want to talk about it?"

Her eyebrow arched as she turned to gaze at him. "Surprising, hearing that from someone like you. Not that I don't mind having a chance to talk."

Ryōga drew his hand back. "You want to know what's really surprising?" he declared. "What's really surprising is that there's this person named Ranma. And yet this person is nothing like the Ranma I used to know. What you told me in the furo made it obvious. Much that I always hated the old Ranma . . . " He looked down. "The new Ranma scares the living daylights out of me."

She stared at him before letting out a deep breath. "I can accept that. Not that I would intentionally want to make you scared of me. Despite all that's been there between us in the past, I do want to be your friend, Ryōga."

"Then tell me what's going on," Ryōga pleaded.

"You got an hour or so? It's a long and VERY complicated story . . . "

"Onē-tama!"

Ranma looked as Hinako jogged up. Seeing the worry on the girl's face, she shuddered as a surge of guilt roared up her spine. She lowered herself, opening her arms as Hinako raced into her embrace. Ranma boosted her into the air. "Hina's sorry!" Hinako cried, burying her face into Ranma's neck. "Hina didn't want to scare Onē-tama! Hina only wanted Onē-tama to be happy . . .!"

Ranma ruffled her hair. "It's okay, Hinako-chan. Onē-tama wants to be happy. But . . . " She pulled Hinako away from her so they could gaze into the other's eyes. "Onē-tama just doesn't know how to BE happy."

Hinako sniffed. "Has Onē-tama EVER been happy?"

"I don't know. I just don't know anymore." Ranma shrugged. Gazing up at the statue in Stargazer Park for a moment, she then smiled. "Hey, you know what, Hinako-chan? Ryōga and I are hungry. You want to go to the snack bar on Third Street and have some fruit parfait?"

Hinako cheered. "Waaai! Fruit parfait! Fruit parfait! Fruit parfait!"

Ranma laughed. Grabbing Ryōga by one hand and keeping Hinako cradled close to her with the other arm, she headed downtown.

* * *

Later . . .

"Ryōga-san, say 'Aaaah!'"

Ryōga opened his mouth. "Aaah!"

Hinako giggled as she scooped some parfait into the wanderer's mouth, and then she turned back to her snack. Watching this, Ranma smiled. She knew that lying underneath his gruff exterior, Ryōga was a softie. _Hell, he's really no different than me! 'Sides, Hinako could melt the heart of anyone. 'Cept maybe Negako_, Ranma ruefully mused before sipping her milkshake. "You okay?"

Ryōga sighed. "Hard to believe." The explanation had taken an hour.

"Yeah, tell me about it."

He gazed on her. "Do you believe it?"

"I may have no choice," she admitted after taking a deep breath. "After all, the person who told me that is an entity born from the accumulation of almost a MILLENNIUM of martial arts knowledge. She's backed by a woman who struck me from the start as being quite honest when it comes to magic. And . . . " She shrugged. "In a funny way, I almost WANT this to happen."

"Yeah, it would shake a lot of people up." He nodded before giving her a curious look. "Some would accuse you of running away."

"**I** don't see it as running away." She hummed. "If you want to get technical, I'm using a revised version of the Saotome-ryū Final Manoeuvre."

"Searching for your destiny." Ryōga then nodded in understanding. "I can see that. By the way, about what you said about you modelling; I just remembered that I saw some magazines that had some pretty good photo layouts of you in both your bodies. Is that how you earned all that money?"

"Yep. Gotta admit, it was loads of fun, especially meeting all of Tampopo-chan's friends. They . . . " She paused. "They made it really easy for me. They didn't push me, didn't try to make it a challenge or anything dumb like that. You know what, Ryōga? That was the first time since . . . " She shrugged. "Well, since I can remember that I did something I felt _good_ doing. It wasn't like martial arts training, though. It was a load of work. Believe me, it WAS work! But I felt really good doing it."

"Will you keep on doing it?"

"You bet."

"What'll you do when he finds out?"

Ranma snorted. She knew which "he" Ryōga was talking about. "After what he did, I don't care about Oyaji anymore, Ryōga. If there's one thing I've decided about over the last month that I know was the right decision, it's to leave the panda. If he tries anything to stop me, he's in for a very RUDE surprise." A pause. "Besides, Ofukuro's moving to divorce him. Even if I choose to keep the Saotome name, I won't go back to the fool. But right now . . . "

"You're not sure if you want to go back to her, either?" he asked.

"Yeah. She's my mom, but she wasn't part of my life for ten years! I . . . " She sighed. "You've seen your mom, haven't you?"

"Rarely," he admitted.

Hinako gazed at him. "Why?"

"Almost all my family's got a curse that makes us get lost every time we go anywhere, Hinako-chan," he explained as he stared at her. "I got it from my mom. Otō-chan doesn't have it, so we at least have SOMEONE at home to keep the place intact for when we DO get home. But . . . " He then shrugged.

"Don't you miss your mom?" Hinako wondered.

"Yeah, I do. A lot. In a way, I'm lucky compared to Ranma. I've always known Okā-chan's alive. When she was on her training trip, Ranma had NO idea if her mom was alive. Her dad didn't tell her anything. In fact, he even strongly hinted at the idea that her mom was dead. And when she _did_ come back . . . "

He grimaced. "How'd you learn that? From Akane?" Ranma asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Speaking of which, what are you going to do with Akane, Ukyō and Shampoo? If they find out about this . . .?"

She shrugged. "If Negako and Chikage are right and this can't be changed, there's nothing they CAN do, Ryōga. 'Sides, if it happens, all the engagements fly out the window. When that happens, they finally get control of their lives again. After all they've been through because of me, it's what they deserve, man. You can understand that, can't you?"

"For Ukyō and a lesser extent Akane, I can certainly agree. But Shampoo's a whole different story, Ranma."

"Not as bad as you might think. Shān's tribe has a special law she can use in that case to avoid dishonour when she goes home. I'll still be bound to the tribe, but as an adopted sister, not a husband."

"Really?"

"Really. And don't repeat that."

"Right, right. Well, that's good. But what about Kunō?"

Ranma gave him a disgusted look. "What do you think, Ryōga?"

He chuckled. "Sorry! Then again, it WOULD be like your old man to get you engaged to Kunō if you do become a girl!"

A shudder ran through Ranma. "Yeah, it would be, wouldn't it?"

"Does Ryōga-san want Onē-tama to stay as a boy?" Hinako asked.

He considered that. "Well, I admit that I'm used to Ranma as a boy. And I can guess what sort of trouble she could be in for when this all happens to her and everyone realises they can't change it. I'm glad that Elder Cologne and Happōsai know about it and are trying to help ease it along. But . . . "

Ranma wagged a finger. "Doesn't mean I'll go easy on you next time."

He glared at her. "And you think I'll go easy on you?"

Hinako laughed. "Onē-tama has some funny friends!"

The martial artists smiled. Ryōga then asked, "Hey, Hinako-chan, do you and your sisters REALLY want Ranma to marry your brother?"

Much to Ryōga's surprise, Ranma didn't seem to balk on hearing him ask Hinako that. Hinako nodded. "Un! After all, Chikage-chan says that Onē-tama and Onii-tama are going to get married. And Negako-onētama says that Onē-tama and Onii-tama are bound together. Hina doesn't understand what that means, though. And Onē-tama and Onii-tama are friends. And besides, if some creep like Kunō-san or Mendō-san tries to hurt Onē-tama and Onii-tama, they can help each other and make the bad people go away."

Ryōga chuckled. "The impeccable logic of an eight year-old."

Hinako giggled. Ranma blushed. "Yeah, that's true, isn't it?" She then stood up. "Well, what say we get back to the House and have a party? When do you want to go back to the mainland, Ryōga? Tonight?"

"Yeah, but I can stick around late. The guy running the ferry doesn't make the last round trip until eleven o'clock."

"Let's go!" Ranma beckoned as she held up a hand for the cheque.

* * *

Ten minutes later, they walked hand-in-hand towards Welcome House. Ranma was quick to see the crowd standing by the rotunda. Aria was the first to notice. "Nē-ya!" she called. "Everyone! Hinako-chan brought Nē-ya back!"

The others raced over to confront the martial artist. A teary-eyed Karen was in the lead. "Onē-chan, please! I'm so sorry . . .!"

Ranma embraced her. "It's alright, Karen-chan! It's alright!" She then pulled back to stare at everyone else. Seeing the expectant looks on their faces, she took a breath, her eyes sparkling. "Hey, aren't we supposed to be having a wedding dress party or what's the story?" she then asked.

Hearing that, the sisters cheered. Hinako leapt up and down. "Wedding dress! Wedding dress! Wedding dress!"

"Hold it, guys! We got a problem!"

Everyone turned to stare at Rinrin. "What problem?" Karen asked.

"Who's gonna play the priest? We had Aneki play the priest when we had our first wedding dress party, but she's in Nerima!"

Ranma looked at Ryōga. "Hey, Ryōga, guess what?"

The wanderer jolted, paling. "WHAT? You want ME? NO WAY!"

"Please, Hibiki-san?" Karen pleaded.

Now, as everyone in Nerima knew, it took a LOT to convince Ryōga to do something he would normally be uncomfortable with. But when said fellow was confronted with TEN cute girls giving him a chorus of pleading stares – with obligatory "Kusun!" from Aria – even Ryōga could be laid low. "Oh, alright! All right! I'll do it!" He deflated. "'Sides, it's only make believe!"

"For now."

Surprised looks locked on Ranma. Seeing the light smile on her face, the sisters shuddered. Yotsuba turned to Rinrin. "Call Sakuya-chan and Chikage-chan! We have to check Ani-chama's return until after Ane-chama's ready!"

"RIGHT!" the other sisters cheered.

* * *

Later . . .

"Honestly, Sakuya-chan!" Ataru muttered as he carried two large bags for Sakuya to the House, following her and Chikage to the rotunda. The sun had long since dipped down below the western horizon behind distant Fuji-san. "If you guys were gonna pull a surprise on me, you could've chosen to keep me in town instead of dragging me off shopping in Shinjuku!"

"Onii-sama, relax!" the eldest of the sisters scolded, and then she shuddered. "Besides, I just COULDN'T walk away from that sale!"

His eyebrows twitched. "Women!" he muttered under his breath. "And to believe I once wished to have a harem of them?"

Sakuya and Chikage gazed on him. "We HEARD that!"

The door to the rotunda opened, revealing Toshiko dressed in her kimono. "Ah, Sakuya-chan! Chikage-chan! Ataru-kun! You're back!" Ranma's crimson-haired mirror-twin beamed. "We're almost all ready!"

"Ready for what?" Ataru wondered. He glanced in to see a sea of white and loads of flowers. "Oh!" He sighed before giving them a knowing grin. "Girls, if you were going to do a wedding party, that's hardly a surprise!"

Sakuya smirked as she took the packages from him. "Bets? Now, get to the chapel and wait for us, Onii-sama! C'mon, Chikage-chan!"

The sorceress nodded. "Hai."

"You mean I finally get to see Chikage in a wedding dress?" Ataru asked.

Chikage jerked before flustering, and then she gave Ataru a knowing look. "Well, if you MUST insist, Ani-kun," she sniffled.

"EH?" a half-dozen voices cried out.

Hinako, all ready for the big "moment," raced out to give Chikage a hug. "Wai! We're gonna see Chikage-chan in her wedding dress!"

Laughter echoed around the rotunda. Ataru shrugged. "Well, what the heck! We need something to make us smile! But first . . . "

He stepped back. Relaxing himself, he extended his right arm parallel to the ground. A ball of ki billowed in the hand. Ataru made a circular motion with it, leaving a trail of sparkles to form something like a cocoon around him. Watching this, everyone was spellbound. "Wow . . .!" Hinako gasped, her eyes sparkling as the air around Ataru warped into a vortex.

"**_JINFUKU HENSENKAZE KITEI: TAKISHIIDO FUKU!_**"

In a flash, Ataru emerged in a perfectly tailored white tuxedo, complete with obligatory rose on the lapel and dress gloves covering his hands. The girls gaped at him. Rinrin squealed, "Wow! Aniki, where did you learn THAT?"

"Sanctuary," Ataru replied. "Took me over twenty tries to get it right! Lucky thing Yotsuba wasn't there with her camera!"

"Yotsuba HEARD that, Ani-chama!"

Laughter echoed as Ataru gave the sisters a wave before heading to the chapel on the other side of Welcome House. Stepping in, Ataru then stopped, his eyes widening on seeing who was at the altar. "Hibiki?"

Ryōga, in a sombre black cassock sans clerical collar, waved as Ataru approached. "Ah . . . h-hi there, Moroboshi-san!"

Ataru crossed his arms. "How'd you get here? Ranma told me you could get lost pretty easily, but I never suspected you'd come here!"

"I'd love to know the answer to that one." The wanderer chuckled before sighing. "You know, you really got some nice sisters."

Hearing that, Ataru then smirked. No doubt, what anger Ryōga might have felt towards him because of that incident in Tampopo's Sunday morning had been pretty much washed away – or at least set aside for the moment – thanks to his meeting Ataru's sisters. "Who was it?" Ataru asked.

"Um, first Mamoru-chan, then Aria-chan – why is it she can't take seeing Jusenkyō curses, anyway? – then Hinako-chan . . . " Ryōga then jerked, turning to stare at the main doors of the chapel. "Ah . . .!"

Ataru blinked before smiling as a stream of flower-bedecked white passed through the doors. Counting off the ten of his sisters who had been waiting at the House while he had been in Tomobiki with Sakuya and Chikage, Ataru greeted them with a quick unveiling and a chaste kiss to the cheek before they were re-veiled and they took their places in the pews. As the last took her seat, rapid footsteps heralded Sakuya's arrival. No doubt, she had her wedding dress ready to go in her bedroom before she left the Island. As the eldest of the sisters came up to embrace and kiss her Onii-sama, she whispered in his ear, "I don't know if Chikage's going to come to this party, Onii-sama . . . "

Suddenly, a thunderous fanfare rang from the chapel's organ. The sisters gasped, and then they turned as one to gaze on the main doors. Standing there was a lovely vision in pure crimson and gold, an opaque lavender veil held down over a head of dark purple hair with gold chains. "Waaaa!" Hinako gushed as Chikage stepped up towards Ataru. "Chikage-chan's so pretty!"

"Red's definitely her colour," Ryōga whispered to Ataru as Sakuya made way for the sorceress at the altar.

Chikage reached the altar before looking at Ataru. Unlike the others, she didn't carry a bouquet. Instead, she carried a painstakingly crafted Celtic cross pendant, the crucifix topped with a rose. "Here, Ani-kun." She took it and placed it in Ataru's hands before whispering in his ear, "It was not meant to be between us this time. I will pray for it to be so next time."

Ataru blushed. "Chikage . . . "

"No matter what, I'll not let your heart to be sundered, Ani-kun."

She made her way to the pews. Ataru remained in place, and then he blinked as a new fanfare started. Turning to the door, he gaped on seeing Toshiko and Kumiko step inside. The mirror-twins walked in, preceding someone in white. The new arrivals only had to walk halfway to the altar before Ataru realised who they were presently escorting. "Ranma . . .?"

Ryōga whistled. "Oh, man . . .!"

Toshiko and Kumiko parted, revealing a simply stunning vision in white and pale blue, a coronet of roses holding her veil down. A single red rose served as the clasp for her top. Her bouquet was the same as the sisters'. Ranma had little makeup on beyond lipstick and a touch of eye shadow.

Clearly, less was best with her.

"Ranma . . . " Ataru repeated.

Her cheeks reddened. "They talked me into it," she admitted, a shrug rolling her shoulders. She then blinked as Ataru walked up to slip Chikage's pendant around her neck. "Hey," she gasped. "What're you . . .?"

"Something to make it complete." After saying that, he gave Chikage a quick glance. Seeing the sorceress nod in approval, Ataru turned to Ryōga, a knowing grin crossing his face. "Okay, Reverend! Let's get on with it!"

"Hai!" Ryōga then cleared his throat before starting, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here this beautiful evening . . . "

As the wanderer did a good rendition of a normal wedding benediction, Chikage gazed on Ranma, a touch of sadness in her eyes. _The die is cast_. The sorceress closed her eyes. _There's no turning back_.

**_To be continued . . ._**

* * *

**WRITER'S NOTES:**

1) Mizunokōji Asuka first appeared in the _Yatsura_ manga storyline "That Mizunōkoji Girl" (manga episodes #221-224). She first encountered Fujinami Ryūnosuke in the manga storyline "Asuka Comes Again" (manga episodes #236-238). Her current school of attendance, Keppeki Girl's Junior High School, was shown in the manga storyline "Fortress of Fastidiousness" (manga episodes #336-338).

2) The island which is called "Ryūnosuke-shima" here was the island where the Shiowatari family had their teashop. Since its exact location is not noted in either the _Yatsura_ manga or anime, I elected to place it where it was said to be by Rinrin.

3) The translation of _Tenchiaiki Jūkazoku_: 天 (ten, "Heaven"); 地 (chi, "Earth"); 相 (ai, "Togetherness"); 気 (ki, "Spirit"); 十 (jū, "Ten"); 家族 (kazoku, "Clan"). In essence, "The Ten Spiritually Harmonious Houses of Heaven and Earth."

4) Niiza Temple (Niiza-ji) is based on Heirin-ji, a temple located in the city of Niiza, which is in Saitama Prefecture directly north of Nishitōkyō, which is where I place Tomobiki in my stories.

5) The "wedding dress party" was depicted in the seventh episode of the _Sister Princess_ television series, "Season of Love."

6) Translations:

**shūban** – _weekly duty_  
**ohayō gozaimasu desu no** – _good morning_ (Shirayuki-speak)  
**Ryūnosuke-shima** – _Ryūnosuke's Island_  
**sarashi** – _wide chest-wrapping traditionally worn by samurai while in armour_  
**Tōdai** – _Tōkyō University_ (Japan's top-ranked post-secondary school)  
**Lǎozǐ** – _Also known as **Lao Tsu**_ (the founder of Taoism)  
**Seishin Rēzā Kōsen** - _Psychic Laser Beam_  
**shōgun** – _supreme general_ (the military dictator of Japan in feudal times)  
**ji** – _place name ending for a Buddhist temple_  
**Jinfuku Hensenkaze** – _Combat Clothing Transform Whirlwind_  
**Takishiido Fuku** – _Tuxedo Uniform_**_  
_**


	8. 4th Part B: Freedom From Dreams

"Lum-chan . . .?"

_Konban wa, Ran-chan. Sleep well?_

"Strange." The rose-haired teen stretched before gazing at the controls of her scoutship. Twitching her extremities to ensure she had full mental control of her body, she yawned, and then she leaned over to adjust the flight controls. "I did. Weird that I can 'sleep' with you taking over my body. Hmmm . . . " She stared at the astrogator. "Not so far from Earth now."

_About another hour or so_, a familiar woman's voice echoed deep inside Ran's mind. _No sign of any ships, especially Noukiite ones._

"Thank the Fates," Ran moaned as she rubbed her eyes, she trying not to let her own grief overwhelm her as she assumed manual control for the final leg of her -- of THEIR -- escape to Earth . . .

* * *

_It had been an annoyance at first._

_Two weeks after the Second Tag Race ended, she was visited one evening by two of the "Men in Black." In the hands of one was an order declaring that Ran's residency visa had been rescinded and that she had no choice but to return home to Uru. Naturally, Ran tried to protest, but that had died when she saw the fellows accompanying the SCAA agents. Zephyrite Inquisitors._

_The next hour blurred past as Ran rolled up shop, turned over the lease on her property to the SCAA, and then, without being given a chance to say good-bye to her friends and classmates, blasted off for home. At first, she thought it had been one of Lum's dirty tricks that got her sent off Earth. But when Ran saw the tiger-striped scout beside hers -- along with the Zephyrite destroyer who paced them as far as Toshitto, the Oni colony world closest to Earth -- Ran then realised that from then on, NOTHING would be the same._

_Settling on Toshitto, Ran watched as Rei, who normally served as a deep-space sovereignty pilot covering Uru's frontier with Zephyrus, was ordered with his group to Machibusu, scene of the heaviest fighting against the Noukiites. She wanted to go with him. Military authorities wouldn't let her. According to Rei's squadron commander, the Noukiites were using ships of a design that outmatched anything the Onis possessed. It was but only a matter of time before Machibusu was overrun and the road to Uru would be wide open. That frightened Ran. The Noukiites were showing uncommon savagery against their foes. The chance of victory, despite what the propaganda being churned out by the government said to the contrary, was becoming more unlikely by the day._

_Then . . ._

_One night, she was struck down by a blinding headache. Fainting on her bedroom floor, she remained unconscious for a day. When she finally awoke, the newscast was on, reporting about an anti-matter bomb that just wiped out the heart of Onishuto, the Urusian Union's capital city. Where Lum, her family, Rei's family, Ten-chan and so many others lived. Her videophone then rang. It was Rei's commander with more bad news. The pilot had been killed in an ambush by Noukiite irregulars. Overwhelmed by grief and nausea, Ran staggered into the bathroom to look at herself via her vanity mirror._

_Lum's image stared back . . ._

* * *

_Ran?_

Ran's attention returned to the present. She stared out the main view port of her cockpit to see a familiar blue sphere looming before her ship, it accompanied by a large moon in the near distance. "Home," she whispered as she programmed the ship's controls to begin atmospheric approach.

_For the rest of our lives, no doubt_, Lum noted.

"Hai, Lum-chan, for the rest of our lives."

_

* * *

_

_Do you sense that, love?_

_Yes . . . _A weak grunt escaped from the being in the hollowed pit of one of the two small rocks presently pacing Ran's scoutship off its starboard quarter. _It appears the Mother has brought us . . . here for a reason_.

_You are in pain, beloved._

_I can last, my dearest . . . _If the wounded Nendo-kata could do more to reassure her mate, she would. _At least until we give the air-breathers in that craft yonder a chance to be truly free of their current predicament_.

_Agreed_.

* * *

_**Lonely Souls  
**_By Fred Herriot  
Plot elements/certain scenes here composed/written by Steve Cornett  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

* * *

**THE FOURTH PART, "B" SIDE - FREEDOM FROM DREAMS **

"Here you go, Hibiki-san."

"What's this?" Ryouga opened the zip-up package to see a booklet of pictures inside. "Oh, Yotsuba-san, you didn't have to . . .!"

"It's checky," the detective assured him. The party at the chapel had gone on much later than Ryouga initially hoped, forcing the wanderer to camp outside the rotunda overnight. He had been offered a chance to stay at the cottage with Toshiko and Kumiko, but didn't want to risk spending a night close to Ranma's love-starved mirror-twins. "After all, if it weren't for Hibiki-san, Ani-chama's and Ane-chama's wedding dress party wouldn't have gone well! Hibiki-san deserves to remember it as much as everyone else!"

"I . . .!" Ryouga then nodded before he zipped up the package, slipping that into his pack. "Thanks, Yotsuba-san. I really appreciate that."

"Ryouga-kun, are you ready to go?!"

Both turned as Mamoru skated through the front gate after her daily inline skating run through town. Ryouga nodded. "Yeah, Mamoru-san, I'm set."

"Okay!" The athlete skidded to a halt beside him. Slipping an arm around one of the wanderer's, she beckoned him towards the ferry dock. "C'mon, I'll take you down there so you can catch the first trip to the mainland!"

"Try not to get him lost, Mamoru-chan!" Yotsuba advised.

"Right, right!"

Partings were made, and then Mamoru and Ryouga raced off, the wanderer keeping pace with the athlete. Yotsuba watched them, snapping a picture with her camera before heading in. "He's a pretty okay guy even if he does have that big chip on his shoulder," she mused in her native English as she turned to head upstairs. She then stopped. A sly grin crossing her face, the would-be detective tiptoed to the door to Ataru's room. Gingerly opening it -- Ataru never locked his door when he resided in Welcome House -- she peeked inside.

Peacefully asleep, Ataru had a content smile on his face. One arm was wrapped around Ranma, she leaning against his side. One of her arms was draped on his chest. Both were, to Yotsuba's relief, dressed in pyjamas. Even if Yotsuba, like the other sisters, would love it if the day when their brother would marry the martial artist came sooner than later, even she believed they should take their time in developing their relationship. A glance to her right revealed Ranma's homemade wedding dress sitting on Ataru's work desk.

A groan escaped Ranma, causing Yotsuba to tense. The detective slipped into the hallway, gently closing the door behind her.

"Ne, Ataru?"

"What is it, Ranma?"

"Does she always look in on you like that?"

He gave her a warm squeeze. "She's not the only one." He opened his eyes. "Not that I mind it in the long term. She does care."

She returned his look. "Big change from Nabiki."

They gazed at each other. "Well . . . " he mused.

"I guess we have to have a good morning kiss," she proposed.

Surprise crossed his face for a moment, and then he chuckled. During the wedding dress party, they had shared a chaste kiss when Ryouga, acting as the preacher, had declared them "husband" and "wife." "Good idea."

They slid together, lips caressing. A camera flash went off, causing them to spin to the door. "CHECKY!" A grinning Yotsuba leapt up and down, holding her camera while her free hand flashed the "'V' for Victory" sign.

"_**YOTSUBA! GET OUTTA HERE!**_"

Yotsuba cried out as a storm of pillows flew right at her face. She scrambled clear as the door slammed closed behind her. Sensing she was safe, she whooped as she raced off to her room. "Ani-chama and Ane-chama just kissed!" she sang. "Ani-chama and Ane-chama just kissed!"

Back in the room, the "couple" in question moaned as Yotsuba's assertion rang through the hallways. "Then again . . .!" Ataru added, rubbing his scalp.

"Yeah, then again . . . " Smiling, she tilted her face so they could gaze once more into the other's eyes. "So where were we?" she coyly asked.

"Right here."

He leaned down so they could kiss.

* * *

"Ye gods! I can't believe it's THAT bad!"

Ono Toofuu shook his head. He was kneeling across the dining room table from Negako. Before the chiropractor was a diagram of Ranma's head, points marked out to indicate exactly what damage the martial artist had accumulated since she was five. "It is that bad." The ninjutsu grandmaster nodded. "Genma's basic purpose was, I admit, sound. At the time this treatment was applied, Ranma was slipping toward developing a chronic form of autism. What Genma did not realise when he applied this treatment is that the human brain needs to recycle its neurons periodically to ensure one's soul remains as intact as possible. That could not happen once Genma conditioned Ranma's mind to focus on martial arts. THEN add the damage from the Neko-ken . . .?"

"It's a wonder he didn't become a mental vegetable," Toofuu finished for her. "The only thing that ultimately kept him going in the long term . . . "

"Was her overall intelligence and cognitive potential."

The young doctor nodded. "So what do you want to do with Ranma-kun?"

"To permit the treatment to take effect in the shortest period possible -- given the problems her curse forces -- Ranma must remain in one body for the treatment period," Negako instructed. "Since the curse's nature does not allow us to freeze Ranma as a boy, she must be a girl. Therefore, I need you to write a note to the school authorities stating Ranma will be locked as a girl for the period of this treatment and explaining the medical necessity behind doing so. If that requires Ranma to attend girl-only classes, so be it." A sarcastic smile crossed her face. Seeing that, Toofuu tried not to grin; Negako was not the type of person to express overt emotion to just anyone. "I am sure Pauline would take personal delight in 'torturing' Ranma this way."

"The principal, right?" Toofuu mused.

"The same."

"Negako-san, please tell me: How did he get THAT name?"

"If she was alive, all you would have to do is ask his mother."

Toofuu chuckled before a concerned look crossed his face. "There's something more to all this, isn't there, Negako-san?"

"There is, but I will remain silent about that for a time . . . "

Her voice trailed as her head turned west-northwest. In the direction of Tomobiki, Toofuu realised. After a moment, he grasped her hand. "Negako?"

The grandmaster's eyes widened. "Lum . . .?"

* * *

"Lum-sama . . .?"

A tomboyish brunette with blue-grey eyes bolted out of bed. Gazing around her, Momose Tamako seemed lost for a moment. Her body then deflated. She remained still as her mind rolled through what she just felt from the direction of the Holy City. Taking a determined breath, she then slipped out of bed. Proceeding to the bathroom to perform morning ablutions, Tamako glanced at the closed door, canting her ears to determine if her "parents" were awake. Detecting nothing but silence, she turned back to the business at hand.

So, the day had finally come. The mission she and four others had been specially built to perform was still valid. The Goddess HAD survived what the news media reported had befallen her. But with four of the Holy Apostles having been murdered on Monday, extraordinary measures had to be taken to ensure Lum's safety. Momose Tamako, along with four others, would ensure that.

Finishing, she returned to her bedroom to dress. Well, all good things had to come to an end. She had enjoyed a good life in Shimizu. It bothered her at first that she was pretending to be the Momoses' daughter -- what happened to their child, Tamako did not know and felt it prudent not to inquire (even if she was as free as an infiltration agent can be; there had been no controlling officer dispatched by the Church to monitor her) -- but like others in her trade, she got into the swing of things and carried on from there.

Now, it had to end. Time to press on with her mission.

Preparing an overnight bag, she slipped out of the house. Her "parents," from what Tamako could tell, were asleep. From the house, it was a simple trip to the Shizuoka train station on the Tookaidou Shinkan-sen line, which would take her to Tokyo. She had rented a long-term storage locker at Shizuoka-eki, it containing all the things she would need in the Holy City. After that was emptied, she proceeded to the counter to get a train ticket to Tokyo.

Unknown to the Terran-Avalonian spy, the emptying of her locker triggered a transmitter that fired a command to a receiver in the roof of the Momose home. That activated explosives set throughout the building. Soon, white-hot flames engulfed the whole house. Tamako's "parents" had no chance to escape.

* * *

"Tadaima!"

"Welcome back, Akane-chan." Kasumi looked up as Akane stepped into the living room. "How was your run this morning, little sister?"

Akane sat by the table. "I'm a bit out of shape." A glance around revealed they were alone. "Where're Dad, Nabiki and the panda?"

"Father and Uncle got drunk, AGAIN!" Kasumi sighed, her exasperation at Souun and Genma's antics evident. "When I found them this morning in the doojou, all I could get out of them was Uncle saying 'She saw me! She saw me!' and Father's 'The schools will never be joined now!' routine. I put Father in his room and Uncle in the guest room. I WAS tempted to dump him in the pond."

"Idiots!" Akane shook her head. "What about Nabiki?"

Footsteps. "Right here."

Both turned as Nabiki stepped into the sitting room, she dressed in a black martial arts jersey and hakama trousers, a white belt tying her top down. "Oh, my!" Kasumi gasped, shuddering delightedly. "Nabiki, you look beautiful!"

Nabiki smirked as she sat down. "Thanks, Onee-chan."

Akane blinked. "Why a white belt? You made it up to rokkyuu . . . "

"True, but the Moroboshis' family Art is _ninjutsu_," Nabiki reminded them. "In Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu, there're only three levels." She pointed to her belt. "White represents a 'genin.' You don't know the forms. A black belt represents a 'chuunin.' You know the forms. A black belt with kanji represents a 'joonin.' You know the forms AND you can teach them. And if your belt has 'chi' on it, then you're considered the grandmaster of the Art."

Kasumi nodded. "That being Negako-san."

"That's pretty simple," Akane noted.

"I only hope Father doesn't get angry at the idea of you taking on a new teacher," Kasumi warned. "You ARE still seen as part of the Tendou-ryuu."

Nabiki snorted, making a dismissive wave. "Too bad. If Dad won't get off his duff and teach me, much less Akane, I'll go somewhere else. Hell, I'd be tempted to ask Ranma-kun to teach me, to be honest with you."

Akane sighed. "Doubt he'll be in the mood to consider that."

"Give him time, Akane-chan," Kasumi advised. "Still . . . "

"What?" the other sisters asked.

"Why don't you ask Negako-san to teach you, Akane-chan?"

Akane considered that, humming. "There's an idea."

"It's a good idea." Nabiki then blinked before snapping her fingers as something came to her. "Heck, why don't you come down to Negako-san's place today, Akane? You have no plans to go out with Tokoro or Asano, do you?"

Akane shook her head. "Um, no! Not really."

"Great! Get your gi!"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the Tendous stepped through the gate of the old shrine Negako resided in. They stopped on seeing the grandmaster of Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjutsu-ryuu guiding Inu Chigaiko in a basic meditation kata. "Do not jerk your movements," Negako instructed, not bothering to glance at the Tendous though she could sense their presence. "Good morning, Nabiki, Akane."

"Ohayou, Sen- . . .!" Akane caught herself. "Um, Negako-san."

Negako lightly smirked. "She can learn."

Akane flustered. "Ohayou, Nabiki-san." Chigaiko then swept her hand in a gentle block. "Like this, Negako-san?" she asked.

"Yes. Akane, you desire to seek instruction with me, do you not?"

Akane bowed respectfully. "Please?"

"Very well. Be warned: You have MANY habits that require being broken. If you seek my instruction, those habits WILL be broken. Understood?"

Akane nodded. "Hai, I understand."

The youngest Tendou sensed Negako's eyes rake over her. She immediately turned away from that gaze to stare at the ground. Nabiki remained in her place, not moving to comfort Akane. In a way, Akane was grateful. Even if she found it quite difficult to contemplate taking over the doojou when she finally came of age, she was interested in the Art. Oh, if only Ranma could have found some way to break past that damned chauvinism of his . . .!

"That is the first lesson you must learn," Negako mused.

Akane stared wide-eyed at her. "Eh?!"

"Your habit of blaming Ranma for your faults." Negako crossed her arms as she gazed at Akane. "Akane, you are aware of how Ranma became the way she is. Why do you continue to take faith in such erroneous beliefs as that?"

"I . . . " The youngest Tendou sighed, gazing anew at the ground. "I'm sorry, Negako-san. It's a stupid habit of mine."

"I am not the one you need to apologise to. Further, I do not believe Ranma would receive an apology from you anytime soon, especially given Tuesday's events. Chigaiko, stop." She glanced at the Tomobiki native. "You need to catch your breath and have breakfast before continuing. Do so now."

"I . . . h-hai! Excuse me, please!" Chigaiko stopped. Bowing respectfully to the grandmaster, she then headed into the old shrine.

Negako then drew out a pair of clippers from her pocket. Walking up to Akane, she took a lock of hair from behind one ear. Akane blinked at her. "What's that for?!" she asked as she stared curiously at Negako.

"Emergency purposes," Negako explained. "Nabiki, take Akane and have her put on the shirt and hakama I laid out in my bedroom. Her old gi will not be necessary here. I will be with you to commence the lesson in ten minutes."

"Right. C'mon, Akane."

Nabiki waved her sister inside. "'Emergency purposes?'" Akane asked.

Nabiki shrugged as they passed through the doors. "Search me. But Negako-san does strike me as the type who knows what she's doing."

Akane nodded. Negako watched them step inside, and then she looked up, her eyes narrowed. "I know you can hear me. Respond now."

A small beacon of light appeared before her face. _Oh, Most Blessed Angel of the Earth . . ._ a weak, female voice responded. _What commands do you, beloved adopted sister of the Saviour, have for my unworthy self?_

Negako held up the hair. "Prepare a body based on Tendou Akane's DNA," she then instructed. "Transport it to Chikage's bedroom on Promised Island. When the body is made, ensure all psionic abilities are sealed from conscious control. I will unseal them when I deem it necessary."

The hair disappeared in a sparkle of light. _It will be done_.

The light vanished. Negako smiled. _With that done, any ideas she might have about becoming the priestess of a 'faith' around Ataru and the others are dashed_. She headed inside the shrine, pausing at the doorway to glance once more heavenward. _Hopefully, her daughters will be of a better temperament._

* * *

Chikage looked up from her tarot cards to see a nude body, lying on a stretcher, materialise beyond her desk. She walked around her table to give the new arrival a careful inspection. "Yes, this will do," she declared.

Sparkles of light shrouded the body from neck to toe before solidifying into a light brown, sunflower-embossed kimono. Once that was done, Chikage nodded. "Now for the final ingredient," she added, holding out her hands.

A flash of light later, a certain doll rested in her arms. _Where . . .?!_ The Noroi no Ningyou looked around in surprise -- as much as a doll could look surprised, of course -- and then she turned up. _Chikage-sama?!_

"Aria is out of her room, so we'll do this now," the sorceress announced as she lowered the doll onto the body. "I believe this will happen swiftly."

_Wha- . . .?!_

A bright aura shrouded both the doll and the unmoving body. The body's eyes then opened, glowing briefly before reverting to their normal deep brown shade. As the aura faded, the doll slumped as its resident consciousness departed it for the last time. Chikage lifted the doll from the young woman's body, and then she teleported the former back to Aria's bedroom. A startled gasp escaped the woman as she sat up, looking confusedly around for a moment. "What happened . . .?" she demanded before looking down on her hands. "This body . . .?" She blinked, the enormity of what just happened hitting her, and then she gazed on Chikage. "Chikage-sama, what have you done?!" she demanded.

"Given you a body you may use," the sorceress explained as the newcomer stood. "Since Akane was the last person you 'possessed,' it seemed proper that a body for you be cloned from her. Negako-anekun just facilitated that, though I'm unaware exactly HOW she did that. Is it sufficient?"

The girl shifted around, moving each joint to ensure each part functioned as it should. A content smile then crossed her face. "Yes, it is sufficient for me," she answered before she looked down at herself. "I sense this is not a fully human body, though. Where did Negako-sama acquire it?"

"That, you will have to ask her." Chikage then tilted her head to the doorway. "Would you like to see Ane-kun?"

The other girl nodded. "Yes."

They stepped out, heading to the stairway. Proceeding to the first floor, they walked into the dining room. "Oh, Chikage-chan, there you . . . " Sakuya then stuttered to a halt on seeing the newcomer. "Who's this?"

"An old acquaintance of Ane-kun's from a vacation she took with her father and the Tendous some months back. Where is she?"

"Right here," Ranma announced as she stepped in. "Who are you talking . . .?" She stopped as the girl turned to look on her. "Akane?! How the hell did you . . .?" Her voice trailed off as her eyes took in the other girl's kimono. "Oh, no . . .!" she then moaned as her hands automatically shifted up.

Seeing the martial artist tense, the newcomer cried, "WAIT!"

Ranma froze, fear and anger burning in her sapphire eyes. Seeing she was still, the newcomer prostrated herself. "Ranma-sama, I did you a terrible injustice when we met months before. Please, I humbly beg your forgiveness."

Silence fell over the dining room as the others watched this curious tableau. Ranma looked first at the girl wearing Akane's face, and then she turned to Chikage. "Um, can you tell me what's going on here, Chikage?"

"That, Ane-kun, is a long story," the sorceress said.

* * *

"_**WHAT?!**_"

"It is true, Young Master." A Kuromegane knelt before Mendou. "Ran-sama's ship has returned to her lot near the Moroboshi home."

Mendou Shuutarou sat back in his chair. "Why would she be allowed to come back to Earth? From what we learned, the United Nations was determined to ensure ALL aliens from Uru were to remain off-planet as long as the war . . . "

A telephone rang. Seconds later, another Kuromegane raced into the room. "Young Master! Ran-sama is calling!" he announced.

Mendou picked up his extension. "Moshi-moshi. Ran-san?!"

"Ohayou, Shuutarou. How are you today?"

Mendou blinked, his face paling as that familiar voice came back to him. "L-l-Lum-san?!" he stammered as he dropped to his knees in shocked disbelief.

* * *

"So your old owner was . . .?"

"Violated and murdered by her brother." The doll-turned-girl nodded, her eyes downcast. "Somehow -- I don't understand how -- I gained the ability to project my spirit into my beloved owner's body so that I could . . .!"

"Avenge her death?" Sakuya finished.

"Hai."

"And that's how you came to be known as the 'Noroi no Ningyou.'" Marie then shook her head. "That's just awful!"

"Why would her brother do something like that?" Mamoru asked.

Ranma shuddered. "I don't know, but I'll tell you this: If he was still alive and if I had the chance, I would've killed him!"

The others grimly nodded. "It's a good thing that Hinako-chan, Aria-chan and Kaho-chan aren't here to listen to this," Karen mused.

"Agreed. So every time someone did something improper before you, you felt compelled to redress such transgressions?" Haruka asked.

The newcomer nodded. "I did. Ranma-sama was the last 'infidel' I dealt with. Though at the time . . . " She glanced apologetically at Ranma. "I didn't realise that it was your father who provoked that incident."

"What did the jerk do _that_ time?" Rinrin demanded.

"He stole a bottle of milk from me after coming out of the onsen," Ranma replied. "It was the last one they had there, too."

A chorus of groans flowed from the sisters. "That does not surprise Hime at all!" Shirayuki shook her head. "Not one bit!"

"Anee, you're smart to dump the jerk!" Mamoru stated.

"Agreed," Sakuya mused.

The front door opened and closed. "Tadaima!"

"BIG BROTHER!" the sisters cheered as Ataru stepped in. He carried a smiling Hinako piggyback, Aria and Kaho holding onto his arms.

"Got your spices, Shirayuki-chan," Ataru announced as he lowered Hinako down, and then he drew some bottles from his jacket. He noticed the newcomer beside Ranma. "Tendou-san, what . . .?" His eyes widened suddenly as his ki senses picked up something odd about her. "Wait! You're not . . .!"

"Um . . . no, she's not," Ranma explained. "You remember me telling you about that spirit-doll I bumped into some months back?"

Ataru nodded, gazing at this replica of Akane before he turned to Chikage. "I take it Onee-chan has something to do with this, too?"

The sorceress smiled. "Somewhat."

"Right . . . " he drawled.

"Waaai! Ningyou-san is a girl now!"

Everyone watched as Aria walked into the newcomer's embrace. She smiled as she drew the Parisian close. "I am grateful, Aria-sama," she whispered. "You gave me the ability to love and trust again. I am forever in your debt."

The others smiled, save one. "Aria-chan's awful!" Hinako crossed her arms. "Aria-chan got herself a new doll and she didn't tell Hina about it!"

Laughter filled the room. "I think the first thing we have to do is give our new friend a name to call her own," Chikage announced.

"I know!" Ranma spoke up. "Tendou Kimiko."

The doll-turned-girl gazed on Ranma. "'Kimiko?'"

"Sure. That's the name of Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi's mother. Besides, it's better than 'Hey, you!' or 'Ningyou-san.'" Ranma shrugged before leaning down to gaze into Aria's eyes. "After all, she's not a doll now, is she?"

Aria shook her head. "No, Kimiko-neeya isn't."

A blush crossed the newly named woman's cheeks on hearing Aria call her "big sister." "Then Kimiko I shall be. Aria-sama?"

"Hai?"

"My old body is in your room. Promise me you'll take care of it?"

Aria nodded. "Hai, Aria promises!"

The Rinrin Viewer beeped. "Viewer on," Rinrin ordered as people looked at it. She then blinked on seeing the man appearing on the screen. "Oh, Reigi-san, ohayou!" she then called out. "Is there something wrong?!"

"Hi, everyone! Ataru-kun, we've got a problem," Yumoa Reigi warned.

Ataru tensed. "Being?"

Reigi explained. As the information sank in, the sisters moaned. They all knew of Lum's "friend," especially concerning the times Ran tried to seek out vengeance on Lum by targeting Ataru. They also knew of the problems Rei brought into their big brother's life. When Reigi was done, Ataru closed his eyes. "Damn! I thought they were going to make sure she didn't come back!"

"I don't understand it myself," Reigi admitted. "I'm trying to get someone to contact the SCAA and find out what's happening. Do you want me to call Brother Sunfire and get the Inquisition over here just in case?!"

Ataru sighed. He couldn't bludgeon even an idiot like Ran with the threat of the Holy Inquisition forever. Maybe a personal confrontation would make her see she had no place on Earth. "No, but have Brother Sunfire call the Inquisition anyway. If Ran's decided to come here, something must've happened to Rei. Let's find out what that's about before making decisions, okay?"

"Alright. I'm putting the clan's forces on alert just in case. I'll also call Negako and give her a head's up as well."

"Don't bother, man. She'll already know. Trust me!"

Reigi chuckled. "Yeah, you got a point."

Everyone laughed. Chikage moved to leave the dining room. "I take it you need help getting to Tomobiki, Ani-kun?" she asked.

Ataru nodded. "Definitely."

"Want some help?" Ranma asked.

"No. You don't know her like I do." He indicated Kimiko. "Besides, I think Kimiko-chan would like a chance to get re-acquainted with you."

Ranma glanced at Kimiko, who smiled back. "True."

* * *

Ataru and Chikage took the latter's travelling rainbow to Tomobiki. The sisters, Ranma and Kimiko watched them from the lawn in front of the rotunda. "Hina wishes Onii-tama would take everyone with him," Hinako lamented.

Hands squeezed her shoulders. "Hinako-sama, Ataru-sama is protecting you from those he feels present a grave threat to your general health and welfare," Kimiko told the youngest of the sisters. "Don't be angry at him."

Hinako blinked before turning around to hug Kimiko. "Still, the sooner he's finally finished with those jerks, the better." Sakuya then crossed her arms. "Especially the ones like Ran and Rei. Who gave people like them the right to think we're no different than a pack of monkeys?"

"They were that bad?" Ranma asked.

"Don't you know, Anee?" Mamoru wondered.

She shook his head. "Not really. Until I met Tampopo-chan, I only knew the general basics about all that went on in Tomobiki. Not that it wasn't really important in the grand scheme of things, but to me . . . "

"If it wasn't martial arts, it ultimately didn't matter?" Karen asked.

"Hai."

"Ranma, where did Ataru-kun and Chikage-chan go just now?"

Everyone turned. "Ah, Kumiko-san! Toshiko-san! Ohayou!" Karen greeted.

"Ohayou, everyone . . .!" Toshiko replied as the mirror-twins came up. Both then stopped on seeing the elegantly dressed Kimiko standing beside Ranma. "Ranma, what is SHE doing here?!" she snarled, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Kimiko winced at that hateful look, and then she moved to slip behind Ranma. "Relax," the latter declared. "Kimiko isn't Akane. She's the spirit of that antique doll I ran across sometime before I went to Mirror Mansion."

"Her body got cloned from Akane's by Negako-aneki," Rinrin added.

"I . . .!" Toshiko then chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry! Um . . . " She then stopped. "Wait a second! If she's here, what does she want?"

A hand tugged Toshiko's arm. The crimson-haired mirror-twin looked into Aria's sorrowful face. "Toshiko-neeya, don't be mad at Kimiko-neeya. Kimiko-neeya likes Nee-ya very much. Toshiko-neeya should like Kimiko-neeya, too."

Toshiko shuddered -- even in her short time on Promised Island, she had learned the most important rule: **DON'T make Aria upset and ESPECIALLY don't make Aria CRY!** -- and then she relaxed. "It's alright, Aria-chan. I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm just concerned for Ranma's safety."

"That is something we all share." Kimiko lightly smiled before humming. "Speaking of which, there is something I'd like to do. With your permission of course, Ranma-sama?" She gazed in amusement on Ranma.

Ranma smirked. "Does that include beating the tar out of Oyaji?"

Kimiko's smile turned to pure ice. "What do you think?"

"Well, it's certainly rude to deny a lady a request, especially one such as that." Kumiko then walked over to tenderly grasp Kimiko's hand. "Kimiko-himesama, may my sister and I have the honour of escorting you to your duel against the honourless lout Ranma must call a father?"

Kimiko's cheeks reddened. Before she could reply, however, the ominous growl of an empty stomach made its own statement. "Ah! Hime thinks Kimiko-chan needs to have some breakfast first!" Shirayuki then declared.

Everyone else laughed.

* * *

The command car came to a halt before the gateway of Ran's property. The driver opened the door, saluting as Mendou Shuutarou disembarked. Beyond the gate, Ran's scoutship sat in its usual place, steam billowing from the retro-thrusters. The main gangway was deployed, ready to welcome visitors.

"Remain here," Mendou ordered.

The driver saluted again. "Hai!"

Mendou approached the ship, his heart turning over as his mind replayed the phone-call he received at the mansion. Lum was ALIVE. Yet she was without a body, her soul having somehow taken up residence in Ran's mind. How did that happen? Was there a way to restore Lum, allow her to live her own life? If so, what then? Would the United Nations allow Lum and Ran to remain this time?

What was going on?!

"Shuutarou."

He spun to see a well-built, tomboyish woman, she possessing short cut, dark brown hair and milk-chocolate eyes, gazing at him. She was dressed in a black martial arts gi, a black belt wrapped around her waist. On the end of the belt was stitched the kanji CHI. Gazing into her eyes, Mendou was quickly reminded of Moroboshi Ataru. The similarity was striking. Who was this . . .?

"Negako-san? Is that you?"

Mendou turned as someone appeared at the top of the gangway. At first, he thought he saw the long, flowing green hair and twin horn-buds that had haunted his fantasies for nearly two years. Yet, though she spoke with Lum's voice, the body was Ran's. "Lum-san . . .?" he hesitantly ventured.

Negako walked past Mendou, she stopping at the bottom of the stairwell. "Welcome back, Lum, Ran. It seems you both are in quite a spot of trouble."

Ran descended, she gazing into the other woman's eyes. Then, to Mendou's surprise, Ran leaned into Negako, wrapping her arms around the latter. Negako seemed to think about it before returning the hug. "Where's Darling, Negako-san?" Ran wondered, her voice strongly tinged with Lum's accent.

"Ataru is not here, but he will come in the next several minutes. He has been told of Ran's return. I dare say he will be as shocked as Shuutarou is about your present state of joint-ness," Negako said. "Much has changed, Lum."

Ran pulled back, a hurt look crossing her face. "How bad . . .?"

"Ran?!"

Everyone turned to see a crowd at the gate. Shinobu, Ryuunosuke, Sakura, Cherry, Kotatsuneko. "Hi!" Ran's voice returned to normal as she waved. "I'm back!" She stopped before her voice shifted. "Er . . . rather, WE'RE back."

Ryuunosuke's jaw dropped. "Wha- . . .?!"

Sakura approached, drawing her spirit-sensor as she waved it before Ran. The vanes rustled, causing the priestess to pause. "I see." She nodded. "The gods truly must have a strange sense of humour. Welcome back to Earth, Lum."

"Um, Sakura-sensei, that's Ran . . .!" Shinobu protested.

"With Lum's spirit within her as well, Shinobu," Sakura amended before she sighed, turning to Mendou. "Given Monday's events, we should move this discussion to a more secure location. Your estate is the best place."

"But of course, Sakura-sensei." Mendou bowed, grinning, and then he turned to Ran, offering his arm. "Lum-san . . . er, Ran-san!"

Ran wrapped an arm around Negako's. "No offence, but we feel a lot safer around Negako-san here than anyone else," Ran/Lum said.

The ninjutsu grandmaster nodded. "If you insi- . . . "

"**EVIL SPIRIT! BEGONE!**"

Everyone turned as Cherry and Sakura, they both alerted to Negako's nature by their spiritual training, lunged at her, beads and spirit-sensor out to battle this -- in the clerics' eyes -- ultimate enemy of humankind. Before they could get close, someone dived at them from out of the sun. The attacker's feet caught the monk and the priestess in their necks, sending them to kiss the walkway! Everyone jolted, turning away for a split-second. Then on looking back, they gaped on seeing that it was Ataru who just intercepted them! "Darling!" Ran gasped, her voice a melodic blend of hers and Lum's.

Ataru stepped off Cherry and Sakura before gazing at the clerics who had been the bane of his life since the day he and Lum were "engaged." "Regardless if she is a thousand years old, she is STILL my sister! Got me, dorks?!" He winked before a pink-haired typhoon slammed into him. "He- . . . wwhoulf!"

"DARLING!" Ran, speaking clearly with Lum's voice, sobbed as she showered Ataru with a rainstorm of kisses. "Oh, Darling! I knew you'd come!"

Ataru grunted. Then, after tapping places on the alien's body to loosen the barnacle-tight glomp holding him down, he shoved Ran away. "Lum, would you MIND, please?! I'd like to breathe, you know!" he panted, feeling his chest.

"MOROBOSHI, HOW DARE YOU . . .?!"

"_**SHINZOU BAKUHATSU SHOKU!**_"

_BOOM!_

Everyone save Ataru, Negako and Mendou hit the deck. The latter was frozen, stunned beyond belief after seeing his katana literally EXPLODE in his face after Ataru tapped it with the Heart Blast Touch. "DARLING!" Ran/Lum gasped. She then breathed out on seeing Mendou was okay. "Darling, be careful when you do that!" she then scolded. "You could've taken his head off!"

"I was tempted to do that," he said to the alien teen before gazing into Mendou's face. "Next time, Sword-for-brains, I aim for your head! Got me?!"

"H-h-h-hai . . . " the scion of the Mendou clan stammered.

He fainted. Ataru glanced at him before turning to look at Shinobu and Ryuunosuke. "If it hasn't sunk into your heads by now, let this be a warning: The game has CHANGED. I'm in NO MOOD to put up to all the garbage! Okay?!"

They fearfully nodded, wondering what sort of trick Ataru might decide to pull out of his hat next. "Darling!" Ran/Lum huffed. "Honestly! They're not like those dorks you had to live with all your life! Stop picking on them!"

Ataru sighed before turning to look at her. The possessed alien teen blinked. Then, on seeing the pain flashing deep in his brown eyes, she paled. "Wha- . . .!" She covered her mouth, her eyes widening. "What happened?!"

"It's a very long story," Ataru flatly announced.

* * *

"EH?!"

The sisters were gathered around the telephone by the kitchen to hear the update from Negako. Kimiko was finishing breakfast in the dining room. Ranma was in her room making arrangements to purchase clothes and other items for the latest person to come to Promised Island. "Are you sure, Aneki?!" Rinrin demanded. She then blinked as the answer came. "Oh, man!" she gasped. "How'd that happen?!" A longer pause. "Okay, I got you. Thanks for telling us." Another pause. "Hai, I'll pass it on to Ranma-aneki. Right, 'bye!"

She hung up. "So who else came back?!" Kaho demanded.

"Lum did."

"But . . .!" Karen blinked confusedly. "Lum's dead! Isn't she . . .?!"

Rinrin shook her head. "Somehow, Lum's spirit got sucked into Ran's head. And since the Noukiites would LOVE to get their hands on Lum, they had no choice but to come to Earth. Anyhow, I'm going to tell Aneki, okay?"

The others nodded as the Island's resident super-genius headed up to Ranma's room. Knocking on the door, she called out, "Aneki?"

"C'mon in, Rinrin," Ranma called back.

Rinrin stepped in. Toshiko was now pocketing a bankbook. "We'll make sure the panda doesn't take advantage of Kimiko-chan," she assured her sibling.

"Great," Ranma replied with a nod. "Be careful, okay?"

"We'll be fine," Kumiko vowed.

The mirror-twins then headed out. Rinrin walked up to place a warm hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Lum's come back too, Aneki," she announced.

Ranma blinked as she took that in before she sighed. "Well, isn't that crazy?" she mused. "Shit, you'd think that I'd be used to weird things happening around my friends, especially with the crap I've been through. But that . . .?" She whistled before staring at Rinrin. "How?"

Rinrin explained, finishing with, "I hope Lum won't end up making things worse, like making Aniki stay in Tomobiki. That's where all Federation aliens stay when they live on Earth. It's been that way since the first Tag Race."

Silence fell as they stared out the windows. Ranma took a deep breath. "Do you think he'll go back to her, Rinrin?" she asked.

Rinrin stared down at the martial artist. "Aneki?"

"Do you think Ataru would go back to Lum?"

She considered that, and then she shook her head. "Nah! I don't think so. I mean, were this before Aniki went to Sanctuary the last time, Lum would have a chance. But too much has changed now. WAY too much. I've noticed it. We all have. Something really hurt Aniki when he went there." She then asked, "What did Aniki tell you about that? Did he say anything?"

Ranma shuddered. "Three billion . . . "

"Eh?!"

She started. Ranma then noticed Rinrin gazing quizzically at her. Catching herself, the martial artist took a deep breath before gently squeezing her visitor's hand. "I can't say anything about it now, Rinrin-chan. Gomen."

Rinrin blinked before nodding understandingly.

* * *

"_**WERE YOU TOTALLY OUT OF YOUR MIND?!**_"

Everyone winced as Sakura railed at Ataru, she gesturing as she waved her spirit-sensor in Negako's direction. The ninjutsu grandmaster, standing near Ran, had a bemused expression on her face. Nearby, Cherry was performing every exorcism spell he knew to remove the Saikoo Jinseijitsu from Negako's body. He didn't realise, of course, that if he actually succeeded, he would kill her since she was the only spirit inhabiting that body. Ran watched the nurse/priestess scream at Ataru. Within the possessed alien, Lum seethed. She was tempted to find the biggest book she could, and then drop it on Sakura's head to make her stop shouting at Darling. Seated across from Ataru in one of the sitting rooms on the Mendou estate, Mendou, Shinobu and Ryuunosuke listened in, they trying to understand what Sakura was so nervous about.

And Ataru . . .?

He almost looked ready to go to sleep.

After Sakura lost her voice for a second, Ataru stifled a yawn, he reclining back in his chair. "Are you finished now?" he then asked.

Sakura balked. Shuddering, she swung back her spirit-sensor to knock some sense into him. Wrong move. His hand caught her wrist, and then he sent it into HER head. "Ataru-kun!" Shinobu gasped as Sakura dropped to the floor.

He sighed, a finger going into his ear. "I'm sorry, but she gave me a nice earache from all that verbal diarrhoea," he explained before glancing at Ran. "Right now, the priority is getting Lum a body of her own . . . "

"I am attempting to do that, lad!" Cherry announced, drawing out some incense to scatter over Negako. "As soon as this dark ka- . . .!"

_WHAM!_

A vase smashed into the monk's jaw, sending him sprawling on the floor. Negako caught it before it crashed into the floor, and then she tossed it back to Ataru. "Moroboshi!" Mendou snapped. "That's a priceless Ming . . .!"

"It is a fake."

Mendou stopped, spinning on Negako. "What did you say?"

"It was created twenty years ago," she reported. "I have seen REAL Míng Dynasty vases, Shuutarou. I know what I speak of. THAT is not real."

"Well, it was good enough to shut THAT fake up." Ataru pointed at a dazed Cherry before he placed the vase back where he found it.

"Amen to that!" Ran muttered, the Seishin teen once again in control of her body. "All his muttering and moaning was giving ME an earache!"

Shinobu and Ryuunosuke exchanged a look. The former then marched up to Ataru. "What's going on here?!" she then demanded. "If Sakura-sensei and Cherry have problems with her, why aren't you listening to them, Ataru-kun?!"

She indicated Negako. "Why is it you care, Miyake-san?" Ataru asked as his eyebrow arched, and then he gazed at Ryuunosuke. "Much less you, Fujinami-san? Why do you care about what happens to me, much less anyone around me?"

"I . . . " Shinobu blinked, her eyes widening. That was the second time EVER that Ataru had addressed her, much less Ryuunosuke, so formally; the first time was yesterday afternoon after the memorial service for Monday's bombing victims. Before that, it had always been "Shinobu-chan" and "Ryuu-chan" even when both girls were pounding him into the ground for some idiot act or another. "I . . . " she started again before her voice caught in her throat. "I've always cared for you, Ataru-kun!" she then declared.

Ataru gazed at her. Shinobu shuddered. He had NEVER looked at her like THAT in the years she had known him. It was the look of someone who had gained much wisdom, but had been forced to pay a hideous price for that wisdom. He blinked before gazing at Ryuunosuke. That act caused the tomboy to tense. Ataru then stared at Ran. Only then did his look soften. He stepped away from Shinobu, and then took a breath. "You'll forgive me, Miyake-san . . . " He gazed once more at her. "For not accepting that explanation at all."

Shinobu blinked, blinked again, and then she staggered as if Ataru just slapped her. "Wh-why . . .?" she rasped, eyes tearing.

"Why?" He looked away before taking a deep breath. "Not long ago -- for me, that is -- I managed to visit a planet that Lum-san and Ran-san both know of." He gazed on Ran. "A planet that reminded me a LOT of Tomobiki here. Oh, yeah!" He then started to pace around the coffee table in the middle of the room. "Especially, Lum, when it comes to how they look on _you_."

The alien blinked, and then she paled. "You went to Phentax Two?"

"Yeah, I did! Boy, was THAT a load of laughs! Oh, what do they call you, Ran? The 'Sinful Doubter,' I believe? The same title they give Shinobu!" He waved to Shinobu before turning to Ryuunosuke. "You, Ryuunosuke, are just a 'Holy Friend,' I'm afraid, just like these two fakes yonder." He pointed to Cherry and Sakura, and then he turned to Mendou. "But YOU, my dear sir! You are just going to LOVE what they call you. Oh, what was it again?! Ah, yeah! The 'Fifth Holy Apostle to the Goddess Lum!' You see, Satoshi is -- pardon me, WAS -- the 'First' Apostle. Then Hiroyuki, Koosuke and Akira. I don't know which way. I guess it was ordered by whoever met the 'Goddess' first.

"You really want to know something, Shuutarou?" He then looked directly into his rival's eyes. "It turns out that the President of the Niphentaxian Union, a guy named Oogi, admired you SO much, he actually went and got COSMETIC SURGERY to turn himself into a NEAR-DOUBLE of you!" Seeing Mendou's eyes widen, Ataru smirked as he leaned closer. "You might say, ol' boy, I was actually pretty impressed by his devotion. And . . . " The humour vanished from his eyes as he added, "I took great pleasure in killing him."

"What . . .?" Shinobu gasped.

Ataru shrugged. "Why not? After all, we know how proud our friend is here." He waved to Mendou. "He wouldn't TOLERATE such an INSULT on his very IMAGE! He confirmed it when Rei came to have a mid-morning snack in class one day. 'Man is Face!' Remember that?!" He stared at Mendou. "Well, since I was sure that you wouldn't really want this guy to run around with your looks, I decided to do it the old-fashioned samurai way and took his head off with one clean blow from my grandfather's sword. Quite painless, I assure you. 'S funny." He sighed as a contemplative look crossed his face. "Folks on Phentax Two would write then that Oogi was a martyr in Lum's service. He died for his faith. Just like Satoshi, Koosuke, Hiroyuki and Akira could be said to have died for their 'faith' on Monday morning. Jeez! That is something, isn't it?"

"Ataru-kun . . . " Shinobu whispered.

"What can I say?" He moved towards her. "I AM the 'Great Evil,' after all. Everything I've done, as they see it, was against the Goddess' wishes. Since I wasn't just going to lie down and let Lum take control of my life, I was doing evil. She IS the Goddess, after all. And all of you loved and cared for her, so that means you were ALWAYS right and I was ALWAYS wrong!" He pointed to Shinobu, and then himself. "Even a 'sinful doubter' like you and Ran were more inclined to support Lum than me. It said it in the Book itself."

Ran blanched. "You read it . . .?" Lum's voice nearly broke.

"From front to back." Ataru reached into his top to draw out a velvet-lined book about the size of the average hotel-room Bible. On it was **THE BOOK OF LUM**. "Whoo! I gotta admit that I've never been insulted to my face like I'm insulted here!" He opened it to the index. "Here we are. The Books of the Holy Apostles. The Book of Jariten. The Books of the Holy Friends. Benten, Oyuki, Nassur . . . " He shook his head. "I haven't met him yet, but from what I've heard, I might not want to meet him. Let's see . . . ah! The book of Cherry. The Book of Sakura. The Book of Ryuunosuke. No book of Rei. The Books of the Sinful Doubters, Ran and Shinobu. They're in the back . . . "

"So where's your book?!" Ryuunosuke wondered, inwardly asking herself when Rod Serling was going to show up and tell them all that they had just taken a trip into the Twilight Zone. "I know you keep a diary of your own."

"Well . . . " Ataru sighed. "You gotta remember. I'm the Great Evil. Who in their right mind would allow the words of a DEVIL to get into their holy text?! I mean, do you see Satan's writings in the Bible?" He gazed at Shinobu. "Also, after I discovered Lum's habit of using her spacializers to jump ahead in time to read my diary, I decided the smart thing to do was to keep the diary at Tampopo's and leave a FAKE in the open to distract Lum so I can have at least SOME privacy with my thoughts. Tampopo's was the one place in Tomobiki where Lum knew she wasn't welcome. I guess getting brained by her spatula finally made her realise I was entitled to some time to myself.

"Of course, it says here . . . " He pointed to the Book of Lum before flipping it open to a section near the start. "The fact that she did THAT to the Goddess made the Niphentaxians call her 'the Great Evil's Most Powerful and Loyal.' Wonder what they meant by calling Tampopo-chan THAT?! Anyhow . . . 'So villainous in her contempt of the Blessed Goddess, so passionate in defending the Vile One within the bounds of her dark establishment, that . . . ' -- this is Satoshi writing, by the way -- 'I can but pray that the One Above even the Most Holy of Holies . . . ' -- that's another way of addressing Lum, I believe -- 'Will strike the Beast down with Divine Retribution.'"

He put the Book on a table. "Darling . . . " Ran/Lum pleaded, hoping to turn him away from WHATEVER madness he was charging into. "Please! You've got to believe me! You can't accept what those monsters say as the truth!"

"Well, then, what the hell was I SUPPOSED to accept, Lum?!" he snapped.

"Lum, why have you never told us about these people?" Shinobu asked.

Ran/Lum shuddered before looking down. "I hate them . . . "

"Yeah." Ataru gazed at Shinobu. "You see, Shinobu, five years ago, some dictator somewhere -- Vos, was it? -- decided he was going to assassinate Lum and her family as an example to one of his enemies. Matter of fact, I think it might've been Nassur he was trying to send a 'message' to. Oogi got wind of it. Being the faithful man he is, he turned around and DID something! Wanna know what he did?! He sent an interplanetary ballistic missile to this place's capital city. It was laden with a stew of stuff. Um, let's see . . . " He hummed. "Oh, yeah! There was anthrax, influenza, hepatitis, Hifuto syndrome -- that's the outer-space version of Ebola, I think -- plus lead oxide dust. Vosians, you see, are VERY vulnerable to lead. And, well, the missile hit the city . . . " Ataru leaned close to Shinobu. "And five million people died."

"Five million . . .?" Shinobu hoarsely exclaimed.

"Yeah." Ataru waved his hand before his face. "You know, I wonder what the smell must've been like in Lecashuto. All those dead and decaying bodies. The old, the young, all the people in between, what animals might've died . . .! Whoo, that must've been ripe!" He then glanced at Ran, all emotion draining from his eyes. "But not, I believe, as ripe as what I smelled on Okusei. And Tunchusei. And Kurrusei. And Noukiios itself."

Ran turned sheet-white. "You went to . . .?"

"Hai. My trip to Phentax Two was informative. But I'm sure you'll agree with me that going to the Dominion and seeing how much your people FUCKED them over -- well, that was MORE informative." He shook his head as he glared Ran down. "You people. You just couldn't swallow your pride. You took advantage of a culture FIVE times older than yours in a moment of weakness, and THEN you subjugated them for a CENTURY on their own planet! THEN, when they threw you off, you just couldn't stand the FACT that they rejected the GREAT Oni Empire for . . . " He gasped in exaggeration, clapping his cheeks. "Horrors! Their OWN way of governing?! Not for ONCE accepting what the 'smarter' Onis taught them in their century of so-called 'benevolent rule?!' How TERRIBLE!" He then pointed an accusing finger at her. "So you tried to starve them out! And you slapped on who knows what sort of trade sanctions to force them to give up those colony planets -- which were Noukiios' BY RIGHT OF TREATY, by the way! -- and even persuaded your friends in the Galactic Federation that the Noukiites were the bad guys, no different than the Ipraedies or the Seifukusu themselves!

"And you WONDER why is it they finally decided to lash back at you when they finally got the chance?!" he snarled. "You WONDER why they decided to detonate an anti-matter bomb in the middle of Onishuto to wipe out your leaders?! You WONDER why ALL the citizens' militias on Machibusu and elsewhere are being slaughtered wholesale, even the CHILDREN?!"

Everyone stared dumbstruck at Ataru. Ran -- or was it Lum? -- tried to say SOMETHING to counter what he just revealed. Ataru blinked before taking on that detached look as he backed away from her. "Well, what do you really care? You showed you were no better than the rest of your people at the Second Tag Race, you and the floozy airhead whose body you're borrowing. And you now wonder why is it someone in the Middle East decided to issue a fatwa that demanded you DIE for what happened in that garbage with the space-taxi all those months ago?! The fatwa that saw four guys who loved you DIE?! The fatwa that killed Ryuunosuke's dad and Nagisa, not to mention two others . . . "

"And your parents."

Ataru turned on Shinobu. She jolted, sensing a cyclone of rage appear in his eyes. She found herself rooted in place, realising she just said something VERY stupid. He stared at her before his face softened. "Yeah. Them, too." He turned to Ryuunosuke, his eyebrow arching. "You want to know why I came on Monday to help out with the mess Ibrahim-san made? You really want to know?"

"W-well . . . " the tomboy stammered, shrugging. "Um, yeah! Sure!"

He gave her an "Aw, shucks!" gesture. "I guess I disappointed you. After all, if I _didn't_ show up, you would've AUTOMATICALLY turned around and blamed that on ME. Just like you've blamed EVERYTHING ELSE on me, too! It says it right in the Book, there." He pointed to the Book of Lum. "I figured that if I did show up, use the skills Onee-chan taught me . . . " He waved at Negako. "Then you wouldn't blame me. Oh!" He then shook his head. "How stupid I was! You don't want to blame yourselves. It's not Tomobiki's way. It's always gotta be MY fault! Well, then . . . " He shrugged. "Knowing you guys, you'll probably get around to putting the blame on me sooner or later."

He walked towards the door, Negako moving to follow. The others watched him go, rooted in place. Ataru stopped, turning to stare at them. "If, on the VERY rare chance you decide I don't deserve blame for what happened, don't come looking for me to apologise. I won't accept it. You'll be turned away every time by whatever force is needed. For you see, I am now of the opinion that the sooner you all DIE, the sooner EVERYONE in this hellhole DIES, the better off the human race will be." His eyes fell on Ran, narrowing.

"Especially you, Lum."

"Darling . . . "

"Let's go, Onee-chan."

They walked out, the doors closing behind them. Mendou raced to pursue. Flinging open the doors, he stopped on seeing nothing but the outer atrium of the Mendou mansion, no sign that Ataru or Negako had been there. "Gone . . . "

Twin screams of heart-shattering pain then diverted his attention back as Ran and Shinobu collapsed to their knees, wailing as the finality of what just happened sank in. Ryuunosuke and Mendou moved to comfort. Sakura stared at the place Ataru had just been before turning to look on Cherry. "What could have happened to make him be like THAT, Uncle?!" she wondered.

"I cannot begin to guess, my niece." He shook his head, and then lowered his eyes. "But even if he would reject it, we must pray for him."

* * *

"Mistress . . . "

"Ye gods!" Mendou Ryooko gasped as Ataru's harsh words echoed again and again through her mind. She had heard everything that had been in the sitting room thanks to a Kuroko who had a portable microphone/receiver attached to a transmitter that had beamed those words straight into her study. "Moroboshi-sama, what's happened to you?" she wondered as she sank into her chair.

"Your orders, Mistress?" a Kuroko gently inquired.

She considered that, and then she breathed out, "As soon as possible, I wish to see that book Moroboshi-sama mentioned." Disbelief flashed across her face as the true meat of Ataru's words roiled deep in her mind. "Imagine that!" she exclaimed. "A RELIGION based on things Onii-san, Lum-san's friends and others wrote about her?! And they believed so much in it that they were willing to slaughter five million people just to protect their 'goddess?!'"

"Truly disturbing, Mistress," another Kuroko noted.

"We shall retrieve the Book of Lum immediately," the first vowed.

"Thank you," Ryooko acknowledged that with a nod.

* * *

"So where the hell did you go, Negako-san?"

Negako glanced at Nabiki, Akane and Chigaiko. She had been teleported back to the old shrine in Nerima a minute before. "There was a matter in Tomobiki that required my attention," she stated, and then her eyes fixed on the Tomobiki native. "If you desire to know, Chigaiko, Ran has returned."

Chigaiko's eyes narrowed. "What the hell is THAT bitch doing here?! I thought the United Nations made sure they'd never come back!"

"Who IS Ran, anyway?" Akane asked.

"Aruka Ran. A former classmate of Lum's," Nabiki automatically provided; this was information Marubeya Momoe had given her long ago. "Acts like Miss Sweet-and-Nice most of the time, but she's got a mean streak a kilometre wide and she loves using bazookas and doll-bombs. Don't know why, but she came to Earth originally to seek revenge on Lum. I also know that one of the ways she loved to antagonize Lum was to flirt with Ataru-kun."

"I doubt she will be as much a 'pain' as she was before, Nabiki," Negako reported. Seeing Nabiki gaze curiously at her, she added, "Rei is dead."

Akane stared at Nabiki. "Who's Rei?"

"Seq Rei, Lum's old boyfriend. He later came to be very close to Ran," the middle Tendou daughter explained. "He was even more gorgeous than Kunou-chan, but dumber than a brick. He was a metamorph, too; turned into a tiger-striped bull as big as a pick-up truck. Even more, he had an appetite that put Ranma-kun's AND his father's TOGETHER to shame."

Akane weakly nodded. "Oh!" _Someone whose appetite was bigger than Ranma's AND Genma's put together?!_ She boggled. _Impossible!_

Chigaiko shook her head, crossing her arms. "All the food vendors in Tomobiki will jump for joy on hearing that one."

Akane stared at her. "You really don't like them, do you?"

"Nope. And . . . " Chigaiko took a deep breath before she shrugged. "I really don't know, Akane-san. I wish they'd be gone forever from our lives, but I wouldn't wish them dead. What's going to happen to Ran, Negako-san?"

"Since she clearly has no home on Uru, Ran could be accorded war refugee status on Earth," Negako explained. "She will be denied the chance to access elements of Urusian technology. The Special Committee on Alien Activities can assist, as can the Holy Inquisition of Zephyrus. Since Ran could easily pass as a normal Terran girl if she had to, the disguise is further enhanced."

Chigaiko tensed. "Would she think of going after Ataru-kun?"

"No. With Lum dead, Ran's need for revenge is nullified. Further, Ran's grief at Rei's death is too overwhelming to allow her to seek Ataru. Even if he learned of the level of abuse Ran's mother unleashed on her when she was a child, I do not believe he would desire to have anything more to do with her."

"Not that what Ani-kun told those fools in Tomobiki wouldn't deter her enough. Eh, Ane-kun?" a voice echoed from the shadows.

Chigaiko and the Tendou sisters screamed out, they spinning around as the shadows melted into a purple-haired girl dressed in dark clothes, a white cape draped over her shoulders. "Was it difficult, Chikage?" Negako asked.

"Not really." The newcomer held up several spheroid devices, each pierced by a pointed cross-like weapon shaped like the crosses on her cape. "From what I could tell, the grounds were littered with these things. I only retrieved those in the room where you and Ani-kun met the others, plus those in the surrounding rooms. Who placed them there in the first place, Ane-kun?"

"A group of people who do not like Ataru," Negako replied.

"Oh."

* * *

"LOST?!"

"Yes, sir," the technician reported. "I tried to tap into our listening devices at the Fifth Holy Apostle's mansion in hopes of hearing what the Great Evil and his companion had to say to the Holy Company, but . . . " He waved helplessly at the readout on the screen. "The devices in the Fifth Apostle's private atrium went off-line as soon as they arrived!"

Blinking, the senior officer then sighed. "How's that possible?"

The technician shook his head. "I can't say, sir."

* * *

A knock. "Nii-sama, are you there? Nii-sama?"

The door opened, revealing Shirayuki. She looked in to see Ataru on his bed; he had returned to the Island fifteen minutes before. He was gazing out the window, a lost look on his face. Tears glistened in his eyes. The chef walked in to place a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?! Are you okay?!"

Ataru started before staring quizzically at his sister. A hand absently slipped up to give hers a thankful squeeze. "Y-yeah, I'm okay," he assured her before turning to gaze out the window again. "Is lunch ready, Shirayuki-chan?"

"I . . . " Shirayuki blinked, a chill racing through her. "In about an hour or so, Nii-sama. Do you want some tea?" she then asked.

He looked at her with a wan smile. "Yeah, that'd be nice. Thanks."

She withdrew, closing the door behind her. Turning around, Shirayuki nearly leapt out of her dress on seeing Yotsuba standing there, an intent look on the detective's face. "What's with Ani-chama?" Yotsuba demanded.

Taking several breaths to calm down, Shirayuki then glared at Yotsuba. "Yotsuba-chan, stop doing that to Hime!" she snapped.

"What's going on?"

Both turned to see Ranma standing by the doors to the dining room. "Oh, Nee-sama! There you are!" Shirayuki called out as she walked up to her. "Will you PLEASE have a talk with Nii-sama? Something's really bothering him!"

Seeing the panic in her eyes, Ranma placed her hands on the chef's shoulders. "Okay, I'll look in on him, Shirayuki-chan."

"Oh! Arigatou desu no, Nee-sama!"

"And YOU!" Ranma spun on Yotsuba, pointing a warning finger her way. "Don't you DARE eavesdrop on us! Got me?!"

The detective rapidly nodded. "H-h-hai!"

"Good!"

Ranma walked past them to Ataru's room. Shirayuki and Yotsuba watched her, and then the former grabbed the latter's arm. "C'mon!" she called out as she pulled Yotsuba towards the kitchen. "You can help Hime in the kitchen!" 

"Hey!" Yotsuba yelped as she was dragged off.

* * *

Ranma walked into Ataru's bedroom. She stopped on seeing him sitting on his bed. She gazed on him a moment before striding over. As he turned to look at her, her hand lashed out to slam into his cheek, the blow nearly sending him into the wall. "_**YOU IDIOT!**_" she snapped as he collapsed, and then she grabbed him by the collar to yank him up. "What's the hell's wrong with you?!"

He stared at her, and then his head drooped, tears streaming down his cheeks. The hot flash of anger that just exploded from Ranma's heart quickly faded. She lowered him to the bed. "Ataru, please! I'm sorry, but will you freakin' WAKE UP and see what you're doing to your own FAMILY?!" She shook his shoulders before kneeling in front of him. "Ataru, what . . .?"

Her voice halted on seeing the helpless look cross his face. "I have no choice, Ranma . . . " escaped from his lips. "I'm trapped . . . "

"Trapped?!" she demanded. "How?"

He wiped his eyes. "I . . . " He looked at his hands. "I didn't know what to do . . .! I just didn't know what to do . . .! Onee-chan got there before me. Sakura and Cherry freaked out when they sensed what Onee-chan was. I dropped them both, and then Lum nearly broke my back when she hugged me. I pried her off. Mendou went crazy, so I blew up his damned sword and I . . . "

His voice faded as a whimper escaped him. Ranma stared at him. Shifting herself onto the bed, she drew him close. As muffled sobs escaped from him, she reached up to gently stroke his hair. "You hate them, don't you?"

A minute passed before he pulled away to gaze into her eyes. "I really don't know what to feel about them now, Ranma," he admitted, turning away from her. Slowly rising, he walked to the window to stare outside. "On the one hand, I . . . I know I did a lot of stupid things when I was living in Tomobiki. I can accept that, Ranma. I really can. But . . . " He quaked before turning back to her. "I got there and they started laying into me about Onee-chan and . . . and I . . . " He lowered his head, looking away.

"Did they all do that to you?"

"No, no . . . " He shook his head. "It was just Sakura and Cherry. And deep down, I understand why. They . . . " He bit his lip. "They know most of the story behind the Saikoo Jinseijitsu, but they never knew what happened five years ago. Instant they learned, Sakura went on a bend, wondering if I'd totally lost my mind letting Onee-chan free out of my head to live her own life. And there's Cherry trying to 'exorcise' Onee-chan's spirit out of her body. Shinobu was wondering why I wasn't listening to Sakura and . . . "

He threw up his hands. Ranma slowly nodded. "You cut loose on them?"

"Oh, yeah. That I did." Ataru wryly chuckled as he leaned his head on the window. "I told them about the Niphentaxians. I told them about what I saw on Noukiios and elsewhere. Tore into Lum, tore into Ran, tore into every last one of them. And then . . . " He sniffed before a pained chuckle escaped him. "I told them that I wanted them all to die, to stay out of my life. And just when Chikage teleported Onee-chan and I out of there, I heard Lum and Shinobu scream out . . . " He squeezed his eyes shut. "Damn me . . . "

Silence fell as Ataru walked back to the bed. Sitting, he reached into his nightstand to draw out some tissue. "Why?" Ranma asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I . . . " He paused before sighing, gazing at the door to his bedroom. "It was because of them, I guess."

"The sisters?"

"Yeah." He sucked in his breath before staring once more at her. "I don't want to lose them, Ranma. I never, EVER, in a million years want to lose them. But . . . " He looked away. "I'm afraid, Ranma. I really am . . . "

She reached over to squeeze his shoulders. "That the folks in Tomobiki are gonna do something to make the girls turn away from you?"

He slowly nodded. "Yeah. And what's worse, it's . . . " He took in another deep breath. "It's _Lum_, Ranma. If Lum wasn't involved in this, I wouldn't be so scared. At least, I hope to hell I wouldn't be so scared. But . . . " He shuddered. "Even as she is now, without her own body, stuck in the back of Ran's mind . . . what does she want, Ranma? Does she still want to be with me? If that happens to us, what about the girls? We . . . "

He buried his face in his hands, a moan drifting through his fingers. She gazed on him before moving to draw him once more into her arms. They remained in place for a few minutes, and then Ranma reached up to draw his hands away from his face. "Ataru? Do you still love Lum?"

Ataru sighed, shaking his head. "Not anymore."

"So you're afraid she'll press you like she did before, right? Do anything she can to make you come back to her, right?"

He slowly nodded. "Yeah."

Ranma considered that. "I can see why you're scared."

He nodded again. "Yeah. The last few weeks . . . especially the week before I met you . . . " A pause. "Well, it was more than just a week to me. I went to a place called 'Sanctuary.' It's a space-time nexus, where the normal rules of time don't apply. I . . . " He took a breath, wiping his eyes with the palm of his hand. "I lost track of the time I stayed there. It was . . . " Another pause. "A while, I confess." A wry chuckle. "And while I was there, I learned things. About me, about Lum and her people, about Grandma. And I . . . " He squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't know what to do now, Ranma. What do I say to them?" He nodded to the doorway. "What do I keep quiet about? This . . . oh, gods! It's so damned complicated! It's . . . "

His voice failed, and then he leaned his forehead into his hands. She gazed on him before breathing out, "You gotta tell someone. And if this affects the girls, you HAVE to tell them everything," she whispered, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. "Look, if you're uncomfortable telling them some things, tell ME about it. Maybe I can help you deal with them. Please?"

Silence fell as he considered that, and then he looked up at her. His mouth twitched slightly into a smile. "I did tell you the worst of it," he admitted. "But . . . it's a matter of degrees, isn't it?" he then asked.

"I'm not going anywhere," she vowed.

* * *

"Sokomade!"

Akane jolted on hearing Negako's voice. Pausing for a moment to bring herself down from the adrenaline high sparring gave her, she lowered her arms, a deep breath escaping her as Nabiki took a step back. Watching the sisters relax, the ninjutsu grandmaster stepped up to stand between them. "You need to work harder on controlling your temper." Negako gazed clinically at Akane. "Allowing your emotions to influence your actions, especially in a battle situation, can guarantee you a very quick defeat. Remember that."

"H-h-hai," Akane stuttered, her head bobbing in acknowledgement.

Negako turned to the middle Tendou daughter. "Refrain from employing what demonstration katas you designed in a free spar. It makes you predictable in the long term. That is a habit that hurt you in the past. Understood?"

Realising she was referring to the incident five years before that initially forced her out of martial arts, Nabiki nodded. "Hai, I understand."

The front gate then opened, causing them to turn and look. "Is this the place?" a familiar voice heralded the arrival of Hiroshi. He then noticed who was standing on the lawn. "Hey! This must be the place!" He pushed the door open further, allowing Daisuke, Sayuri and Yuka to follow him inside.

Akane beamed on seeing her friends. "Hi, everyone!"

The new arrivals boggled on seeing Akane whole and intact from what Ranma did to her. "Akane-chan, what happened?!" Sayuri cried, jogging over to give Akane's once-broken arm an inspection. "How'd you get the cast off so fast?!"

"Thanks to Negako-san." Akane waved to the ninjutsu grandmaster.

She proceeded to do introductions. Daisuke and Hiroshi both perked on remembering to whom Negako was related to. "You're Ataru-kun's sister?!" The former shifted to give their host a close inspection. "So we hear he might be coming to Fuurinkan next week! Does he still have those black bo- . . . urk!"

He dropped to the ground thanks to a punch from Sayuri. "Ataru no longer possesses his collection of notes concerning his acquaintances from Tomobiki," Negako replied. "He burned them shortly after he departed Tomobiki."

Nabiki blinked, stunned to hear THIS titbit about Ataru. "Why?!"

Negako lightly shrugged. "He had his reasons, Nabiki. One of them is that the girls of Tomobiki no longer gave him any emotional satisfaction, even the ones said to have been 'very close' to him such as Miyake Shinobu." Sensing Chigaiko step out of the old shrine with a pitcher of ice tea and some glasses, the grandmaster moved to make the Tomobiki native's presence known. "As a matter of fact, the only person from Tomobiki whom Ataru likes without reservation is Chigaiko here. Like he, Chigaiko wisely chose to move out of Tomobiki when the opportunity presented itself." She glanced at Ataru's old classmate, who blushed in return, before performing introductions.

Everyone then headed into the living room. "How come you're using an old shrine as your house, Moroboshi-sensei?" Sayuri asked, glancing around the bare walls. "There are other properties for sale around Nerima, after all."

"Do not call me 'Sensei,' Sayuri," Negako instructed. That comment caused the newcomers' eyes to widen. The grandmaster continued, "The shrine offers as much land as the Tendou property, plus possesses enough interior space to house our siblings when they come to visit Tokyo for shopping trips."

Hiroshi perked. "Ataru-kun has other sisters?"

"Twelve of them." Negako gave him a knowing stare. "And no, they are not interested in dating anyone, Hiroshi."

That comment sent Hiroshi and Daisuke's heads slamming into the coffee table. Akane, Sayuri and Yuka fell over laughing while Nabiki and Chigaiko exchanged a knowing look and grin. As conversation then picked up between the soon-to-be Fuurinkan sophomores, Negako headed into the kitchen. Nabiki followed her, stopping at the doorway to see Negako preparing tea with what appeared to be hand-made bags. Stepping closer, she took a sniff of the strange brew before recoiling. "Eeew! What is that stuff, anyway?!"

"A special Zephyrite herbal solution mixed with Essiac tea. It is for Chigaiko," Negako explained.

Nabiki's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Near-terminal acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia."

Silence.

"Ye gods . . . " Nabiki's hand covered her mouth, and then she leaned closer to the grandmaster. "Does she know?" she hissed.

"No," Negako explained. "Chigaiko knows she possesses anaemia, but she does not realise it has progressed to that stage. I would desire her to not know the truth. I am progressing with a remedy that will restore her to a nominal level of health within several weeks. However, such cannot succeed if she is informed of the severity of her condition. Understood?"

The middle Tendou daughter considered that before nodding. "Gotcha."

"Sufficient." Negako finished her preparations. Placing the teacup on a tray, she then gazed curiously on Nabiki. "Nabiki, why was Akane never informed of the three times she accidentally struck Yuka with her ki-mallet during the month before Ranma and Genma came to your home?"

The whole room, to Nabiki, went dark as Negako's tonally flat question punched right into the depths of her heart and soul. The middle Tendou daughter stared in dumbfounded shock at her host, she stunned on realising Negako's ability to discern a person's past through her body's ki signature had told her THAT. In a flash, Nabiki scrambled to the kitchen door to close it, and then she zipped back to stare into Negako's eyes. "How the hell did you know THAT?!" she hissed, barely containing her urge to scream.

Negako sighed. "Nabiki, you know the answer to that question."

Nabiki jerked. Negako remained in place, an amused smirk crossing her face as she watched the other's antics. Finally, Nabiki straightened herself. "Alright, I know about that!" she said. "But those times were **accidents**! They happened when Kunou-chan was being more of a jerk than usual when it came to trying to 'win' Akane-chan over. I know that. Tokoro knows that. She never once felt it necessary to come after Akane-chan because of that!"

"Most likely because she was a relatively new student at Fuurinkan at the time of these 'accidents' and desired to be part of what she perceived as the 'in' crowd. Further, with Ranma's arrival on the scene, Akane's anger was redirected onto a new target. It appears I will have to do some more work to ensure Akane breaks free of that particular habit of hers once and for all."

With that, she picked up Chigaiko's tea, and then she headed back into the living room. Nabiki watched her go, a wary look on her face.

* * *

"Juhzi?"

"Huh?" A hunky, dull-looking teenager with tapered ears looked up from the manga he was reading. "What is it, Makasai?"

"Have you seen my copy of the Book?" a plain girl, also possessing tapered ears, asked. She was standing at the doorway of her fellow observer's bedroom. That was located in a nondescript apartment block located in the west end of Tomobiki not three blocks from the main entrance of the Mendou estate. "I left it on my nightstand last night and it's not there now," she then added.

Juhzi shook his head. "I didn't see anyone go into your room, Makasai," he admitted, rising to head over to his nightstand, where a copy of the Book of Lum lay. "You sure you left it there?" he asked as he handed the Book to her.

"I'll look for it later," she vowed, nodding as she took it from him.

* * *

"Ohayou, Ryooko-san."

Mendou Ryooko gasped as that soft voice tickled her ear. She spun around in her chair to see a woman draped in a hooded white cape with stylized crosses standing at the entrance to her private study. The half-dozen Kuroko nearly leapt out of their costumes and masks on seeing the newcomer, who hadn't been there a second before. Ryooko blinked, instantly impressed by the visitor's sense of the dramatic. Her eyes then widened as recognition dawned on her.

"Hirosaki Chikage, I presume," she declared, rising to give the visitor a nod. A hand-gesture from the younger Mendou made the Kuroko relax. "One day soon to become Moroboshi Chikage," she then added.

"The same," Chikage acknowledged with a smile as she reached into her cape to draw out a book. "I believe you're looking for a copy of this."

Ryooko's eyes widened automatically on seeing the title, written in stylish kana and kanji, on the cover. "How . . .?" she gasped.

Chikage held up a hand. "Just a moment."

The sorceress then drew out a handful of her favoured cross-shaped pendants. A flick of the wrist later, they flew off to insert themselves in various nooks and crannies all over the study. Seconds later, they returned to Chikage's hand, each now impaled on a spheroid-shaped device, the sight of the latter making Ryooko's eyes go VERY wide. "What . . .?"

"To ensure our words remain private," Chikage asserted as she slipped her pendants into her cape. She handed Makasai's copy of the Book of Lum to her host. "Almost everyone in Tomobiki has been spied on via devices like this by Ani-kun's recent 'acquaintances' since after Lum came to live here full-time."

Ryooko blinked, her mind nearly coming to a complete stop on hearing that assertion. Chikage tried not to smirk too much on seeing her reaction; no doubt, learning her own private sanctum had been so easily invaded -- and by people whose very existence had been totally unknown to her until this day! -- had just hit the poor girl hard. "You best take some time to read that," Chikage advised as she turned to leave, her finger indicating the Book. "I suspect you have ways to look in on your own brother's diary if you so desired to do so. Take note of the differences between what your brother's written and what's written there. Once you understand that, you'll understand a lot of what's happened to Ani-kun since he came to the Island to live with us."

"Er . . .!" Ryooko then cleared her throat. "Thank you, Chikage-san."

"You're welcome." Chikage stopped before she glanced over her shoulder at the younger Mendou, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "A word of advice, Ryooko-san: Don't think of drawing Ani-kun into your silly little games from this day on. Speaking for my sisters, we WILL hold a grudge if you do."

In a blink, she was gone. Ryooko stared at the empty space Chikage just occupied before her eyes turned to gaze on the Book of Lum.

* * *

The door to Ataru's room opened. Ranma closed the door behind her before walking into the dining room. She stopped on seeing the sisters save Chikage there, worry etched on all their faces. A glance at the clock mounted on one wall indicated that it had been an hour since she had gone in to see Ataru.

"Onee-sama . . .?" Sakuya rose. "Is he alright?"

Ranma sighed. "He's getting there."

Hinako sniffed. "Why won't Onii-tama tell us what's wrong?"

Ranma gazed on the youngest of the sisters, and then she walked over to sit beside her. Gently grasping Hinako's hands, the martial artist drew them close to her. "Hinako-chan, it's not that Ataru doesn't want to tell you what's happened." She took a deep breath. "It's just that he's afraid you all would take it the wrong way and come to hate him . . .!"

"NO!" Hinako screamed, shaking her head as she swamped Ranma with an embrace. "HINA'LL NEVER HATE ONII-TAMA! Onii-tama . . .!"

Sobs stole her voice. Karen walked over to draw Hinako away from Ranma, taking her to a nearby couch so she could cry. "Anegimi-sama, you HAVE to tell us SOMETHING!" Haruka begged. "Anything! Tell us something, please!"

Looking at their pleading faces, Ranma took a deep breath. "Alright . . . " She nodded. "I'll give you the basics, but that's as far as I'll go right now. Hopefully, what hurt Ataru won't come back to hurt you. That's the biggest thing he's worried about. And with Lum back . . . " She paused before looking down. "He's afraid that Lum or one of those people in Tomobiki will do something that'll hurt you. And if that happens . . . " Her voice faded, and then she shook her head. "I don't know how he'll react."

Silence fell as the sisters considered that. Sakuya walked over to kneel beside Ranma. "Onee-sama, what can you tell us?"

Sighing, Ranma began.

* * *

"I can't begin to believe it was THAT bad!"

"Believe it." Negako placed a cup of Marie's favoured cherry tea before Chikage, and then she sat across from her. Chigaiko was at Tampopo's enjoying lunch. The Tendou sisters and their friends had gone home for the day.

The sorceress grimaced. "I suspected a lot of what he went through," she admitted. "But to be proven right so much . . . " Her voice trailed off, and then she drank her tea. "Lum's return is not the thing Ani-kun needs now."

"Yes, she is the primary chink in Ataru's emotional armour," the ninjutsu grandmaster mused, glancing heavenward. "Still . . . "

"You believe something will make this situation better?"

"Yes. It must be done delicately, but we can endure this." Negako sighed. "Ataru understands that very much. He wants to tell all of you. But how could Hinako, Aria or Kaho, much less the others, truly understand it?"

"You have a point." Chikage rose to leave, keeping her teacup in hand. "And yes, our relationship to Ani-kun might prove a source of trouble to all of us. That I certainly foresee, especially given what these Niphentaxians are supposedly like. But . . . " She paused before a smile crossed her face. "Ani-kun needs to understand that we will never turn away from him."

"I do not believe I can help there."

"Ranma-anekun could."

Both gazed on the other. Negako's eyebrow arched. "Sanctuary?"

Chikage grimly nodded. "The sooner Ane-kun can truly look on herself in the mirror and understand who and what she is, the better for her AND Ani-kun. In the meantime, I believe Sakuya-chan and I can do something to derail Lum until such time as whatever you just sensed can help."

She teleported away. Negako lightly smiled.

* * *

"Onii-chan . . .!"

A chorus of stunned looks fell on Ranma. Hinako sat in her lap. "He FOUGHT with the Noukiites against the Onis?!" Rinrin demanded.

"But Aniue-sama said the Noukiites practised slavery!" Marie stated. "Why in the name of Heaven would he support THEM?!"

Ranma took in a deep breath. "Ataru found out that in the greater scheme of things, they're the lesser of two evils, Marie-chan."

Mamoru crossed her arms. "I'd sure like that proven."

Haruka shook her head. "Did Anigimi-sama learn of things that would cast Lum-san's people in such a light, Anegimi-sama?"

"Yes, he did. A lot of things." Ranma nodded before noisily exhaling. "And in finding out those things, whatever feelings he had for Lum ultimately took a BIG hit. And it just piled on and on and on until . . . "

She shrugged. "Onii-tama said Lum-san wasn't bad!" Hinako protested.

"Yeah. And he believes, even now, that she never got directly involved in any of that stuff, Hinako-chan. But . . . " Ranma paused before staring at the others. "Look at it from Lum's direction. She nearly gets killed when one of her people's oldest enemies blows up her planet's capital. She loses her family and a lot of friends. Along the way, Ran loses her boyfriend to that same enemy. So they came here to seek refuge and escape. Neither Lum nor Ran had any idea about what Ataru's been through. Suddenly, they get back together and . . . " She shrugged. "What do you think might happen if Lum finds out that her 'Darling' had sided with the Noukiites, a race the Urusians have been brainwashed to believe were barbarians, against her own people? Well?"

The sisters considered that. Kaho sniffed. "Onii-chama . . . "

"So what do we do?" Yotsuba wondered.

A stony grimace crossed Sakuya's face. "I know what we can do," she announced, turning to leave before seeing Chikage by the door enjoying tea. "Chikage . . .!" she hissed, and then she looked at Haruka. "You, too!"

Haruka nodded. "Hai!"

* * *

"You feeling okay now, Lum-chan?"

_N-n-no . . ._ a trembling voice echoed inside Ran's mind as the Seishin teen relaxed in her living room, a cup of tea in hand. _H-how could D-darling say those a-awful things . . .? H-how could D-d-darling believe all that g-g-garbage Oogi put out in that st-st-stupid book . . .?!_

Ran sighed. "Maybe you should've told him about those idiots . . . "

"Agreed. Honest communication would have helped, Aruka-san."

Gasping, Ran spun out of her chair, shocked on seeing a hooded figure standing behind her, the newcomer's dark eyes glaring her down. Fear quickly vanished as righteous anger took over, the alien teen grabbing her bazooka out of a handy warp-space pocket. Before it could be put to use, a flash of light saw the weapon sliced in half. Ran then cried out as the sharp edge of a naginata pressed against her neck. Glancing right, she gargled on seeing a raven-haired girl in a pink-and-black hakama standing there, she holding the bladed halberd pressing against Ran's throat in one hand, a glittering war fan in the other. "I suggest you don't move," the armed girl warned with a smile.

A third girl, possessing stringy ponytails, then stepped into view. "I believe we have their attention," she mused before she stared at the girl with the cape. "Chikage-chan, there some way you can block this bitch's powers?"

Chikage chuckled. "I doubt she would survive if she tried to use them on any of us, Sakuya-chan. Especially with Haruka-chan's naginata at her throat." She then stepped up to gaze knowingly into Ran's eyes. "And especially given our relationship with Ani-kun," she added with an icy smile.

Ran blinked, confusion slowly overcoming her. "Wh-who . . .?"

"We want to talk to the one inside you, Aruka-san," Sakuya warned. "Feel free to listen in since what we have to say affects you, too."

Silence fell. Ran's facial demeanour then changed. "How do you know . . .?" she asked in Lum's voice. "Who are you people . . .?"

"I'm sure this starship comes equipped with internal sensors, so when we finally leave, you can do a DNA scan and then do a parental comparison with your precious 'Darling,' Redet-san." Sakuya smiled. "Our half-brother."

Ran's jaw opened. She blinked, blinked again, and then stammered out in Lum's voice, "Y-y-you're Darling's s-s-sisters . . .?"

"We are," Chikage stated. "And we have come to give you a warning. To you, to Aruka-san, to anyone else who might come from beyond Earth in your wake AND to those here in Tomobiki who might wish to support you." She glared intently into Ran's eyes, causing the possessed Seishin teen to sink away from those burning orbs. "It is this: **Leave -- Ani-kun -- ALONE!**"

"B-b-but . . .!" Ran/Lum stammered.

"Are you hard of hearing?" Sakuya wondered.

"I . . .!"

Haruka smiled. "Perhaps we should ask the Holy Inquisition to turn this thing over to the Noukiites and let them have their way with her."

Ran paled. "N-n-no . . .!"

"Scares you, doesn't it?" Sakuya smirked on seeing Ran look away. "Good. After hearing of the crap both of you heaped on Onii-sama, it's about time you got a taste of it in return. Maybe it might teach you something."

"B-but . . .!"

"Shut up!" Sakuya barked, the snap in her voice causing Ran to duck. "Let me make this VERY clear to the BOTH of you. If you so much as even THINK of trying to hurt Onii-sama -- either by yourself, your pals from outer space or running to the clods in this place and getting their help in this -- you'll be gift-wrapped and sent to the Holy Inquisition so fast, your head will spin!"

"But Darling's . . .!"

"Your husband?" Haruka wondered. "Your fiancé, perhaps? There, you are VERY wrong, Redet-san. Anigimi-sama was NEVER your fiancé!"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Ran/Lum screamed.

"It is," Chikage countered. "The leadership of our family passes from GRANDMOTHER to GRANDDAUGHTER. In other words, from Nagaiwakai to Sakuya-chan." She pointed to her sister. "Sakuya-chan is head-of-clan. She has the right to decide to whom Ani-kun will marry. Not you. Further, you do not have Muchi or Kinshou to hide behind. You do not have Megane and his fools to hide behind. Mendou Shuutarou is no longer relevant and I don't believe Miyake Shinobu or Fujinami Ryuunosuke will be willing to help you, either. AND you do not have your father . . . " She leaned up. "Much less Oogi and the Niphentaxians . . . " She grinned on seeing Ran's eyes go VERY wide on hearing that. "To hide behind, either! You are alone. And this time, Ani-kun is no longer interested in you! His destiny . . . " She backed away. "Belongs now to another."

Ran jolted before another shudder rocked her as the pressure of Haruka's naginata increased. "Since it's inhumane to force you to leave while your planet is in the midst of war, you can stay," Sakuya stated. "But if you screw up even ONCE, you're out of here. For GOOD! Believe me, Onii-sama will not shed a TEAR for you!" She turned away from her. "Let's go, girls!"

Chikage waved her cape. Ran automatically squeezed her eyes shut as the cape blanked out her vision. She then opened them to find herself alone in her living room. The panic she felt from facing the sisters quickly drained as she sank to her knees, taking in ragged breaths to try to calm herself. "L-Lum . . .?" she whispered, sensing herself back in control over her body.

Silence answered. Ran staggered to her feet, and then she made her way into the ship's pilotage. Sitting at the command chair, she tapped controls to draw up the ship's internal sensor logs. The image of her and the sisters in the living room appeared on the screen before her. She tapped commands to do a DNA scan of the three women. The readouts came up. Drawing up a memory file of Ataru's DNA, she did a comparison. Ten seconds later, her eyes widened. "Oh, Fates . . . " She covered her mouth. "It's all true . . .?"

A _beep!_ echoed from her communications board. Ran tapped controls. She then blinked before calling out, "Lum-chan, it's Benten."

Silence.

"Lum . . .?"

A pained moan echoed in her mind. _He hates me, Ran . . .!_

Ran closed her eyes. "Benten's calling, Lum."

The moan faded. _What do I do now?_

Ran bit her lip. "I don't know, Lum-chan."

* * *

"WHAT?!"

Nabiki and Akane leaned back from Souun as everyone sat in the sitting room of the Tendou home. "Well, what did you expect us to do, Dad?" the former demanded as she crossed her arms. "Just keep on waiting until doomsday?"

Souun shuddered as her explanation sank in before he wailed, "Oh, Nabiki-chan! How could you do this to your suffering father?! To seek instruction from another master?! Oh, the shame of it all! The SHAME of it . . .!"

_WHAP!_

He was slammed into the table thanks to Happoosai. "Quiet, boy!" the grandmaster snapped as he turned back to his tea. "Considering how right she is about how LAZY you've become as of late, you've got no place to complain!"

Kasumi came in, placing a plate of fruit on the table. "I trust you girls enjoyed yourselves with Negako-san," the elder daughter said.

Nabiki took up a watermelon slice to nibble on it. "It was great."

Akane picked up a slice of cantaloupe. "It was instructive," she then admitted. "I can't believe how many holes I've got in my basic defence stance. That girl's a whirlwind!" She then glared witheringly at Souun. "And I thought for all this time my defence WAS perfect!"

Souun shuddered before sitting up and crossing his arms, assuming the demeanour of the sage teacher. "Your defence IS perfect, Akane. Besides, you were facing an entity that's a thousand years old. Surely in all that time, that woman would learn all sorts of deception . . . "

He gargled as Happoosai's battle aura flared. "Are you saying that my friend is a LIAR, Souun?" the aged grandmaster growled.

The Tendou patriarch prostrated himself before Happoosai, wailing a storm of profuse apologies. Seeing this, Nabiki and Akane giggled. "Actually, I think Negako-san could really pull a fast one on anybody," the former said before sipping her tea. "She just doesn't see the need for it."

The front gate then opened. Kasumi rose. "Oh, we have guests!"

"Hello!" a familiar voice called out. "Is anyone home?!"

Akane stood up. "Oh, it's Ranma!"

Before his daughter could answer it, Souun was there, going into the Demon Head. "_**RANMA, HOW DARE YOU . . .?!**_" he bellowed.

To an empty courtyard. "Eh?!" Souun relaxed, glancing around in shocked surprise. "Where did Ranma go . . .?!"

"Boo!"

He screamed, stumbling off the patio on sensing someone BEHIND him. Spinning around, he quickly sensed someone he assumed was Ranma standing there. "_**RANMA, HOW DARE YOU . . .?!**_" he roared, going back into Demon Head.

And then he screamed in disbelief as a wall of condensed air sent him into the pond just as "Ranma" faded from view. "Holy!" Nabiki gasped, having seen it all. "Toshiko-chan's converted the Umisen-ken cloak into an attack!"

"Oh, my!" Kasumi gasped.

"Who's Toshiko?!" Akane demanded.

Happoosai shrugged. "Oh, that's one of Ranma's mirror-twins."

"WHAT?!" bellowed from outside.

Everyone turned as a soaked Souun stormed inside, glaring around. "They've come back?!" he demanded before spinning on Nabiki. "Nabiki! I thought you were to get rid of those meddlesome troublemakers . . .!"

"I wouldn't say that if I were you, Souun," Happoosai warned.

"_**HAKU DATO SHINSHOU!**_"

Souun's body jerked several times as invisible ki blows punched through his body, sending him face-first into the floor! As he fell, the air over and behind him then warped, revealing Saotome Toshiko. Akane was quick to notice the hairstyle. She paled on seeing the incensed look on the newcomer's face. "I HEARD that, Tendou-san," Toshiko snarled, her voice dripping with malice.

"Indeed, Father, that was VERY rude!" Kasumi scolded, and then she smiled at Toshiko. "Toshiko-chan, would you like some tea?"

"Please." Toshiko stepped over Souun to sit down before she gave Happoosai a sweet look. "I have a present for you, Jijii!"

The aged grandmaster perked. "Eh?! Present?! Where?!"

"Where do you think?" Toshiko asked with a wink as she pointed to her cleavage. To the others' surprise, she was wearing a leather bustier that did WONDERS for her looks, that over biker's trousers. "But you have to fetch!"

Happoosai was quick to accept the invitation. "HOT-CHA!"

Squeals echoed through the room as Toshiko tried to fend off the dodging grandmaster. Akane tried to swallow her disgust at the display. Kasumi ignored the antics. And Nabiki was quick to see what was REALLY happening. Finally, after thirty seconds, Happoosai leapt clear, a lacy black bra in hand. "A well-earned prize!" he crooned before rubbing his face into a bra cup.

Toshiko sighed, staring at her hands. "Needs some work."

Nabiki snapped her fingers. "Oh, I get it now!" She laughed. "You're trying to perfect some sort of anti-chikan form, right?!"

Toshiko winked. "Hai!" She then waved to Happoosai. "And who better to practice it on than the greatest bra-fetishist in all of Japan?!"

She smiled at him. "Yes! Yes! She's improving!" he declared as he hugged his treasure, and then he looked around. "Eh?! Where's Kumiko-chan?! Oh!" A sly look crossed his face. "She's hiding, is she?! I'll find her!"

He bounded off. By then, Souun had recovered from Toshiko's White Snake Fist attack. "How did you escape the compact?!" he demanded.

Toshiko shrugged. "Ranma didn't like the idea of seeing us placed back in the mirror, so he stole the compact, then let us free!"

"WHAT?!" Souun screamed, his battle aura flaring. "How DARE Ranma-kun steal from Nabiki-chan! Why, I ought to . . .!"

"_**HIRYUU SHOOTEN-HA KITEI! KIJIN RAISHUU DAN TAIFUN!**_"

Souun wailed fearfully as a swirling storm of vacuum blades slammed into him, sending him flying out of the house and into the wall by the front gate. Toshiko remained seated, a relaxed look on her face. The Tendou sisters were speechless. "By the way, Tendou-san, our fate was none of _your_ business, much less your daughter's," the crimson-haired mirror-twin added with a smirk.

"B-b-b- . . .!" Akane sputtered.

Toshiko glared at her. "What's your problem, Miss Mallets?"

Hearing that, Akane's face flushed with rage. "HEY! Who the heck are you to call me that?!" she demanded, rising.

_WHUMP!_

And down she went courtesy of Toshiko's own mallet, marked with **ULTIMATE IDIOT BASHER** in katakana on the flanks. "After what you did to Ranma, what did you expect me to do, Miss Mallets?" Toshiko wondered as she stowed the mallet.

"Itte . . .!" Akane grunted. _So THAT'S what it feels like . . .!_

Unconsciousness mercifully overtook her. "Toshiko-chan, though I sympathise with your concern for Ranma-kun, that was not nice!" Kasumi scolded.

"Kasumi-san, when your sister decides to be a real martial artist instead of a bully, I'll lay off her," Toshiko retorted.

Kasumi nodded. "That's agreeable."

"Kasumi-chan, how could you possibly side with this thing against your very own flesh-and-blood?!" a voice demanded out of nowhere.

The Tendou sisters looked around the room. "Oh, my! The great hypocrite just arrived!" Toshiko muttered before vanishing.

Genma then appeared near Kasumi. "Hah!" he barked triumphantly. "What's the matter, demon?! Scared of a REAL martial artist?!"

"How soon we forget," a voice mused, "There are TWO of us!"

Genma's eyes widened. "Wha . . .?" He tensed too late . . .

"_**MOOKO TAKABISHA KITEI! HAKU DATO SHINSHOU ARASHI!**_"

Bolts of energy lashed out to slam into Genma's back, sending him flying out of the house into the tree by the koi pond. As he dropped, the air by the far wall fizzled, revealing a black-haired version of Toshiko in a white bustier and biker's pants. Kasumi looked at her. "Oh, my!" she gasped, remembering Ranma also had a MALE twin. "Did you fell into the Nyanniichuan?"

"Hai, I did!" Kumiko chuckled before yodelling, "Jijii!"

Happoosai bounded out of nowhere to leap at her bust. "HOT-CHA!"

Another fast whirl of hand blocks. Kumiko lasted fifty seconds before Happoosai snared her bra. "Hah!" The grandmaster leapt down to the table, holding up his silky prize. "By George, I think they got it!" he declared.

Toshiko de-cloaked as Kumiko moved to sit beside her. By then, Akane had begun to recover. "Oooh . . .!" she moaned, and then she blinked on seeing TWO copies of Ranma. Screaming, she bolted to her feet, arms poised to fight.

"Akane!" Kasumi snapped, causing her to falter. "What are you doing?!"

"I . . . I . . .!" Akane sputtered.

"I do believe Miss Mallets isn't used to the idea of receiving her own medicine." Kumiko then blinked as she sensed something. "Ah . . .!"

"What . . .?" Kasumi then tensed. "Oh, another guest . . . "

"Stay here, Kasumi-san." Toshiko waved her down before she took a sip of her tea. "That one has business with the panda. It's not nice to interrupt a lady when she wishes to soundly thrash an honourless dullard like him, ne?"

She winked. "Is this because of a skipped food bill?" Nabiki wondered. "Or another fiancée Ranma-kun might've overlooked?"

Kumiko winked. "No. This concerns a trip you all took to a certain ryokan in the mountains before we came out of the mirror."

Silence.

Nabiki paled. "The Ryokan Ningyou-yakata?"

Kasumi covered her mouth. "Oh, my!"

Akane shuddered, clutching a hand over her heart. "Her . . .?"

A scream filled the air. The Tendou sisters and Happoosai were quick to recognise the shout as Genma's. "My, Kimiko-san seems very upset, doesn't she?" Kumiko mused before nodding thanks as Kasumi handed her a cup of tea.

The Tendou sisters gaped. "'Kimiko?!'"

"Hai. Ranma felt it was only proper to name her after your mother, especially since Kimiko now has a body cloned from Miss Mallets."

Akane raced out of the sitting room. Nabiki and Kasumi quickly followed. The twins and Happoosai remained in place, exchanging knowing looks. "Negako-chan is SO evil at times," he said as he filled Toshiko's teacup.

* * *

Genma wondered if he shouldn't take a long vacation.

That is, of course, if he could spare brain cells from the waved of pain this double of Akane was delivering him to actually THINK!

A fist slammed into his chest with the force of a runaway wrecking ball, sending him rocketing across the lawn to hit one of the cherry trees by the doojou. As the breath exploded from his lungs, he blearily watched as that demon raced at him. Trying to recover, he managed to get his chin up to knee level. That was enough for Kimiko to give him a leaping two-knee blow to the jaw. Using her momentum to front-flip onto his back, she pivoted her weight to her feet, flipping Genma upside-down. Before he could get clear of her, she vaulted him back across the yard to slam into the cherry tree by the koi pond. A pained moan escaped Genma as he slid to the ground.

"That . . . " Kimiko wiped her hands as she walked over to stand across the pond from Genma. "Was for stealing Ranma-sama's milk."

Watching this from the patio, the Tendou sisters blinked. "'Milk?!'" Nabiki demanded. "What the hell's this all about?!"

"Easily explained," Toshiko announced as she and Kumiko stepped onto the patio, teacups in hand. "The panda stole milk from Ranma when you were at that ryokan, thus provoking the fight that wound up with Ranma crashing into the table where Kimiko-san was resting. THAT'S what made her possess Miss Mallets." She took a sip of her tea before giving Akane a look. "Not that Miss Mallets would actually ACCEPT the truth in the first place given how much she loves to blame Ranma for EVERYTHING that happens to her!"

Akane winced as if Toshiko just slapped her. "Oh, my!" Kasumi declared with a shake of her head, and then she gave Genma a reproachful look, putting hands to hips. "Uncle, HONESTLY! When will you learn to behave yourself?!"

"Should I call the zoo, Onee-chan?" Nabiki wondered.

"Don't TEMPT me!"

Kasumi marched back inside. By then, a pained moan escaped Genma. Hearing that, Kimiko sighed. "I best finish up with him."

She walked around the koi pond. Akane watched as her twin grabbed him by one arm to drag him up. She then gasped on seeing an evil smile suddenly appear on Genma's face. "KIMIKO, LOOK OUT!" she cried out.

Genma's fist flew at Kimiko. To the latter, his movements were snail-like. She ducked the shot as her free hand smashed into his ribs. He screamed as the _cracks!_ of bones snapping sent chills down the onlookers' spines. Kimiko twirled away from the cherry tree, dragging Genma through the air like a doll. Akane hit the dirt as her twin wound up before she sent Ranma's father into and THROUGH the property wall, some distance from where Souun, having just recovered as Kimiko had begun her attack on his best friend, currently knelt.

"Oooh!" Nabiki winced. "THAT, Uncle, you had coming to you!"

Once Ranma's father was stilled, Kimiko reached into her top to draw a sheet of paper. Scanning the diagram, she nodded. Tossing the paper aside, she walked to Genma. Akane then walked over and picked the paper up, opening it to read. "A shiatsu attack?" She blinked as Kimiko grabbed Genma to pull him out of the wall. "Meant to destroy the part of Uncle's mind . . . "

Kimiko cocked two fingers. "Containing the sealed knowledge of . . . "

"_**SHINZOU BAKUHATSU SHOKU KITEI!**_"

They slammed into his head. "The Umisen-ken and the Yamasen-ken . . . "

Genma quaked as the ki bolt ripped through his mind to do as Akane read. Kimiko then let him go. "Thus guaranteeing that Saotome Ranma, Saotome Kumiko and Saotome Toshiko are the only people who can practice them," Akane finished.

Genma collapsed into the dirt. Kimiko wiped her hands clean before walking to the patio. Stopping before Nabiki, she bowed. "I apologise for bringing such disharmony upon your household, Nabiki-sama," she said. "However, I do sense you and your sisters wouldn't mind if that honourless lout was truly and thoroughly thrashed for his many crimes and misdemeanours."

Nabiki bowed in return. "Oh, that's alright, Kimiko-san."

"'Kimiko?!'"

Everyone turned as Souun walked up. "Hai," Nabiki replied. "Ranma-kun named her after Mom. He felt it was the right thing to do."

Silence.

Souun turned on Kimiko. "Ranma-kun named you . . .?"

She nodded. "Hai, Tendou-dono, he did."

"Oh, please, dear, call me 'father!'"

"As you wish, Otou-sama."

Kumiko and Toshiko tensed on seeing the look on Souun's face. Uh-oh!

Souun shuddered as he turned from Kimiko and Nabiki, a smile crossing his face. Such SPEED! Such POWER! Such GRACE! And it was clearly obvious that Kimiko liked Ranma! Even if she didn't have any training, her potential outstripped Akane's and Nabiki's COMBINED! Yes! Yes! It was PERFECT!

"Otou-sama . . .?" Kimiko prodded.

"Yes!" Souun nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It is decided! Ranma-kun will marry Kimiko-chan and unite the schools!"

Silence.

More silence.

Still more silence.

Then . . .

"_**WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!**_"

Souun screamed as Akane's mallet sent him flying into the Shakujii River! Kumiko and Toshiko watched him disappear before exchanging a nod. "That, he DEFINITELY had coming to him!" the former muttered under her breath.

The latter shook her head. "He's as stupid as the panda."

Akane lowered Mallet-sama before she spun on Kimiko, her eyes burning with wounded rage and heartbreaking sadness. Sensing what she was thinking, Kimiko moved to moderate. "Akane-sama, you don't understand!" She approached her in hopes of calming her down. "I have no . . .!"

"NO!" Akane screamed, racing into the house.

" . . . interest in Ranma-sama." Kimiko then sighed. "Oh, dear."

* * *

"So THAT'S what happened to you! Thank Bensaiten for that!"

Ran sighed as she stared at Benten's image on her pilotage's view screen. Lum was speaking for them both. "Hai! Sorry I didn't get back to you, but we believed that the sooner we got away, the better. How's Nassur-chan?!"

"Sends his apologies for not tellin' you about those bio-transmitters we got." Benten pointed to the side of her head. "Oyuki and I've got 'em, too. Turns out he did somethin' more, but he wants to surprise us about that." She then held up a finger to emphasise her point. "It's a good surprise, too!"

Ran/Lum giggled. "From Nassur-chan, it's ALWAYS a good surprise!"

_Yeah, suuuuuuuuure!_ Ran droned from inside her brain.

_Ran!_ Lum scolded. Nassur and Ran had been enemies for some time. That had started when Ran's youth-sucking powers went out of control one day and the expat Vosian bounty hunter found himself being the closest possible target. Knowing that, it honestly surprised Lum that Nassur had done unto Ran what he did to Lum, Benten and Oyuki, all of whom cared very deeply for the Vosian.

"So, you met up with Moroboshi yet?" Benten asked.

Hearing that, Ran's eyes became hooded as tears spilled down her cheeks. She shuddered as the two souls within her switched places. The Seishin teen sighed. "Darling wasn't very nice to Lum-chan today, Benten," she said, automatically wiping her cheeks. "He found out about Oogi's planet of morons. A little TOO much, unfortunately. And he's been to Noukiios and the colonies."

The Fukunokami blinked. Benten's home planet, which had never enjoyed cordial relations with the old Urusian Empire, was neutral in the long-running Oni-Noukiite dispute, not to mention the present conflict. Benten knew few Noukiites would view her with kindness if they knew she was friends with an Oni. "Fuck!" she hissed. "That explains this titbit Nassur sent me. He got it off the Home Base computer." Home Base, an asteroid near Uru, was Nassur's home. "Where that thing got it from, I got NO idea, but you GOTTA see it!"

Benten tapped controls to draw up a sub-screen on Ran's screen. The Seishin teen tapped controls to blow up the image. She then hummed. "This is Lumukyou?!" she wondered, remarking on the capital city of Phentax Two.

"Yep. Watch."

Ran's eyes widened as an exploding wave of light burst from the Great Lum Church, an exact replica of Tomobiki High School. It expanded to cover the whole screen, obliterating everything. Seconds later, the light faded, revealing a sea of apocalyptic devastation. "Gods!" Ran covered her mouth, her eyes tearing. Like Lum and those who closely associated with her, she had no love for Oogi or the Church of Lum. But to see an entire city of five million sentient beings vaporised in an instant was too much even for her.

"Watch the blow up," Benten advised.

A target icon fell over the Great Lum Church. The screen magnified to show the image of a man. The image cleared. With the lens' distance -- _What sort of probe could get pictures like THIS?!_ Ran wondered -- facial details were obscure, but over half the body . . .! "A cyborg?!" she then demanded.

_Who is that?!_ Lum demanded.

"Okay, I'm blowin' up the face," Benten advised. "Tell Lum to brace herself, Ran. She AIN'T gonna like seein' this!"

Target icon appeared again, this time locked on the machine-man's head. The image blew up, hazing immediately. The image then cleared. The entity seemed to turn and face the camera's eye. Seeing that image, Ran gagged, she covering her mouth as nausea overwhelmed her. The hair. The general facial shape. The still-organic right eye, matched to a glowing orb, ruby-red.

"Gods . . .!" Ran gasped, she trying not to choke on her bile.

_DARLING?!_ Lum exclaimed.

"Watch what comes next," Benten warned.

The camera fell back as something burst from a pile of wreckage behind the transformed Ataru. He spun to gaze on a vaguely humanoid shape in the robes of a monk. In the figure's hand was a tall staff topped with a glowing ruby. Ataru braced himself as the figure pointed at him. She -- a woman? -- levelled the staff. The ruby flared, a blast of energy hitting Ataru. No effect. He lunged, one hand grabbing the staff. The gem then flared, this time creating another nuclear blast wave. The camera fell back to near-orbital space. An explosion of light burst from Lumukyou, followed by a concussion wave that spread over all of Phentax Two. "What is that . . .?!" Ran demanded.

The wave vanished. The camera lens then zoomed up again on Lumukyou. Standing alone in the wreckage of the Great Lum Church, the cyborg Ataru was looking about. A close-up of his face revealed that his human eye was wide with shock and horror. He dropped the strange staff like it was a poisonous snake or worse before falling to his knees and screaming to the heavens.

_Darling . . ._ Lum sobbed.

"What happened, Benten?!" Ran demanded.

"Way Nassur thinks it happened, that staff-thing must've been some high-tech power conduit." Benten sighed as the sub-screen vanishes, revealing the Fukunokami scratching the side of her face, a tired look on her face. "As ta what sorta power that thing drew from, he has NO idea whatsoever. Some sort of doomsday device Oogi's morons created one day?! I dunno!"

Ran shuddered. "What about that woman who confronted Darling?" she then wondered, Lum once again in control of the body.

"According to what Nassur has, she must've been a Guardian. It's a pre-Lumite sect that's been around since the Niphentaxians first got inta space. According to what the Home Base computer says, the Guardians are like the Holy Inquisition's Special Enforcement Teams. They handle the REALLY nasty problems. Atop that, they also kinda believed that if something bad happened to the one faith that attracted the worship of almost EVERYONE on Phentax Two, then _BOOM!_ They all get wiped out." A pause. "I guess it came true."

Ran/Lum blinked. "When Darling left Tomobiki and we were all sent back to Uru . . . " she mused before paling. "Do you think Oogi or one of his people might've captured Darling?! Tried to kill him or something like that?!"

Benten shrugged. "Hard ta say, Lum. Anyhow, about that big blast wave that covered the planet: Wanna know what it did? It terminally cooked three BILLION people. Nothin' left to bury! Nothin' at ALL! Near as Nassur can figure out now, the ones who died were the hard-core Oogi supporters, the ones who hated Moroboshi's guts and all that."

Ran sank back in her chair. "Tcha . . .!"

A nod from the Fukunokami. "Yeah. Look, Nassur doesn't believe that Moroboshi woulda intentionally killed three billion people even IF any one of 'em would've killed him if they got the chance! I agree! He just ain't that type of guy! But . . . " She shrugged. "If the Church leaders who survived that mess, the ones with the Niphentaxian Fleet and the colonies, ever saw that . . .! Hell, you can sure guess what they'll all end up concluding!"

Ran then looked down. "Oh, Darling . . .!"

"Right. Don't worry about it, though. Nassur's keeping totally mum about it, at least until he can come to Earth and have a chat with Moroboshi about this." Benten then smirked. "'Sides, with Oogi and all the top idiots all ashes now, the non-Lumites might decide to finally do away with that nonsense and finish off the rest of those clowns!"

Ran/Lum nodded. "I hope so, Benten. Still, I don't think Darling would be in ANY mood to meet any more of my friends, even Nassur-chan, after what he just went through. And there's Negako-san to worry about, too. Nassur-chan might be good, but he's nowhere in Negako-san's league. And if she thinks Nassur-chan might be threatening Darling . . . "

Benten snorted. "Find that damn hard to believe."

Lum and Ran both knew that the Fukunokami held a long crush on the expat Vosian, her feelings for him worlds deeper than what any Tomobiki High girl might hold for Mendou Shuutarou. "Well, anyhow, I gotta get back to Home Base." Benten was calling from her parents' home in Bensaikyou, Fukunokami's capital city. "I'll call you guys soon as I get a chance, okay?! See ya!"

The link was cut. Ran then sank in her chair. Silence fell as the possessed Seishin teen stared nowhere in particular. _Lum-chan . . .?_ the Seishin teen's voice echoed in her mind. _What can we do now? Darling doesn't want to have ANYTHING to do with us . . .!_

"I don't know, Ran-chan . . . "

_Perhaps we may be of some assistance?_

Ran spun around to gaze toward the hatchway of her ship. Floating up the stairwell were two balls of water, both of them the size of Rei in tiger-bull form. As if seeing perfectly symmetrical balls of seawater float up to her door wasn't unnerving enough, each ball contained something that looked like a giant Terran squid, each with a pair of glowing eyes on stalk-like appendages. "Who . . .?! What the . . .?!" Ran/Lum gargled. The young Urusians had met all sorts of beings in their lifetimes, but nothing like THIS!

_Forgive us for disturbing you, but we could not help but sense your current state of joint-ness_, the one on Ran's left mused, her glowing eyes pulsing. _Such a state is clearly life-threatening to you, which will do your friends nor your surviving family any good in the long run_.

"Who are you?!" Lum, finally gaining the composure to take charge of Ran's -- and hers -- body, asked. "WHAT are you?!"

_That, Redet Lum, is very easy to explain_.

* * *

"Cripes! I just can't BELIEVE that guy!"

Walking toward Ran's lot, Shinobu, Ryuunosuke and Mendou seemed to sway between indignation and fear. Shinobu had the Book of Lum in hand, she having just scanned the part ascribed to her. "Maybe," she stated. "Then again, if Ataru-kun believes this thing actually contained ACCURATE copies of our diary entries -- and given the tone of this book -- his opinions do make sense."

Mendou gazed questioningly at her. "What do you mean, Shinobu-san?"

"Well, except for the 'flowering' of the language, the parts of this book taken from my diary are pretty much dead on. Except for one thing." Shinobu held up a finger. "Everything, at least in my 'book,' has been deliberately rewritten to follow a sort of basic 'party line.'"

Ryuunosuke's eyebrow arched. "Bein'?"

"That Lum's the Goddess, she's ALWAYS in the right concerning EVERYTHING she does, we support her . . . " Shinobu paused before closing the Book. "And that everything that 'defies' Lum's wishes is Ataru-kun's fault since . . . "

"He's the Great Evil," the tomboy finished.

"Hai . . . EH?!"

"Wha- . . .?!" Mendou looked over before his jaw dropped. "Gods!"

They, then by the gate of Ran's property, had arrived in time to see two LARGE balls of seawater -- they assume it was seawater from its green-blue tint as it was reflected by sunlight -- _float_ up to the Seishin teen's hatchway. As soon as they disappeared, the Terrans scrambled over. Given all that had befallen them in the last week, Mendou and his friends did not want to take any chances of losing their friends TWICE! Seeing the coast was clear, Mendou drew his katana before ascending the gangway, Shinobu and Ryuunosuke right behind him. In seconds, they arrived in the pilotage. And they then paused, they surprised to see Ran staring at the balls of seawater -- and the beings within.

"Are they . . .?!" Mendou lowered his katana, though he remained tense. "Er, friends of yours, Lum-san?"

"Um . . . " Ran/Lum began before shrugging.

Mendou's eyes fell on the shapes WITHIN the watery globes before they widened. Whatever these things were, they resembled his personal octopi companions. And unless he was VERY mistaken, the one on Ran's right was injured. Gritting his teeth, he sighed. No matter what these newcomers' intentions were, there was ONE person who could help. Drawing his cell phone, he dialled a number before he sensed Ryuunosuke's annoyed glare. "Hey, wait until we at least _know_ whether they're okay or not before calling . . .!"

Mendou turned away as the other end responded. Ryuunosuke then started on hearing him utter "Yamada-sensei." The tomboy kept her peace as Mendou explained the situation, and then she heard a high-pitched voice respond with, "I'll be right there!" Mendou nodded. "Arigatou, Sensei."

"Hey, who did you . . .?!" Ryuunosuke demanded.

"I contacted the one person who can help a sick octopi or other mollusc. One of Lum-san's visitors is injured." He indicated the wounded entity. Noting Ryuunosuke looking, he added, "If anyone can help, he might be able to."

"Injured?" Ran/Lum gasped. She then turned her attention to the entity in question. There were several deep gashes in her flesh, though to both Urusians' surprise, no blood was flowing from the wound. "I . . .!" the possessed teen stammered. "I . . . I didn't know . . .!"

A high-pitched squeal of excitement rang out from near Mendou. Shinobu and Ryuunosuke turned to see one of the curious fish-headed people who often turned up in town run up to gaze, helmet to glowing eye, with the visitors.

"Amazing!" Yamada Sakanasuke gasped, rubbing his webbed hands together. "I've heard all the legends of the Nendo-kata since I was just a guppy, but I never thought I'd actually encounter a _live_ one, let alone TWO!"

The others blinked.

* * *

"Splendid." Negako gazed in the direction of Ran's scoutship from the vantage point of the Toranoseishin Finances Tower. "With them involved, _some_ sort of rationality might curb them from their more annoying excesses."

* * *

"I didn't mean to make her think THAT!"

Kasumi patted Kimiko's hand. "It's okay." The older Tendou daughters, the mirror-twins, Happoosai and Kimiko were relaxing around the sitting room table enjoying tea and snacks. "Father's become really worried over the whole matter with the schools since before Akane-chan had her big fight with Ranma-kun," Kasumi explained. "And after what you just did to Uncle . . . "

Nabiki grimaced. "Let's just hope the other fiancées don't get wind of this. The one thing Kimiko here doesn't need is for Shampoo to lay a Kiss of Death on her, not to mention Kodachi sneak-attacking her . . . "

Kumiko sipped her tea. "The only solution to that is for Kimiko-san to get training. Perhaps we best let Negako-san deal with this."

Hearing that name, Nabiki blinked, her eyes widening. "The hair lock . . . " she whispered before grinning. "Why, that sly dog . . . "

"What?" Kasumi asked.

Her sister shook her head. "Never mind."

Happoosai chuckled before taking a puff on his pipe. "You best head out before Souun and Genma recover, girls. Genma's gonna be on enough of a bend because of what Kimiko-chan did to him. And Souun . . . " He shook his head.

"That seems the best, Happoosai-sama." Kimiko rose, and then she bowed to her new siblings. "Thank you for your hospitality. Please excuse me."

She headed out. "Go with her," Toshiko said to Kumiko.

"Right. Have a good night, everyone." The raven-haired mirror-twin stood, bowed to the Tendou sisters, and then she raced out.

Seeing that, Toshiko then turned to finish her tea. "With your kind permission, ladies, I'm just going to look in on Miss Mallets and make sure she isn't going to start something stupid," she declared before standing.

"Please be discrete, Toshiko-chan," Kasumi asked.

"No problem." She then vanished behind the Umisen-ken cloak.

The sisters and Happoosai stared at the space where she had been. The aged grandmaster then breathed out. "It's a damn good thing they burned those scrolls after Ranma dug them out," he said before sipping his tea.

"The Sen-ken scrolls are gone?" Nabiki then smiled. "Too bad."

Kasumi nodded. "Indeed."

* * *

Cloaked by the Umisen-ken's null-chi shield -- the twins had given this remarkable manoeuvre the name "Goshin Buufu" -- Toshiko walked outside, and then she leapt into the cherry tree by the koi pond to peek into Akane's bedroom. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Akane on her phone, speaking rapidly into the receiver. Okay, to whom was she calling . . .?

"You still have it?!" Akane asked excitedly, and then she nodded. "Oh, it's fully mended itself, has it? That's wonderful!" She grinned. "Look, can you tell Dou-chan that Akane needs it to come to the doojou as quickly as possible?" Another pause before she slammed her hand on the table. "Look! Just do it, okay?!" she barked out. Another pause before she nodded. "Thank you. Good night!" She slammed the receiver into its cradle before sinking into her chair. "No . . .!" she snarled, her fists quaking. "He's MINE, you bitch! You're not taking MY fiancé away from me . . .!"

Toshiko smirked. _That's what you think, Akane_, she mentally declared before slipping away from the tree. Bounding over the fence to land in the street, she turned to head towards Kasuga-chou. A burst of air then escaped her on seeing Negako standing there, a bemused smile on the grandmaster's face. "Negako . . .?" she gasped, dropping the screen. "What are you doing here?"

She waved Toshiko to accompany her. "I see Akane is not taking well to this latest development," she mused.

"Yeah!" Toshiko nodded as she followed Negako up to the tops of the telephone poles as they raced back for the Moroboshi home. "She just put in a call to get the Densetsu no Doogi back. I'll lay bets that, come tomorrow, she'll try to challenge Kimiko-san for Ranma."

"Foolish. Ranma will not tolerate such a thing." Negako smirked before glancing at Toshiko. "I think the time has come to advance Ranma's healing to the point where she will have no doubts about herself anymore."

"How can you do that?!" Toshiko demanded.

"It is much easier than you think," the grandmaster replied.

* * *

"Sensei, do you think this might work?!" Shinobu asked.

Yamada nodded. "Of course it'll work." Once explanations about the two new arrivals were made, the doctor had the Nendo-kata couple shifted to Ran's swimming pool, located on the keel deck of her ship, so they could relax their telekinetic powers and prepare for what had to happen to save the lives of both Ran and Lum. "Oh, don't worry about it. The Great School has been doing this for over a hundred thousand years. It's quite automatic."

"B-but . . .!" Ryuunosuke, sitting beside Shinobu and Mendou near the pool's edge, stammered. "I mean, sacrificin' themselves just to give Lum a new body to use, then do the same for Ran . . .?! Jeez! There's gotta . . .!"

"Be another way?!" Yamada sighed. "According to them, Lum-san and Ran-san could die from a complete neural burn-out anytime in the next week or so, Ryuunosuke-san. And with this war situation, do you honestly believe we could rush back to Uru, find samples of Lum-san's DNA, then locate SOMEONE in this galaxy who has the right sort of cloning technology to help us in time?" He held up a finger. "And, of course, that doesn't BEGIN to mention what might happen if the Noukiites or the Zephyrites get wind of this."

"What happens to the souls of the Nendo-kata when they do this 'Crossing Over' of theirs, Sensei?" Shinobu asked.

"Oh, they won't fade into the 'Black Ocean.'" Yamada chuckled. "Their souls will fully, completely merge with Ran-san's and Lum-san's, thus bestowing the morals, teachings and herstory of the Great School onto both of your friends. Nothing detrimental, of course. Shinobu-san, ask yourself this: If your friend was in danger of dying . . . " He indicated Ryuunosuke with a webbed hand. "Wouldn't you sacrifice yourself to save her?"

"I . . . " Shinobu then nodded. "Of course I would."

"So why would you think that other sentient beings in the Universe might do otherwise?" Yamada said before gazing on the two Nendo-kata. "Anyhow, I must look in on our wounded visitor. Will you please excuse me?"

"Of course, Sensei," Mendou replied as they rose and headed out.

Yamada turned his attention to the wounded alien. "You're clearly doing better now than when you were first wounded, ma'am. But, I'm sure you realise you still don't have the required mental strength for the Crossing Over. You could die before you complete it, and then you'd doom yourself and Lum-san."

_Do you have a suggestion as to how to resolve this to everyone's benefit, Healer?_ the uninjured Nendo-kata inquired.

"What about giving Ran-san's persona to your companion and merge her life-force with Ran-san's body?" Yamada mused after a moment's contemplation, the tight line of his mouth indicating the severity of the situation as he stared at the life-aura graphs on his scanner. "That could work."

_Indeed it would, Healer, but there is a concern. In scanning many of the sentient beings around us now, considerable xenophobia against members of the Great School of Uru presently exists among the natives of Tomobiki. Lum will have to assume a form that won't draw specific attention to herself if she wishes to continue to reside on Earth. Wouldn't you agree, Healer?_

"I agree. They'll need to match themselves to the populace. While Ran-san can pass as a surface-dweller, she's unfortunately become too notorious to live safely in Tomobiki. Never mind what the Noukiites might do if they learn Lum-san survived their attack on Onishuto. The SCAA and the Zephyrites would hold the deciding card on their lives." A sigh escaped him as he remembered one other thing. "And that sadly means that both their lives now depend on the good graces of their friends. Not to mention Shuutarou-san's rival!"

_Do you believe this 'Darling' they place such importance on would allow them to be harmed if Shuutarou presses matters too much?_

"Wouldn't he? Ataru-san didn't seem inclined to help them the first time they were sent off Earth. Besides, I've noticed humans often use the people they profess to care about as pawns in their conflicts. Watch any of their visual broadcasts or read any of their literature. You'd see then. If the case is heated enough, their children and loved ones are the first sacrificed."

_Many humanoids we've encountered are the same way_, the Nendo-kata mused. _They carry a veneer of Unity and courtesy, while gladly courting the forces of disUnity at any and every opportunity_.

"Agreed. Why do you think millions of humans fight and kill each other over 'sacred lands' with such fervour that they ultimately forget _why_ they are sacred?! They profess reverence to religions whose prophets and gods teach peace, love, and respect for their fellows. Then they gladly repress, brutalize and murder each other in the name of the same god!"

_They are undisciplined. They cannot turn from their own passions and momentary desires long enough to see the harm they cause_.

"You want to know what I think the real problem is?" the alien doctor said before he moved to answer his own question. "They're too simple. For all their intelligence and culture, the cold hard fact is that they're still wild animals. Too close to the cave and the forest they evolved out of to really accept the truths they themselves discovered. They know the words of angels, but the wild, savage instincts of the beast lie still within them."

_Saddening, isn't it . . . oh!_

"Um . . . Sensei?!"

Yamada turned to see Ran standing at the entrance to her pool area. "Oh, Ran-san, there you are!" he called out. "I believe we've discovered a possible route by which both you and Lum-san may finally get your lives back in order."

"Er . . . " Ran blinked. Then, sensing Lum's urgent desire to be free and have a body of her own push her, she nodded. "Alright."

* * *

"You want to take me to this Sanctuary place?"

Ranma stared at Negako as both relaxed in the dining room. It was just before midnight. "Yes." The latter, who came to the Island via Chikage's travelling rainbow -- then spent an hour recovering from the icy fear her hydrophobia unleashed when she crossed the Sagami Sea -- as soon as she saw the mirror-twins and Kimiko secured at the old shrine, nodded. Ranma herself had just watched _Gone With The Wind_ with Ataru and the sisters. "In essence, it will be like your normal training trips, but compressed in time due to the temporal differences between here and Sanctuary. A five-week period of time in Sanctuary would now equate to you returning to the House before dawn tomorrow morning." Her eyebrow then arched. "Are you interested?"

Ranma blinked. "Five weeks? In other words, if what Chikage's hinted to me is true, I'd come back as a girl both in mind and body."

"Yes."

"Why are you offering me this now?"

"Lum's return is part of the reason," Negako explained. "The other part is your own would-be suitors, especially Akane. Tonight . . . "

She gave a re-cap of events at the Tendou doojou. Ranma listened in before she shuddered, her fists clenching. "You mean to tell me that after Kimiko-chan pasted Oyaji and old man Tendou said he wanted Kimiko-chan to marry me to unite the schools, Akane assumed Kimiko-chan wanted to become my fiancée. And now she wants to fight Kimiko-chan for me?!" she demanded.

"Exactly."

"Well, to HELL with that!" Ranma snapped, slamming her fist into the table. "I renounced the engagement on Tuesday! Akane doesn't have any right to fight ANYONE on my 'behalf!' Especially not Kimiko-chan!" She rose, walking away from the table. "And especially if Akane's gonna get her hands on that doogi and use it against Kimiko-chan!" she added with a snarl.

"May I propose something?"

Ranma glanced at Negako. "What?"

"That if you come with me to Sanctuary, we strive to cross-train each other in our Arts," Negako proposed. "You teach me what you have learned through your experiences and I would reciprocate. After all, a soulsword thrust into the Densetsu no Doogi's belt buckle would destroy it far beyond anyone's hope to repair. If it was _you_ who did that, Ranma, you would shatter Akane's illusions about herself far more thoroughly than anything you might have done to her to date, even counting Tuesday's events."

Ranma then sighed. "Why not bring Ataru, too?"

"I don't want you to think I'm trying to pressure you, Ranma."

Both turned to see Ataru standing at the doorway. "Ataru?" Ranma then chuckled. "Hell, some could say you're already pressuring me to go along with that through her." She indicated Negako with a thumb.

"Hai, true, true." He then sighed. "Ranma?"

"What's wrong?"

He shrugged. "Look, I know what the girls think about you now. And . . . " He walked over to her. "If you come back and . . .!" He stopped, gazing at her. "Well, if you're inclined to . . .! Oh, hell, this is . . . "

A finger landed on his lips. "Hey, you had the same problem with Lum, remember? Just like I did with Akane." She smirked. "Ataru?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you want to come?"

"No. I've spent too much time in Sanctuary as is. You'll understand when you come back after Onee-chan's done with you. But . . . " He paused. "Like it or not, Ranma, you ARE a martial artist. Hell, you've been living and breathing the Art since you were old enough to walk. Yeah, you were denied the chance to choose your life's path because of Genma, but even if you shift into a new career path, the Art will influence your life. It suits you, Ranma. It does. But . . . " He pointed to himself. "It's not for me."

"Bullshit, Ataru! You ARE good . . .!"

"Yeah, but look what I've just been through!" he countered. "I just helped fight a war, Ranma. I've watched a whole race nearly get wiped out before my eyes. I've met people who were brainwashed into believing my race are no better than monkeys in the trees, people who'd do ANYTHING to keep us laid low! I . . . " He then sighed. "I'm tired. Yeah, many would think me a warrior and a martial artist, but . . .!" He shook his head. "This 'warrior' right now just wants to lay up the Lawgiver, the qu'f-piaqu'r, his eunuch swords and the camouflaged cloak, then be a normal person for a change."

A sympathetic hand squeezed his shoulder. Ataru gazed on Negako. "We want to help you gain control of your life." The latter turned to Ranma. "Yes, you are both martial artists. But you deserve to be 'normal' people. Let this be a way you can take to achieve that."

Ranma then sighed. "What happens afterward?"

Ataru smiled. "Your choice. Always your choice."

They stared into each other's eyes, and then Ranma nodded. "Okay."

* * *

Minutes later, Ranma came down the stairs, backpack in hand. She stopped on seeing a small crowd by the front doors. "Everyone . . . " she gasped, and then she blinked as Kaho came up to her, pom-poms in hand. "Kaho-chan . . . "

"Onee-chama," the cheerleader said. "Kaho wants to cheer Onee-chama when she goes with Negako-oneechama to Sanctuary. But . . . "

Negako walked up to stand beside Ranma. "You have been told several times that Sanctuary is a dangerous place to visit, Kaho."

"Uhn!" Kaho nodded. "Onee-chama, please don't be angry at us because we want Onee-chama to fall in love with Onii-chama. W-we . . . "

"We just want both of you to be happy," Marie finished.

Ranma then stared at Sakuya. "You're part of our family, Onee-sama," the eldest of the sisters declared as she came up to squeeze Ranma's shoulder. "This is your home now, Onee-sama. Just like it's become Onii-sama's home."

The martial artist then gazed at the others. Seeing the acceptance, love and concern in their eyes, she looked down. "Thanks, guys. I mean it." She then turned to Negako. "I'm ready. What do we have to do?"

The grandmaster waved her to the doorway. "Follow me."

The sisters backed away. Hinako then broke free of the crowd, a stuffed rabbit in hand. "Onee-tama," she called out.

She handed it to Ranma. "I'll bring it back." She scooped Mister Bunny into her free arm before giving Hinako a kiss. "I promise."

Kaho shook her pom-poms. "Gambatte, Onee-chama!"

"Stand back, Hinako," Negako beckoned the youngest of the sisters away from the doors. She then drew out a rectangular device and placed it on the wall beside the doorway. "Brace yourself, Ranma," she then ordered.

Ranma nodded. "Hai!"

Negako tapped a control. A strange hum echoed through the rotunda. The doors then opened. Instead of revealing the yard, the doors opened on a black, star-studded tunnel leading to a faint point of light an infinity away. "Come, Ranma," the grandmaster beckoned before she stepped into the tunnel.

Ranma headed in. Just past the gateway, she waved to the sisters. They waved back as the doors closed behind the martial artist. The hum faded. Silence fell before Karen sighed. "I don't think we'll be getting much sleep tonight," she stated, walking up to place a hand on Hinako's shoulder.

Mamoru chuckled. "Oh, don't panic about it, Karen-chan! Anee's gonna be back here in six hours and she'll be in perfect shape!"

"Hime thinks she better make some calorie milkshakes if we all want to stay up late tonight," Shirayuki thoughtfully mused.

"Shirayuki-chan?"

Everyone turned to see Ataru by the doorway to the dining room. "Is there something wrong, Nii-sama?" Shirayuki wondered.

"Make mine coffee. And black."

He headed into his bedroom. "Um . . .!" Shirayuki stuttered, and then she nodded. "H-hai desu no, Nii-sama . . .!"

The others giggled as Ataru stepped into his bedroom. Before he could head to his bed, a hand rested on his shoulder. He turned to gaze into Chikage's eyes. "Don't panic, Ani-kun. This is EXACTLY what Ane-kun needs."

He nodded. "I wish it didn't have to happen _this_ way, Chikage-chan."

He squeezed her hand in return.

* * *

An hour after midnight found Chikage was busy indulging herself in one of her favourite pastimes: Moon-gazing. Clouds drifted in the dark sky over the Island, but the moon was bright, a waning quarter. She closed her eyes. Later that morning, once Ranma came back from Sanctuary, the sisters would head to Nerima to help her and Ataru move fully into the old shrine. Once that was done, they would back off and let things develop . . .

Eh?!

Chikage's eyes widened as she gazed towards Welcome House. Rising, the sorceress levitated, soaring off for Ataru's room. Reaching the window, she looked inside, and then she paused, her eyes widening. "Ani-kun!"

Despite the request he made for coffee, Ataru was in bed, asleep.

Yet why were his eyes open?

And why was his left eye GLOWING?!

Chikage blinked. "Ani-kun . . .!"

* * *

"Oh, dear! This isn't going well . . . "

Yamada gazed fretfully at the readouts on his scanner. So far, the Crossing Over for Lum was proceeding without difficulty. The Nendo-kata bonding with the Oni had taken a "psi-scan sample" of the DNA of Miyake Shinobu, Fujinami Ryuunosuke and Mendou Shuutarou, mixing them together to create strands which would exhibit the best physical qualities of all three of her Terran friends. The doctor estimated that Lum would emerge from the Crossing Over by early Sunday evening, about eighteen hours away.

Ran was another problem. Yes, the soul and life force of the wounded Nendo-kata had been successfully transferred into the Seishin girl's body. However, the strain of such an insertion on Ran's body and soul was too much given the sheer differences in matters such as lifespan, paranormal powers, not to mention the unique parthenogenetic reproductive abilities members of the Great School of the Nendo-kata had possessed for millennia. If something didn't happen to stabilise Ran's life force, she could be lost.

Yamada turned to where a sweating Ran reclined on the couch. The doctor placed a hand on her head. "Be strong, Ran-san. Please, be str- . . . "

His voice failed as a flash of light turned his gaze behind him. The luminescence faded, revealing a figure draped in gold-trimmed, black, form-fitting clothing. And gunmetal grey cybernetic parts covering half the chest and upper abdomen, the whole right arm and left leg, part of the left arm and right leg -- not to mention most of the face. Staring at this Terminator-esque apparition, Yamada's jaw flapped open and closed in stunned disbelief for a moment before he finally squeaked, "A-ata-Ataru-san . . .?!"

The Cyborg walked around Yamada to kneel beside Ran, he gazing on her sweat-soaked face. A metal hand gently touched her forehead. A hollow sigh escaped the skull-like jaws that stood for his mouth. He then gazed at Yamada. The alien doctor shuddered, immediately realising that the situation between Tomobiki's most infamous resident and his former schoolmates was MUCH more complex than he first assumed. For even if he had only one organic eye in this form, the look in that eye told Yamada much. The being kneeling before the doctor had seen a near-infinity of tragedy, endless levels of pain and grief.

For what, Yamada couldn't imagine.

He then decided he didn't WANT to know.

It would help him sleep easier at nights.

Taking a breath, the Cyborg held up his arm. Something ejected from a hatchway above the wrist joint. A pole. Drawing that out, the Cyborg waited for it to morph into the shape of a caduceus, and then he held it over Ran's heart. The device glowed as a shower of energy pours down to sprinkle the Seishin teen from head to toe. Ran gasped, her body quivering. Yamada turned to his scanner. His eyes widened as all of Ran's vitals took a marked climb up. The shower soon stopped, and then the Cyborg sheathed the staff. "**The remainder of this process should happen without problems, Sensei,**" he announced, his voice a hollow, metallic twang. "**By the time Lum's come through what she's experiencing, Ran should make a recovery.**"

Yamada blinked before asking, "Why?"

A pause as the entity seemed to consider if he would answer or not. He then sighed, looking nowhere in particular. "**I can't be what Lum wants me to be, Sensei. Even now, I can sense her hoping, dreaming that things will go back to the way they were before the last Tag Race.**" He shook his head. "**They can't. My destiny was written -- by whom, I've NO idea -- long before I ever met Lum before the First Tag Race. And there's no way I'm going to tolerate her trying to go back in time to change things just for her benefit. Fate's got other ideas for me . . .** " His right eye closed, a single tear trailing down his cheek. "**And She won't tolerate any interference.**"

"But, then why did you . . .?"

"**I know.**" The Cyborg nodded. "**I had to do that. Much that I hated doing it, I HAD to do it. Right now, I'm too dangerous for the people in Tomobiki to be close to. And right now, I seem to have found someone who's in as much need of help getting herself out of the pit her life's become as I needed some time ago. But . . .** " He stared at Ran. "**At least Lum will have someone to be with her.**" He reached out to touch Ran's forehead again. "**Pity I didn't learn of what your mom did to you when you were a little girl. Seems we've got something in common now. Take care of her, Ran-chan.**"

Another flash, then Yamada found himself alone with Ran. "Oh, dear . . . " the doctor breathed out, ruefully shaking his head.

* * *

"Ani-kun . . .?!"

The glow disappeared from Ataru's eye as his eyelids closed, a breath escaping him. Gazing at him from beyond the window, Chikage blinked, and then she lightly smiled before gliding away to give her Ani-kun some privacy.

_**To be continued . . .**_


	9. 4th Part C: Freedom From Destiny

_Fourteen years ago . . ._

_Over two billion kilometres from the Earth, a girl in a tiger-stripped jumper crept through the control room of Triton's Central Warp Chamber. Slowly, she shuffled along the edges of the walls, hoping her friends wouldn't find her. Just as she was about to leave, she saw a shadow along the other side of the glass, where the workstations were located._

_Quick!_

_She needed a place to hide!_

_But where?_

_She dived under the nearest table just as the person came into the room._

* * *

_Muttering, the junior warp technician reached over to his boss' terminal and flipped off the power-switch._ Stupid senior technicians_, he grumbled to himself as he left the room to get back to his lunch._ Can't be bothered to double-check his terminal! Has to send someone ELSE to check it! Who cares if a lowly junior tech has to miss **their** lunch? 

_As he turned behind him for one last spot check, he noticed a single light still blinking. As mounting embarrassment surged from deep inside his gut, he confirmed it was coming from the relay transporter grid on HIS terminal. Looking quickly around the room to see if anyone might have caught his error, he flipped that switch off too._ Good thing I checked after all_, he thought as he shut the door behind him. Who knows what could happen if someone bumped the wrong button while the Chamber was on?_

* * *

_A few seconds later, Oyuki and her cousin Toji pounced on Lum from two different directions, gleefully shouting "IT!"_

_None of the children noticed the co-ordinates inserted into the grid._

_No one noticed the transport button being depressed._

_Since the primary power feed had been shut down, the computer controlling the Central Warp Chamber could do nothing._

_All three shortly after ran out of the room barking with laughter just as the senior technician returned from his lunch. Looking inside, he was quick to notice the mess. To his relief, the power had already been turned off._

_Who knew what could have happened otherwise?_

* * *

_**Lonely Souls  
**_By Fred Herriot  
The teaser was written by David Chamberlain.  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

* * *

**THE FOURTH PART, "C" SIDE - FREEDOM FROM DESTINY **

The tunnel seemed to last forever.

Ranma grunted, adjusting her backpack as she followed Negako towards the beacon of light that lay an eternity ahead of them. Glancing to both sides, then up, and then down, she noted the stars surrounding them. There was no discernible pattern to them, at least not one Ranma could recognize. She felt as though she was walking down some glass-lined corridor reaching throughout the Universe. The air was breathable yet not stale, salty, misty or any other condition she might recognize as "normal." Normal for Earth, that is.

This was clearly NOT Earth.

"Frightened?"

Ranma stopped. Negako glanced at her. "I . . . " An automatic denial surged up her throat, and then she fought it down with a sigh. Lies sang out to the person before her. "Somewhat. I'm trying not to feel too overwhelmed."

The grandmaster of Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu nodded. "Understandable. Ataru was the same when he first travelled to Sanctuary."

She waved Ranma with her. Ranma picked up her pace. "How long?"

"It depends," Negako replied. "Remember, there is a profound difference between the temporal dynamics of Earth's dimension and the temporal dynamics in Sanctuary itself. Sometimes, the journey is very short, a matter of minutes. Sometimes, it can last for hours. Hungry?"

"I'm alright. Can we walk side-by-side?"

"If you wish."

Ranma moved to her right, automatically reaching for the grandmaster's hand. The latter blinked, trying not to grin too much. The former was quick to notice. "You know, you really are beautiful when you smile, Negako." She winked at her companion. "Why are you so afraid of showing emotion to other people? Ataru told me you do have them."

"True, I do," Negako admitted. "But in most situations, I simply see no need to express emotion, especially to the extent 'normal' people take for granted. Until I was freed of Ataru, I never . . . " She paused. "No, I RARELY had chances to experience the 'good' side of humanity. Ironically, they all happened when I was with Happy."

"Jijii?!" Ranma gaped at her. "So that's why you call him 'Happy' instead of 'Happoosai,' eh? Did he try to free you before?"

"Three times. The third time, he paid dearly for his attempt at 'stealing' me from the Moroboshi Clan." Negako sighed. "His addiction to absorbing the ki from female undergarments was a result of that incident."

"Damn . . . " Ranma looked down as she considered that. "I mean, he annoys the hell out of me at times, but I'd never really wish him dead or anything like that. Just like all the others . . . "

"Though he may not say it in the open, he deeply cares for you, Ranma. You have the potential to become the living expression of what he wanted to create when he created Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu. In you, he sees what he's created preserved for future generations."

"But what if I don't want to run a doojou, Negako?"

"That is alright. One needs no physical structure to pass the Art to a worthy student. Your training trip with Genma, for all his faults in teaching you, did prove that." Negako looked on her, humming.

"What is it?"

"Have you ever contemplated becoming a doctor?"

Ranma's eyes widened. She stared thoughtfully at the light. "Not really. You saying that should be something I should consider?"

"It is a possibility. Toofuu spoke of your potential when I invited him to come to the Island to train with Chikage's grandfather Ryuuji and myself. Even in the brief time he knew you, he lamented that your skill level was so narrowly focused. He did not understand why until we discovered what Genma did to you, though." A pause. "He sends his apologies for not noticing that before. He also apologizes for the one incident with Akane when he made your legs lose their strength so she could carry you home."

Ranma took that in with a smile. "Thanks. And I'll thank him when we get back to the Island." A pause. "Negako?"

"Yes?"

"Where did I go wrong with Akane?"

"That, I suggest you discuss with Sakuya, Chikage or Karen. I am capable of many things, but emotional psychoanalysis is not one of my stronger suits." She then stopped. Ranma halted, giving her companion a curious look. Negako faced her new student. Then, to the other woman's surprise, she leaned over to give her a tender kiss. "Thank you, Ranma."

Ranma blinked, and then she stuttered, "F-f-for wh-what . . . ?"

"For rating my smile as 'beautiful.' I know you rated Akane's smile the same way when you feelings for her were the strongest."

"I . . . " Ranma stopped. "You're welcome . . .!" She then turned as the light ahead of them suddenly seemed to grow. "Eh?!" She automatically shifted herself before Negako. "What the hell's going on . . .?!" she demanded, tensing as Negako squeezed her shoulder.

"It is alright," Negako reported. "Our trip will be short this time around. Brace yourself to jump at my command."

Ranma nodded as the light seemed to encompass her whole field of vision. On hearing Negako call out "NOW!", she sprang . . .

To land on a rock the size of the Tendou sitting room. Quickly rolling to her feet, she stopped on seeing the rock's edge . . .

And a black void beyond.

Ranma backed away before feeling Negako's hands on her shoulders. Her eyes picked up a faint aura of light lying above that darkness. She turned to Negako. "Is there an end to that?" She pointed beyond the rock.

Negako shook her head. "No. Not until the end of Time Itself."

Ranma took that in. Gulping, she turned back, this time looking up and away from the darkness. And upon a floating, flat-topped asteroid about five kilometres wide, it supporting a glittering city so futuristic in design, Ranma doubted the creators of _Star Trek_, _Star Wars_ or _Babylon 5_ could equal it! "Whoa . . . " she gasped, and then her eyes turned up to gaze into a -- well, "sky" seemed the most comfortable term for the panorama of boiling platinum, silvery, golden, crimson and deep azure energy that laid overhead. A sky that seemed to stretch forever and ever, yet clearly melted into the pitch darkness lying beneath Ranma and Negako's feet. "Oh, man . . .!"

"Welcome to Sanctuary, Ranma," Negako announced.

* * *

"Onii-chan?" 

"Hmm . . .?" Ataru's eyes fluttered as he sat up, blinking on seeing Karen peeking into his bedroom. "Oh, Karen-chan . . . " he called out before glancing at the clock on the nightstand. "What's wrong? Can't you sleep?"

"Not really." Karen stepped into the room, walking over to sit on his bed. "I was wondering if you were feeling sleepy or not."

"I . . . " He shuddered as a bout of dizziness overwhelmed him for a moment. "Oh, man!" he gasped. "What the heck happened . . .?"

"Onii-chan, are you okay?!" Karen slid over to feel his head. Ataru remained still for a moment, and then he relaxed as she pulled her hand back. "Well, you're not running a fever or anything. Was it something you ate?"

"Better make sure Shirayuki-chan doesn't hear that," he warned with a chuckle before reaching over to draw her close to him.

"Onii-chan!" she squealed before sighing as he drew her into his embrace. "Oh, Onii-chan! You miss Onee-chan already, don't you?"

He considered that for a moment before nodding. "Funny. I do miss her. And it's worse, knowing that when she and Onee-chan comes back, five weeks would've passed for them. And for us, it'd be . . . " A pause. "Five hours."

"I'd love to see Sanctuary," she admitted. "We all would love to see it, even just once. Why won't you let us go there, Onii-chan?"

He playfully ruffled her hair. "Because it's not a safe place for nice girls like you," he reminded her. "It's an asteroid floating in a null-time tunnel reaching all the way to this moment from the end of Time. If you fell off the asteroid, you'd fall and fall and fall until you'd vanish into Eternity. And THAT, I'd never wish on ANYONE."

"Not even those jerks in Tomobiki?"

He lightly smiled. "No, not even them, Karen-chan."

"You hate them, don't you?"

Ataru blinked before he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Not really. I just don't have any desire to be with them anymore, Karen-chan. And I'm worried about you guys. You and the others are WAY more important to me, Karen-chan. You're my family now. A family that cares for me a hell of a lot more than Muchi or Kinshou ever did. What happens if people like Mendou find out that I've got twelve sisters, all who love me very much? Would they accept it? Or would they decide that since, in their eyes, I never deserved anything good to happen to me, they'd do everything in their power to break us apart? All so they could enjoy seeing me suffer? I don't want that. Do you?"

"Of course not!" Karen reached up to hold the arm lying on her tummy close to her. "We'll never leave you, Onii-chan! Never!"

"Thanks."

Silence fell as they relaxed, and then the door opened. "Onii-chama?"

"Kaho-chan?!" both called out on seeing the young cheerleader peek in.

Kaho blinked on seeing Karen beside Ataru. "Ah, Karen-chan, gomen ne!"

She then yelped as a foot tripped over the doorstop. Both winced as Kaho fell on her face. Karen leapt off the bed so she could help her sister back to her feet. "Kaho-chan, are you okay?" Karen tried not to laugh; Kaho's tripping over something often seemed a daily occurrence.

Kaho giggled in embarrassment as she walked over to sit on the bed. "Kaho thought Onii-chama didn't want to be alone tonight with Onee-chama now in Sanctuary, so Kaho came to be with Onii-chama." She slid in to embrace Ataru.

"Kaho . . . " he whispered before kissing her forehead. "Thanks."

"Aaah!" she squealed. "Onii-chama's beard tickles!"

Laughter filled the room. Karen slipped back onto the bed. Seeing that things were becoming crowded, Ataru sat up, reclining against the wall. Karen sat between him and the nightstand while Kaho reclined on the other side, draping herself on his lap. "Oh, Onii-chan, what's going to happen if the others come in here to be with you?" Karen asked.

"It best not become a fight," Ataru warned.

"Onii-chama?"

"Hmm? What is it, Kaho-chan?"

"Why won't Onii-chama or Onee-chama let Kaho go to Sanctuary?"

"Why?" He sighed as he considered if there was a nice way of putting it. Finding nothing that he could use, he began, "Well, when you go through the tunnel, you land on a rock the size of this room. But beyond the rock is this big void of NOTHING that extends all the way to the end of Time. If you fall of, you'll fall and fall and just keep on falling . . .!"

Kaho quivered, and then she cried out, burying her face into Ataru's chest. "Kaho doesn't want to fall!" she wailed.

He rubbed Kaho's forehead. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he apologised as he kissed her, allowing her to lay her head on his shoulder. "Anyhow . . . "

* * *

"Ranma, I DID warn you about taking a wrong step." 

"I REALLY NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THAT RIGHT NOW, NEGAKO!"

Ranma grunted as she clawed her way back to the surface of one of the small rocks leading in a chain of ten such boulders between what she saw as the "beam in" point and Sanctuary. As soon as she was on flat ground, she took a deep breath, and then she stood up. Her eyes fell on the next rock in the chain. It was the size of a king-sized bed, presently hovering forty metres away. "Damn, how could I've misjudged that . . .?"

Negako's eyebrow arched. "Ranma, if the dynamics of time are different here, how different can the dynamics of space be?"

The younger woman paused, staring at the grandmaster before a nod bobbed her head. "So I can't judge distances here, right?"

Negako nodded. "Exactly. When you are in Sanctuary itself, then you can relax since an artificial environment is constantly kept there for the benefit of those who visit. The same is true for the asteroids that allow people to enter Sanctuary. If they are capable, of course."

Ranma shuddered before calming herself. "So how can I . . .?"

She then screamed out in shock as Negako grabbed her by the straps of her backpack. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she was pulled across that endless chasm to the next asteroid. Negako, at least, allowed Ranma to land on her feet. Gasping as she collapsed to her knees, the younger woman panted before looking up as Negako took the measure of the next leap. "Damn it all, Negako! WARN me about that, will ya?!" she spat out.

"Things happen here without warning, Ranma." Negako tried not to smirk at her new student's protest. "Alright, three more jumps and we are . . . "

Ranma screamed again as Negako grabbed her by the backpack. In a single leap, they were flying. As they turned to make a landing, the rock shattered! "OH, SHIT!" Ranma yelped as they slipped towards the unending tunnel below.

"_**SEISHIN KUSARIGAMA!**_"

A ki-chain with a hooked end leapt from Negako's palm, soaring past the remaining rocks in the floating archipelago to dig into the hard rock of the Sanctuary asteroid. Ranma cried out as she found herself yanked across the chasm. She was then flipped up to land on the flat ground . A second later, Negako flipped up to join her, and then she dispersed the Psychic Kusarigama. She waved Ranma with her. "We are here," she announced.

Ranma panted. "Shit, Jusenkyou was NICE compared to this place!"

* * *

The city atop the Sanctuary asteroid was walled. Two gates provided ground-level entrance to the city, one opening to the chain of rocks from the "beam in" point, the other opening directly to the time-chasm itself. The city's interior was built on a spoke-wheel design, eight streets leading from the wall to intersect at the centre. A lighthouse-like tower surrounded by a traffic circle marked the centre-point of the asteroid. As they walked from the gate, Ranma noticed the buildings lining the streets were low structures, none higher than five floors in human terms. Still, despite the rural feel, the structure designs were as futuristic as Ranma assumed when she first gazed on this place. "Hey, Negako, who built this place anyway?" she asked. 

"Their identities are unknown," Negako reported. "From what I have ascertained in previous visits to this place, those who frequent Sanctuary refer to its builders as the 'Questors.'"

"'Questors,' huh? What were they looking for?"

"That is unknown to everyone. However, what is known is that the Questors hailed from the very end of Time Itself."

"They were reaching back in time?"

"Yes. They reached to a point three billion years ago as we measure time. Then, for reasons unknown, they committed mass suicide. Sanctuary itself is all that remains of their culture. In this time period, of course."

Ranma whistled. "Weird."

"Indeed."

They reached the traffic circle. Negako lead Ranma to the second street to their left. Heading back towards the wall, Ranma noted some of the lots lining this street were undeveloped. Trees -- many so alien-looking to Ranma, she couldn't HOPE to find words to describe them -- took up those empty lots.

"None of these are dangerous, are they?" she asked, pointing at one.

"It depends on how you define 'danger,'" Negako reported. "The fruit they produce is incompatible to our digestive systems, but Ataru reported that when he sat on one of the limbs, it felt as if he was in bed. I advise you to NOT try to injure them, though," she warned with a raised finger.

"Gotcha . . . hey! There's a doojou!"

Negako silently chuckled as Ranma ran past her to a cleared lot bearing a simple wood and paper-walled doojou, like the Tendou's training hall in general design. Stopping at the gate, she noted there was no sign to indicate what Art was practised here. She headed in. Glancing around, she quickly saw that a classical rock garden had been raked out around the doojou. "Nice place . . . " She whistled, and then she saw a residence located behind the doojou. "Hey, Negako, did you build this place or did someone else from Earth come here?"

Negako stepped into the garden, waving Ranma with her to the residence. "Someone else did come here. Around 1942 as we tell time."

"Who? Do you know her?"

"I know OF her," Negako said. "Deannette Antonia Raeburn."

Silence.

"Major Raeburn . . .?" Ranma gasped as her mind conjured images of a twenty-something, brown-haired, blue-eyed tomboy from British Columbia. History books credited her with being the top "specialized warfare" -- that was the Canadian euphemism for military operations by people possessing metahuman or paranormal powers and abilities -- soldier operating during the Second World War. Major Dean Raeburn, atop becoming the last heir of the immortal Japanese ninjutsu grandmaster Hosan Hirosuke, had also won the right to make use of an alien "power jewel" which granted her Captain Marvel-like powers. She also gained the use of a deadly, chisel-pointed sword called a "cat's claw" blade, said to be so tough, it could shatter the hardest diamond in one stroke. With these weapons, Major Raeburn helped establish the "War Hawks," a team of Canadian military metahumans who fought Axis paranormals around the world. Major Raeburn and the War Hawks disappeared shortly after VJ-Day, their final fate a total mystery to the general public. In spite of Genma's assertions that women were weak when it came to martial arts, one only had to look at Major Raeburn's example -- Ranma learned of the Canadian when she attended junior high -- to see how wrong he was. "Oh, man!" Ranma breathed out.

"The same," Negako confirmed as they stepped into the residence. Looking around the house, Ranma was instantly reminded of her family home. "Sanctuary is most frequently used by the various Seeker Power Jewel Warriors as a relaxation zone to help them recover from their various battles."

Ranma blinked. The Seekers, according to an interview Major Raeburn granted in 1944 to Allied war correspondents, were a race of immortals, far above what Japanese might call "kami," who died out en masse long before the first signs of life appeared on Earth. The Power Jewels were the only physical legacy remaining of that race. "So how did you get the 'keys' to this place?"

"Someone gave the 'key' to me two years ago. I would rather not reveal that person's identity at this time, though."

"Oh? Sounds fair enough. So where do I sleep?"

Negako indicated one room. "Right here."

Ranma looked inside, smirking on seeing a thick futon and other basic home necessities awaiting her. "Nice place." She slipped off her pack, setting it aside. "What about food?" she then asked. "Where can we get that?"

"There's a dry storage room in the basement here that has a fair selection. If you wish to try it, there's also a replicator unit."

"Like from _Star Trek_?!"

"The same. The unit is Zephyrite. Anything flagged in red indicates foods you should avoid. Terran selections span Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Italian and American cuisines. There should be no problems in that regard."

"Gotcha."

"One other thing." Negako reached into her own small pack to draw out a laptop computer. "Rinrin believed you might need this."

Ranma smiled, taking the machine from the grandmaster. "Thanks. I guess I would need it. There're no power problems here?"

"No. I will leave you to make yourself at home. Get some sleep as soon as you can. When you wake up, we will begin training."

"Right. Um, do we try to keep time in this place?"

"In a place where normal rules of time have little effect?" Negako's eyebrow arched. "What do you suggest, Ranma?"

"Ah . . .!" the younger woman exclaimed. "R-right! I should've realized that!" She shrugged embarrassedly. "So how do we do this?"

"Your body's internal timekeeping mechanisms will suffice for now. Do not worry if you feel your internal 'clock' going out of sync. Ataru found it to be of no real concern while he was staying here. Try to get some sleep."

"Okay."

Negako stepped out. Ranma sighed, moving to draw the shades over the window. To her surprise, the shades blocked out all exterior light. Overhead, a two-tube ceiling light provided what internal light there was, though there was also a lamp on a nightstand by the futon. There was also a worktable. Ranma set the laptop there, plugging it into a nearby outlet. Flicking the machine on, she smiled as the programs clicked on. She dug out her UHD diskette. Loading that, she drew up her personal journal files:

_Journal Entry, Day 0 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__I never thought I would wind up on another PLANET of all things, even after meeting Moroboshi Ataru and his family. Yet now, I'm writing this from a city in another DIMENSION, let alone another planet! Wild, huh?  
__Comparing this place to all the other places I've been to, Sanctuary is in a class all by itself. There's no clear day or night here. All light comes from a sky of burning energy above the rock where the city stands. Have to ask Negako about that. How far up is that 'sky' anyway? It's hard to tell distances in this place. And I HAVE to watch my step here. If what just happened to Negako and me as we were making our way into this place is normal, all it would take is one bad move and I'm a goner!  
__Sanctuary floats over a tunnel that, according to Negako, extends to the end of Time. How far ahead is that? Millions of years? Perhaps billions of years? Or is there no end of Time? That's scary. It's no wonder Ataru doesn't want his sisters, especially Kaho, to come here._

"Ataru . . .?" Ranma stopped, glancing at the futon. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she turned back to the laptop.

_I feel weird. Tonight's the first night I'm gonna be sleeping alone since Ataru dropped the story about the Niphentaxians and what happened in Lumukyou on me. That was what? Three, four days ago? And I . . ._

She paused before continuing:

_. . . I miss him already. Strange, isn't it? I just left him in the House not an hour ago. And yeah, Negako's here, but she's not Ataru. What does that mean to me? Does it mean that I really care for him? Do I . . ._

Another pause.

_. . . I love him?  
__I wish I could answer that.  
__I know that I LIKE him! But is that enough for me now?  
__Oh, well, I guess we'll have to wait and see._

Glancing over the words she just typed, Ranma sighed, and then saved the journal entry before closing down her laptop.

* * *

"Onii-tama?" 

Ataru, Karen and Kaho looked up to see Hinako peek into the room. "Hey, what're you doing here?" he wondered. "Can't you sleep?"

Hinako shook her head. "Hina's worried about Onee-tama." She walked into the room, rubbing her eyes, and then she crawled onto the bed. "And Hina knows Onii-tama's also worried about Onee-tama. Hina just wishes . . . "

Ataru shifted Kaho away from him to draw his youngest sister onto his lap. "You wanted to go to Sanctuary too, huh?"

She giggled, leaning into his chest. "Onii-tama really, really, really likes Onee-tama, doesn't he?" she said as she gazed knowingly into his eyes.

"Well, if Hinako-chan likes her, then I have to like her too, I guess," he mused, rubbing his chin on her forehead.

Hinako squealed. Everyone then blinked as the door opened, revealing Sakuya carrying a rolled-up futon under one arm and Hinako's favourite stuffed teddy bear, a huge toy as big as Marie's dog, in the other hand. "I guess I'm not the only one who thought of keeping Onii-sama company," the eldest of the sisters declared as she spread the futon and Mister Bear on the floor.

"Waai! Sakuya-chan brought Kuma-san!" Hinako reached out for her prized bedtime companion. "Hina wants Kuma-san! Kuma-san!"

"Ah! You have to choose, Hinako-chan!" Sakuya wagged her finger at the youngest of the sisters. "What's it going to be?! Kuma-san or Onii-sama?!"

Giggling, Hinako leaned into Ataru. "Hina'll always choose Onii-tama!"

She rubbed her head in the crook of his neck. "Aaah! Onii-chama's OUR brother, too, Hinako-chan!" Kaho wailed.

Ataru rolled his eyes to the ceiling as the sisters started arguing. _Maybe I SHOULD have gone to Sanctuary_, he ruefully mused.

* * *

"Wake up, Ranma!" 

Ranma grunted, looking up to see Negako gazing down on her. "Oh, man . . . " She yawned, sitting up. "How long was I asleep?"

"That is a hard question to answer," the grandmaster warned. "In one respect, you got eight hours' rest. Come. Breakfast is waiting."

Ranma watched her go. Scrambling out of bed, she followed her host to the small sitting room located between the sleeping quarters and the doojou. "'In one respect?' What the heck does THAT mean, Negako?" she asked.

"Observe." Negako reached into her top to draw a hand-held timepiece.

Ranma noted it was a gear-driven automatic device, no doubt made in Europe. "Needs to be wound up." She took it from Negako, and then she twisted the knob to wind the spring. The clock began to tick, and then it fell silent. "Huh?!" She then wound it up again. Again, only a few ticks echoed from it before it fell silent. "What the hell . . .?!"

Negako took the timepiece back. "A null-time vacuum."

Ranma stared at her. "'Null-time vacuum?!'"

The grandmaster waved her into the sitting room. Once Ranma was seated, she headed to the kitchen to bring out two bowls of soulloungt'ang. "Exactly. Anything affected strongly by linear time is halted or slowed to a snail's pace when it is brought into Sanctuary. Your aging process, for example. As long as you remain here, you will not age. If you so desired, you could be virtually immortal. But since Sanctuary has little 'creature comforts' . . . "

"People'd go insane here," Ranma mused, sniffing the delicious aroma of the soulloungt'ang as Negako retrieved kitchen utensils and a bottle of spring water. "Then how can you cook food in this place?" she asked.

"Cooking food, healing from injuries and other matters are not totally influenced by lineal time, Ranma." Negako set out the chopsticks, and then she poured Ranma a glass of water. "Take boiling soulloungt'ang. The basic broth takes from one to two days to prepare under normal circumstances. But if you used a microwave oven or 'hot' ki to aid in the actual cooking . . . "

"It goes faster," Ranma concluded.

"Exactly."

Ranma shook her head. "It's hard to accept."

"Even for me," Negako mused. "Clearly, the Questors possessed -- or WILL possess if you choose to view that situation in that manner -- such an advanced understanding of temporal science, creating Sanctuary was child's play. I believe I COULD come to understand it . . . "

"But you'd be probably driven out of your mind doing that, right?"

"Perhaps," Negako admitted.

Ranma laughed. "Guess what? You're human, Negako!"

Negako blinked. "Should I feel complimented or insulted?"

The younger woman's laughter picked up.

* * *

Breakfast was soon done. Negako directed Ranma into a furo. There, she received her healing shiatsu, something she had received from Ataru before breakfast when she was staying on Promised Island. As Negako worked on her, Ranma asked if the process could be increased given the differences between Sanctuary and Earth. "I will attempt to do that, but there is a danger." 

"What sort of danger?" Ranma asked.

"Over-treatment." The ninjutsu grandmaster gently vibrated a finger over a point on Ranma's scalp. "You know of overmedication, do you not?" Seeing Ranma nod, she continued, "Well, there is also such a thing as receiving TOO much shiatsu treatment. Your body needs all the opportunities it can receive to adjust to any significant changes in your shiatsu or ki patterns, Ranma, just as it must adjust to 'normal' matters like a change of diet or a change in your exercise pattern. If that time is not allocated . . . "

"It'd be just as bad as not being treated at all."

"Exactly."

"Gotcha." Ranma relaxed. "Hey, Negako, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Was Ataru ever bothered whenever you and he were here in Sanctuary?" A slow flush crossed Ranma's cheeks. "You know, like in . . .?"

"Sexual arousal?"

Ranma's cheeks instantly went cherry-red. "Um, y-y-yeah . . . "

"Sometimes." She pressed another point. "As Sakuya and Chikage attempted to impress onto you when they spoke to you, there is no shame in feeling that. In fact, I am aware of certain cultures that consider sexual relations between siblings to be not only natural but proper."

Ranma gaped at her. "Really?!"

Negako nodded. "Indeed. Sexual arousal, in its basic form, is a function of human biology. It is the obvious physical sign that you are ready to procreate. However, the physical desire to procreate does not always match to a compatible emotional need. So our society considers it 'proper' to control the physical need, focus it only to those one emotionally considers to be 'safe.' You felt that way on occasion for Akane, did you not?"

"Um, y-yeah . . . I g-guess so," Ranma stuttered. "At least, I think I d-d-did. I just didn't really u-u-understand it." She shrugged before glancing quizzically on Negako. "Does that make me perverted, Negako?"

"No, not by the definition of the term I understand," Negako admitted. "Why are you so curious about this, Ranma? You clearly do not wish to pursue an intimate relationship with Akane at this time, if ever again."

"Yeah, I don't, but . . .!" Ranma stopped, and then she sighed. "I guess I just want to try to understand where things went wrong between us, Negako. I mean, you're right. I don't imagine marrying Akane anymore, not after what's happened. But I still want to be her friend. And I don't want to make the same mistakes Oyaji made with me when I finally have kids. IF I have kids, of course!" She held up her finger before she spat out, "Damn! Sakuya-chan was right. I AM too young to worry about this!"

"Well, it is good that you realize it now instead of when you are trapped in a marriage with no emotional underpinnings." Negako then nodded. "Alright, we are done for this session. Time for the doojou."

"Hai . . . "

* * *

"You can't access them at ALL?!" 

Genma shook his head. Despite it being well past midnight, the lights in the sitting room shone. Kasumi and Nabiki were both in bed, though Souun could sense Akane was awake. "I've tried everything, Tendou-kun! Much that I am VERY wary to call upon the Sen-ken forms, the fact that the boy memorized them, then passed them on to those infernal mirror-twins of his . . .!"

Souun sighed sympathetically. Yes, the Sen-ken techniques, especially the Yamasen-ken forms, WERE dangerous. One need not look past the example of Kumon Ryuu's father to see that. But Ranma was more responsible than THAT! After all, had Ranma used them for personal gain? Of course not! Since Ranma DID know them, they would have been copied into the mirror-clones . . .

A shudder shook the Tendou patriarch as he remembered Toshiko's words to him about that incident. Why did Ranma disregard what Souun had decided about those two, STEALING that compact from Nabiki to let them go free? Why?! Did that mean . . .? That Ranma had long come to the point where he no longer really cared about what Souun wanted? It was very clear that Ranma had reached that point concerning Genma! Which meant . . .

No!

The schools HAD to be united! No matter what happened, the schools HAD to be united. If what was happening with Nodoka and her relatives bore fruit, then everything his friend had done over the last decade and more will be lost. And though Souun didn't appreciate the idiot stunts Genma pulled concerning Ranma's training, he knew Genma had trained a very fine martial artist. That outcome had to be protected and nourished under their guidance. It could NOT be lost to a family of greedy bastards like the Asagayas, much less a wandering family of cooks like the Kuonjis, a family of deviants like the Kunous and ESPECIALLY a clan of female chauvinists like those Chinese Amazons!

"Dad?!"

Both turned as Akane stepped in. A smile was on her face as she twirled, modelling the now-restored Densetsu no Doogi. Souun's eyes widened before he nodded. "I see you wish to continue to press your claim for Ranma-kun."

"I've no choice!" The smile faded from her face as she glared at him. "I don't know what the hell you were thinking earlier by saying that fake was going to marry Ranma! If she wants him, she has to come through me first!"

The fathers gazed on her, and then exchanged a look before Genma slid his glasses on his nose. "Perhaps we were too hasty about moving the engagement from you, Akane-chan." He waved the youngest Tendou sister to a floor mat. "Please understand that this is something your father and I've dreamed of for a very long time. To come so close to making it happen, then have it snatched away . . . " He shuddered. "It galls me. I . . . " He stopped. Then, to Souun and Akane's surprise, he prostrated himself before her. "Tendou Akane, I only can but give you my sincerest apologies for the trouble my mistakes in raising my son, your fiancé, have brought you. Please, know I will be honoured to call you my daughter-in-law when we finally make my son see some reason."

"I . . .!" Akane's cheeks reddened. "Uncle . . .!"

Souun's jaw dropped. "Genma . . . "

Silence fell as Akane considered the older man's words before she nodded. "Thank you, Uncle. That really meant a lot to me."

"You deserve it." Genma sat up to hold up a finger. "Now, before we press on, I must ask you this: Do you love my son?"

Akane nodded. "Yes!"

Hearing that, Souun moaned, "Oh, Akane . . .!"

"Very well." Genma squeezed his friend's shoulder. "Unfortunately, given what happened on Tuesday, the boy seems to think he has no obligation to you. That HAS to be corrected. And it's best corrected by you, Akane."

He pointed to her. Akane sighed. "You mean I have to challenge him?"

"It may be the only thing we can do to make Ranma-kun come back, Akane-chan." Souun nodded understandingly. "That he's gone out of his way to pay back the debts he accumulated with the Kuonji girl and that China girl is fine enough. That Kuonji's dowry has been returned to her is also a good thing. As far as I'm now concerned -- and I hope, Saotome-kun, that I speak for you as well . . . " He glanced at Genma, who nodded in return. "We have no need to concern ourselves with their troubles anymore."

"They may disagree with that, Dad," Akane warned.

"Indeed, given their actions in the past, I suspect they will." Souun indicated the Doogi. "Well, isn't it fortunate that you have this now?"

Akane nodded. "You have a point." She then gazed intently at her father. "What about that double of mine?!" she demanded.

Souun sighed, bowing his head. "Akane-chan, I'm sorry that I said those things after Kimiko-chan had her _fight_ with Saotome-kun here." He indicated Genma. "I admit that I've become desperate as of late to see this whole agreement through to its rightful conclusion. That Nabiki-chan is capable of pursuing the Art again fills me with joy. And your own desire to progress in the Art has never abated. Please . . . " He bowed low. "Can you forgive your foolish father for what he did to hurt you?"

Akane smiled at him. "It's okay, Dad." She reached over to rub his shoulder. "We just wanted you to be yourself again!"

He straightened himself. "So," Genma spoke up. "The time has come for us to plan on what we must do to bring the boy back."

"Negako-san said he'll be in Nerima by tomorrow," Akane reported.

"Good." Souun nodded before he gazed intently at her. "Do you intend to press your challenge against Kimiko-chan, Akane?"

The youngest of the Tendous considered that for a moment before she sighed. "I have to make sure of it, Dad," she admitted. "I don't want to deal with another rival and I know Ranma doesn't want to deal with another fiancée."

"Understandable, but remember . . . " He held up a finger to emphasize his point. "Ranma-kun DID name Kimiko-chan after your mother. Certainly if he did that, it means he does care for what happens with our family, Akane-chan."

Akane sighed. "Yeah, that's true." She then nodded. "Alright, if you want, I'll ask her if she has any feelings for Ranma. If she does, I have to challenge her then, Dad! But if she doesn't, I'll leave her be."

Souun nodded. "Fair enough."

"Then you have to challenge the boy himself," Genma warned.

Silence.

"Do you think I have to go THAT far with him, Uncle?" Akane asked.

Genma sagely nodded. "Yes, I do. Remember, Akane-chan, the boy is extremely stubborn. That has its good and bad sides. The good side is that he will never give up when faced with a challenge. Much that I would not want to remind you of this, but how did he manage to save you from Saffron?" Seeing Akane tense before she relaxed with a nod, he added, "I'm sorry, child. I didn't mean to hurt you. But the boy has to face his obligations. And if he runs around willy-nilly thinking he can avoid it . . . " He shrugged.

"Indeed, you have a point." Souun gazed on Akane. "Child, I know you might hesitate before facing something like this, but you MUST challenge Ranma-kun to force him into acknowledging the agreement. And you must also focus the challenge to ensure he no longer defers to his other would-be suitors . . . " A pause, and then he shook his head. "Not to mention his mother."

"What if he refuses?" Akane asked. "His mother means a lot to him."

"He won't," Genma warned. "I won't allow it. If he does, I'll disown him on the spot and declare that he can no longer practice Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu. He certainly doesn't wish to face THAT."

Souun nodded. "Indeed. And Ranma-kun's NEVER refused a challenge. You must use that against him if you're to bring him back."

Akane sighed. "I don't like this." She squeezed her fingers into fists as a determined nod twitched her head. "But he's my fiancé. I've no choice now." She then nodded. "Alright, I'll do it. On one condition." She pointed to Genma. "You vow right here and now that when I bring him home, you'll NEVER do what you did to Ranma when he was a boy. I want him as my fiancé, but I don't want to marry a scholastic roonin."

Genma tensed. "But . . .!"

"Please." She held up a hand. "I know you wanted to make sure he would become a fine martial artist. Uncle, you succeeded beyond your wildest dreams. But in other situations, he's hopeless. I don't want that anymore. I'm sure he doesn't want it. If you try to put that on him again, HE might be the one who makes himself roonin and walk away from ALL of us! Do you want that?"

Genma shook his head. "No."

Akane nodded. "Alright. If Negako-san can fix up what you did, not to mention rid him of his ailurophobia, let's let it happen."

Souun nodded. "Agreed." He then nodded upstairs. "You best get some sleep, child. You'll have quite the busy day tomorrow."

"Hai! Good night, Dad, Uncle."

Akane headed upstairs. They watched her go. "We're close, Genma." Souun chuckled, raising his teacup. "We're so close!"

"That, my old friend, we are!" Genma returned his toast.

* * *

Ranma sighed, sitting on the doojou roof as she gazed on the swirling clouds of gas and fire overhead. It was the late "morning" of the sixth "day" she had stayed in Sanctuary. Not two hours before -- at least, Ranma believed it to have been two hours -- Negako pronounced her healed from the neural damage Genma's actions years ago provoked, not to mention the recent damage taken on thanks to Akane and all the other people in Nerima. Come "tomorrow," the healing from the damage the Neko-ken training caused would start in earnest. The final step before she would learn if Chikage and the Jusenkyou guide were right about how the Niángniquán curse would ultimately affect her. 

Now she had a decision to make.

"Ranma?"

Ranma gazed on Negako. Damn, even without using the Umisen-ken cloak, she could pretty well sneak up on anyone! Taking a deep breath on sensing what the grandmaster wanted to know, she sat up. "Before I say 'yes' or 'no,' can you answer me something, Negako?" she then asked.

Negako's eyebrows arched. "Why Ataru?"

Ranma nodded. The grandmaster stared towards the tower in the heart of Sanctuary. "You were four years old. Genma took you on a small training trip to get you used to various changes in weather conditions while camping on the road. That trip took you to Sendai. Ataru's uncle Komeru owns property in the area. From what I have been able to deduce, Genma tried to sneak onto the property to steal food. He left you alone in the camp you made outside the property line. And you, being so young and alone . . . "

"I got scared?"

"Very," Negako replied. "Fortunately, you were found by Ataru, who was then visiting his 'cousin,' Nokoko. You know the real story about her."

"Yeah! She's really his older sister, but Kinshou sent her up to be raised by Komeru after Ataru's twin brother Kaeru died."

The grandmaster nodded. "Ataru and Nokoko found you, and then they invited you to the house. By then, Genma had been spotted by security. He managed to evade them, but when he got back to the camp, he found you gone. Tracing down where you went, he found you playing with Ataru and Nokoko. Naturally, that displeased him, so he tried to take you away."

"What happened?"

"Nokoko and Ataru were both very pleased to see you as a new friend, so it naturally displeased them when Genma tried to take you away. They tried to follow Genma through the snow to 'rescue' you from him. Nokoko fell behind, but Ataru stayed on as best he could."

Ranma's eyes went wide. "Really?!"

"Yes. At that moment, things become unclear. Security later found you and Ataru at the camp. Genma . . . " A smirk turned her lips before she continued, "Was thoroughly beaten down. It looked as if both a person and some wild animal had their way with him. As to who it was that dealt with Genma, no one was able to properly ascertain."

"Do you have an idea?"

"I do. Clearly, whoever it was, he or she is not native to Earth. The animal's footprints and the injury marks on Genma indicate a . . . " She glanced at Ranma. "Type of animal you would not presently like to hear of."

Ranma gulped. Negako sighed. "There is something else. As of now, there is a psionic bond connecting you to Ataru. A bond that, I believe, could only have been forged by a high-order telepath or broadcast empath."

Silence.

Ranma gaped. "What . . .?!"

"It is true. You cannot access it at this time due to the damage your mind incurred from the Neko-ken training." Negako ignored Ranma's shiver. "And because you are 'silent' in that regard, Ataru cannot consciously access it, either. Even if both of you could access it, I do not believe it will allow you to communicate 'in the clear' to each other. But it will allow you to understand the other's feelings." A pause. "And before you ask, I do not believe that bond can be severed. Not without killing you both."

The ninjutsu grandmaster fell silent as Ranma took that in. The younger woman then stared toward the tower in the centre of Sanctuary. "Who would do something like THAT to us? WHY would they do it? I don't get it!"

"I cannot answer that question. The only one who can . . . "

"Is whoever bonded us," Ranma finished. "Does Ataru know?"

"I have not told him that you are the one he is bonded to. Not yet. But he does know he has a bond with someone. His 'Other' as he likes to refer to you as. When the repairs on your mind are complete -- IF you want me to complete them to that extent -- the truth can at last be revealed."

"Can't you try to dredge up my memories and put this puzzle together that way?" Ranma stared curiously at her. Seeing Negako shake her head, the younger woman sighed. "Damn. All because of the N-n-n-Neko-ken, r-right?"

"Exactly."

Ranma took a deep breath. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't."

"You need not look at it that way, Ranma."

"What do you mean?"

"Would it not be better to learn the truth? Instead of always living in fear and uncertainty? There are those in this existence who would take gross advantage of that. Do you wish to leave yourself vulnerable to that, Ranma?"

Ranma shook her head. "No."

"Then you have only one choice before you."

They looked on each other before Ranma nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

_Journal Entry, Day 7 of Sanctuary visit (I think!),  
__Dear Diary,  
__Well, it's started.  
__This morning, Negako kept me in the furo for an hour or so as she did the first shiatsu treatment to help me be rid of my ailurophobia. Man, it's easier to think of that Latin term instead of using the 'N' word. And believe me, the idea of finally being rid of that fear and the madness that comes with it when it gets triggered just fills me with joy. Still, the . . ._

Ranma paused. She then sighed as she continued to type:

_. . . the idea of facing what the Jusenkyou guide and Chikage told me MIGHT happen when I'm mentally back 'in shape' sends chills down my back.  
__Part of me, even with what I feel now for Ataru, still wants to BE a man in my heart and soul. Would it really matter when this is all over? What would happen to me if I came out of this at the end and still felt I was a guy? What would happen between Ataru and me? I mean, when we slept together, he didn't do anything I'd consider perverted._

A giggle ran through her.

_Oh, jeez, if any of those morons from Tomobiki heard that Moroboshi Ataru did NOT do something perverted in close company with a pretty girl like me, they'd probably think the world was coming to an end.  
What a bunch of jerks!  
Just like Akane would think about me, I guess.  
Stupid, ignorant tomboy.  
Rinrin was right about that, I guess. Who the HELL gave Akane the right to judge what I could feel? If I feel anything about that idiot now, it's a desire to get back to Nerima, then use a soulsword and make that tomboy's precious 'Dou-chan' go bye-bye. The look on her face when that happens . . ._

She stopped typing. Gazing at the screen for a moment, Ranma then took a deep breath before putting fingers back to keys.

_. . . happens would be priceless!  
__That requires that I actually LEARN how to make a soulsword. I've seen Ataru and Negako do it, but for some reason, I can't picture in my mind how they can manipulate their own body's ki into doing THAT! Heh! Isn't that something? Me, Saotome Ranma, who can pick up martial arts techniques on the first try -- and I can't get the knack of THIS one!  
__Maybe it's because the soulsword's a KILLING technique?  
__I guess so.  
__And I suppose I can see why learning the soulsword's the last major thing one does in learning the basics in Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu.  
__Oh, well, I can wait. Lots of other things to do first._

Ranma stopped again to read through what she had written. A few spelling corrections later, she moved to finish the entry:

_Thinking on Ataru and what's going on between us, I guess Chikage was right about one thing, though. Love, in all its many ways of being expressed, really doesn't recognize a person's gender. And I . . ._

She paused.

_. . . I miss him.  
__And I miss the sisters, too.  
__I wish they were here.  
__Hell, I wish I was back on Promised Island right now.  
__I miss them all.  
__What does that mean for me?  
__I suppose I'll figure it out soon.  
__I hope._

Reading that over, she nodded before saving the entry.

* * *

"No day OR night, Aniki?" 

"And no way to keep track of time? Man, that's rough, Anii!"

Ataru shook his head. "No, it wasn't too rough." The futon Sakuya brought into the room was laid out. Mamoru had brought a second futon -- "Just in case!" the athlete explained -- while Rinrin brought her alarm clock -- a miniature Mecha-Rinrin with a "02" on the chest; she called it the "Prototype Robot Number Two" -- to set up on Ataru's nightstand. A CD player played nature music. Hinako, asleep, was on the futon, her head resting in Mister Bear's lap. Kaho was asleep beside her. Sakuya was with Karen on Ataru's bed. "You know, they say time flies when you're having fun. I guess Onee-chan's gonna be keeping Ranma so busy, she won't have _time_ to notice the time."

Rinrin shook her head. "I just can't imagine what sort of temporal dynamics must run that place, if at ALL!" she asserted.

Mamoru groaned. "Rinrin, ain't there ANYTHING you've never looked at?!"

She gazed in exasperation at the teen scientist. Rinrin shrugged. "I haven't studied the Tarot," she quipped.

"Who said the magic word?"

Everyone gasped as Chikage stepped out of the shadows, she draped in the black nun's habit she normally used as pyjamas. "Chikage-chan, for the love of Heaven, do you MIND?!" Rinrin snapped as the young sorceress sat beside her.

"Huh . . .? Is Onee-tama back . . .?"

People stared at Hinako. The youngest sister was blearily looking around the room. "Go back to sleep, Hinako-chan." Ataru waved her down as he gave the sorceress a look. "Chikage just came to visit and Rinrin got upset."

"Huh . . .?" Hinako tried to focus on Chikage. Moaning, she leaned once more against Kuma-san. "Silly Chikage-chan. 'Night . . . "

The others giggled while Chikage tried not to look annoyed.

* * *

"So what do you think?" 

It was the ninth "day" in Sanctuary. As part of her training, Negako decided to teach Ranma how to express herself in a classic way: Ukiyo-e painting. Making the woodblock carving for the prints was easy for someone who required an exacting sense of distance to help in combat. Once a "test" print was made to ensure her work was the way she wanted it, Ranma quickly produced her first coloured painting. Inspecting it, Negako quickly noted Ranma was a reds and blacks lover. "A decent interpretation of the energy matrices overhead," the grandmaster stated. "I would dare say that with practice, you will equal if not surpass some of the classical masters of this art."

Ranma chuckled. "I bet you met some of them."

"Personally, no. Several of my hosts did meet some of the known experts. People like Hishikawa, Hiroshige, Utamaro and Hokusai." A hum escaped her. "I do not remember if any of my hosts ever met Sharaku, though."

Ranma chuckled. "Anyhow, I'm going out to do some sketches of the city." She picked up a sketchpad and pencils. "Be back later."

Negako nodded. "Take your time."

Stepping out, Ranma looked around, and then she headed up the street towards the city wall. Arriving there, she hopped up to the flat surface, and then she sat down to gaze on the city. The silence froze her for a moment. Unlike other urban zones, Sanctuary was not haunted by "normal" city sounds like cars, trains, birds or children. Shuddering, she laid the sketchbook on her lap to do a detailed drawing of the city. Time became meaningless to her as she glanced at a particular building, and then moved to capture it on paper. Soon enough, the sketch was done. Taking a few minutes to inspect her work, Ranma smiled with satisfaction. "Maybe I should follow Hokusai-sensei's example and make thirty-six views of Sanctuary . . . eh?" Her eyes widened on noticing an odd colour in a vacant lot nearby. "What the . . .?"

Hopping off the wall to the roof of a nearby building, Ranma bounded over to the next street before dropping back to ground level. Walking towards the city centre, she stopped before an empty lot on her left. Looking at it, she noted the absence of plant life save a trimmed layer of blue grass. She then stepped off the street. She only had to take a couple of steps before realizing what was there. "Graves . . . " she gasped.

There were eleven mounds. Given the very nature of Sanctuary, Ranma could readily assume that they had been here since the day this place was created by the Questors billions of years ago in "real" time. However, the simple wooden poles acting as markers had some of their bark taken away. The underlying wood had been smoothed into a flat plate. Etched on there were several lines in kana and kanji. Leaning up to one of those posts, Ranma read:

_Here likes a soldier of the Union of Uru  
__Who died not knowing the truth of why she fought.  
__Though we were made enemies by Fate and Circumstance,  
__I, the unwilling vessel of her Judgement,  
__Do wish her peace and happiness  
__In the embrace of Eternity._

The two kanji at the end of that invocation sent chills down Ranma's back. "'Moroboshi' . . .?" she whispered. "That means . . .!"

She straightened herself, turning around to leave. She halted on seeing Negako standing on the roadway. Ranma blinked before walking onto the street, and then she looked back on the graves. "They're the group that . . .?"

"Some were," Negako confirmed.

"Ataru said there were twelve of them," Ranma said. "There're only eleven graves here. What happened to the last one?"

Negako nodded towards the city wall and the timeless void beyond. "He boasted too much about what he did. Foolish thing to do. After Ataru ripped his horns off, then slit his throat, he pitched the fool over the wall. In front of their very own eyes." She pointed to the graves. "Whatever illusions those fools might have had towards Lum's 'Darling' vanished in an instant."

Ranma paled. "Man, I can see why Ataru doesn't want to talk about things like this to the girls." She shook her head before turning toward the doojou.

"This could easily have been you, Ranma."

The martial artist stopped, gazing on Negako. "What do you mean?"

A knowing grin crossed Negako's face. "I will allow you to contemplate on that. But know this. I told Lum's cousin Jariten this before he left Earth: 'Wars do not make one great. Wars normally make one _dead_.'"

She leapt away for the doojou. Ranma watched her. She then looked nowhere in particular as Negako's words echoed in her mind.

* * *

_Journal Entry, Day 10 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__'Wars do not make one great. Wars normally make one dead.'  
__What did she mean?  
__Ever since I could remember, I was always taught something by Oyaji that, even now, I agree with: 'Martial artists live to protect those who can't protect themselves.' That's something I've always strived to succeed in. It's a good theory. It's decent. Hell, it's RIGHT!  
__Or is it?_

Ranma shifted her hands from her keyboard. Taking several deep breaths to calm herself as her mind roiled over what Negako said to her the previous "day," she returned to typing. As a new string of characters appeared on the screen, her eyes started to glisten with tears.

_No. I haven't succeeded in doing that at ALL! Yes, I've been there when people needed help, but most other times, I've fought for the sheer joy of fighting. And what has that ultimately done for me?  
__Nothing.  
__NOTHING!  
__All it's got me is more enemies and rivals than I want to deal with, a pack of 'fiancées' who are just impossible to handle, no real respect from those of my peers I don't fight on a day-in and day-out basis and . . ._

A pause.

_. . . and no real friends._

Another pause.

_Yesterday, I saw the graves of eleven of twelve Oni warriors Ataru and Negako killed here in Sanctuary. Some of them were involved with what really happened to Ataru's grandmother. One of them, according to Negako, boasted about what he did so much that Ataru lost it, then pitched him over the wall.  
__Well, I suppose that bastard had it coming.  
__But the rest got a beautiful farewell note from Ataru. Yes, he killed them, but he showed them RESPECT for what they went through.  
__Now, I understand another reason Ataru doesn't want anything to do with the idiots in Tomobiki. Those people see him in a certain way. But because Sanctuary let Ataru do a heck of a lot more things in the six weeks he had been gone from that place than most others could suspect, he . . ._

Another pause.

_. . . he simply outgrew them.  
__Fate and time forced him to grow up.  
__And that's something people in Tomobiki probably just wouldn't know HOW to deal with, I think. And with twelve sisters on Promised Island to worry about, Ataru doesn't want to take the CHANCE of mending fences with people like Miyake Shinobu and the rest of them. Can he trust those people after what he's been through? Can he trust any of them with the knowledge that he had sided AGAINST Lum and her people? Can he trust them to understand he had all the right reasons in the world to stand against the Onis?  
__For the sisters' sakes, he can't.  
__And regardless of what he really feels for the people in Tomobiki -- and what he really feels for Lum -- that decision hurts him.  
__Badly._

Ranma stopped, staring at the words she had written. Wiping her eyes, she made some spelling corrections before carrying on:

_Now I face the same decision.  
__Which path do _I_ choose now?  
__I can't be what Oyaji tried to make of me. I DON'T want to be what Oyaji tried to make of me. I can't be what Mom wants me to be. And I don't want to be what Akane wants me to be. That doesn't mention what Ukyou, Shanpú or Kodachi might want, too. It's MY life. And I want to live it.  
__Should I do what Ataru did?  
__Will I have a choice in that?_

Another pause.

_No. There is no choice now. It IS my life.  
__And if they got a problem with that, that's just too bad.  
__And if I hurt them?  
__Then they get hurt._

She looked at the diary entry before saving it.

* * *

"The Sun? What does that mean for Anegimi-sama?" 

"This is the card that marks enlightenment." Chikage held up the card for Haruka's view. The sorceress and the martial artist had moved into the dining room to enjoy some tea. The Rinrin Viewer was on, Rinrin verbally directing the Viewer's Internet link to click on some favoured web pages. Aria slept on the couch, leaning into Michael's side. She came down to be with the others in Ataru's room, and then promptly fell asleep on the futon. Haruka had carried her into the dining room. "At this time, it appears that Ane-kun has made some profound discoveries about either herself or someone she cares for." A shrug then rolled Chikage's shoulder. "Ani-kun perhaps?"

Haruka sighed. "We may be pushing her too hard, Chikage-chan."

The sorceress shook her head. "Perhaps, if this was anyone but Saotome Ranma. I believe the one thing all those who interact with Ane-kun agree on is this: She lives to face challenge. No doubt, Negako-anekun is doing her best to force Ane-kun into new types of challenge."

Haruka nodded. "I believe the one thing Anegimi-sama has to learn is to separate the good challenges from the bad ones."

Chikage sipped her tea. "Experience has taught her that, not to mention the many betrayals Ane-kun has faced in her lifetime."

She set the cup down on the table. The slight vibration was enough to let the top card on the Tarot deck slip off. Chikage gazed on that before flipping the card around. The Emperor, upside-down. Chikage's eyes narrowed, a thoughtful hum escaping her. "Is there something wrong?" Haruka wondered, and then she gazed on the card herself. "What does that mean?"

"It's hard to say," Chikage whispered.

* * *

_Journal Entry, Day 12 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__So far, I've completed ten ukiyo-e blocks of Sanctuary. When I told Negako that I wanted to emulate Hokusai-sensei's thirty-six views of Fuji-san with thirty-six views of Sanctuary, that got me a big smile.  
__I guess she does have feelings after all.  
__Training in Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu is going ahead. I've got the main 'seishin' attacks -- the Psychic Laser Beam, the Psychic Shuriken Storm and the Psychic Kusarigama -- down pat. All it takes to do them is to visualize what you want in your mind, implant that desire onto your ki energy, and then focus it on the target. I think learning how to do the Kusarigama is a necessary precursor, if not THE necessary precursor, to learning the soulsword, but I haven't asked Negako about that just yet.  
__I think I got the basic philosophy of the Art down. It depends on using your TOTAL willpower to make something happen. Now, in a fight, that's often next to impossible, especially if you wind up facing multiple opponents, which is normal for me. And thanks to Oyaji, I couldn't think too much beyond the fight before me at the time.  
__Well, now I can evolve from that.  
__I'm going to spend the next while on some meditation, try to stretch my ability to sense things beyond the obvious direct threat. Heh! If I can do that, then I won't need Negako's shiatsu shield to avoid the tomboy's tantrums. Won't she be surprised? Not that she doesn't deserve it, of course._

* * *

The "afternoon" of the thirteenth "day" found Ranma sitting on the apex of the tower in the centre of town. She was in lotus position, her breathing shallow and highly regulated as she focused her mind's eye on herself. Every step of the way, she pulled her attention away from parts of the outside world onto herself. Every step, parts of her she never really paid attention to in the past came into focus. Her vital organs, muscles and skeleton, physical senses, heartbeat, breathing, thinking, her very soul. 

Her soul . . .

Wait a second.

Ranma clenched her fists, and then she relaxed herself as her battle aura began to flare. At first a brilliant crimson shade, it then faded in colour, morphing to pure gold, and then a brilliant white. Taking time to regulate her breathing, Ranma shifted into a one-knee stance. She let her arms reach out. Slowly, they came together as if she was grasping the scabbard and handle of a sword. A sword . . . yes. Think of a sword . . . a sword . . .

Her ki flared. On feeling something fill her hands, she screamed:

"_**KONTOU!**_"

Her eyes snapped open as she mimed the unsheathing of a katana. Then they focused on what was in her right hand. They widened in stunned shock on seeing her ki form something that looked like a sword. Unfortunately, it was leaking energy to the surrounding air like water flooding the _Titanic_ after she brushed past the iceberg! In several heartbeats, the proto-soulsword faded into nothingness. Turning her hand to gaze on her palm, Ranma sighed.

"I did SOMETHING wrong . . . "

She returned to a sitting position, and then she tensed on feeling someone standing behind her. "That was a remarkable first attempt."

Ranma looked up to see Negako standing behind her, a bemused smile on the grandmaster's face. "What did I do wrong?"

"You focused on only one thing, Ranma."

"Isn't that the way it's supposed to work?"

"No. Now try it again."

Ranma blinked, and then she closed her eyes as she assumed an unsheathing position. Her battle aura flared, soon melting into pure white as she focused on her hands. "Good. Excellent form." Negako nodded. "Now draw."

"_**KONTOU!**_"

The soulsword blazed to life as Ranma got to her feet. Then it started to flare as ki leaked from it in torrents. Negako shifted around to place herself beside the blade. One hand reached for the tip. She pushed in. Ranma watched as the soulsword MELTED as Negako's hand advanced. In two seconds, what little was left vanished. Silence fell as Ranma stared at Negako. "Willpower without context is pure, blinding ego, Ranma," the ninjutsu grandmaster declared. "THAT can get you killed if you are not careful. You need not have to see beyond Akane's example to understand that."

With that, she leapt off the tower. Making a perfect landing, Negako turned to calmly walk back to the doojou. Ranma remained atop the tower, a lost look on her face. "'Willpower without context' . . . "

"Why do you think it's called 'the Way of the Supreme LIFE?'"

Ranma spun around to see whom she at first thought was Negako. The martial artist then stopped herself as the newcomer's older looks and more plain clothes came into focus. Her nose then picked up a salty tang in the air around the newcomer. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"Nokoko, what are you doing here?" echoed from below.

Ranma looked down to see Negako standing by the base. She then looked back at the newcomer. "Nokoko?" she whispered. "You're . . .!"

"Ataru-chan's older sister." Nokoko nodded approvingly, she giving Ranma a very intense look. "My, I have to admit, Ataru-chan's taste in girls is superb. Even if you were born a boy. Eh, Ranma-chan?" Her eyebrow cocked.

Silence fell over the tower.

* * *

"So you don't know who it was that bonded Ataru and I, right?" 

Ranma, Negako and Nokoko sat in the living room by the doojou, teacups in hand. "No. I fell behind Ataru-chan when he was chasing you and your fool father back to your campsite outside Uncle's property. By the time I got there, I had half of Uncle's security people protecting me. In the long term, I know as much as anyone else." The eldest-born of Muchi's and Kinshou's children sighed, she giving Ranma an apologetic shrug.

"So what happened to you after Oyaji took me home?" Ranma asked.

"I stayed with Uncle Komeru until I turned six. As a birthday 'present' to me, he finally told me about my relationship with Ataru-chan and his so-called 'parents.' Well . . . " She looked down. "I didn't like hearing that. The next thing I knew, a voice echoed in my head, asking if I'd want to meet some new friends and try to have a real family to call my own for a change. So I left and wound up going to another dimension."

"Another dimension?! You mean here?"

"No. The dimension I'm talking about is a place most people in our galaxy calls 'the Outland.'" Nokoko smirked. "It's a quantum hyper-warp pocket, between normal warp space and transwarp space. Only access point in the Milky Way galaxy is near planet Elle." Her smirk turned sarcastic as her eyebrow arched. "Did Ataru-chan tell you about their queen?"

"The bitch with the hundred thousand guys in deep freeze?"

"That's her. I've stayed in the Outland ever since, save for the odd trip to Elle or back to Earth. Brief visits, of course."

Ranma blinked. "Why?"

Nokoko sighed. "For Ataru-chan's sake and especially for our sisters' sake, I can't come home, Ranma-chan. Not for some years to come." Sensing Ranma about to launch into a protest, Nokoko held up a hand. "Please! There's a reason I made that choice, Ranma-chan. Will you hear me out first?!"

Ranma relaxed herself. "Why?"

"You know how succession works in our family, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then you know what might happen if I do suddenly appear alive?"

"You'd be the next Matriarch. Matter of fact, I'd say you're over twenty now, so you'd be able to take over right away."

"What happens to Sakuya-chan and the others, then?"

"Well, they can still be cared for, can't they?" Ranma wondered. Seeing Nokoko shake her head in response, she demanded, "Why not?!"

"All were born out of wedlock, remember? In fact, according to Negako, those girls have been either abandoned or orphaned by their birth mothers and stepfathers. Do you really think people who associate with our family would choose a girl like Sakuya-chan over me, the legitimate blood-descendant of Moroboshi Nagaiwakai?" Nokoko wondered, and then she shook her head. "No. Even if my family has welcomed orphans left, right and centre into the overall family, the CORE of the family has to remain as 'pure' as possible."

"Even if our clan, not to mention the others forming the Tenchiaiki Juukazoku, were founded to shield 'illegitimate' births from public outcry in the first place." Negako lightly smiled before sipping her tea.

"What does that mean?" Ranma asked.

"Have you ever heard of the Empress Shootoku?"

Ranma shook her head. "I don't know the name."

"She was one of the last of the Nara monarchs," Negako explained. "In fact, Shootoku was one of the rare rulers of Japan who spent two separate periods on the throne. The first time she ruled, she went by the name 'Koken.' It was the second time that influenced the early history of our clan, Ranma. Thanks very much to Shootoku's passionate interest in a fellow named Dokyou."

Ranma held up a finger. "Oh, wait a sec'! He was a Buddhist priest who . . . " A pause. "I remember now! Damn, I should've paid more attention in history classes! Dokyou was the guy an empress -- Shootoku, right? -- fell in love with. It came to the point where she wanted to make him the emperor, but folks hated the idea, so they kicked her off the throne. Right after that, they shifted the capital to Kyoto, right?"

"Exactly. But what has never been mentioned in a history book is that prior to her reported death, Shootoku managed to . . . " She sipped her tea before she gave Ranma a look. "Consummate her relationship with Dokyou."

"They had a baby?"

"Yes," Negako replied. "A girl they named Mihei. In fact, according to the old tales that were preserved in the psychic database that eventually evolved into me, Mihei was said to be so beautiful, those who wanted to see her dead because her existence threatened the Imperial succession vowed they'd rather kill themselves than raise a knife against her."

"So what happened?"

"It was decided by Shootoku's successor, Koonin, that she, Dokyou and Mihei would be permanently banished from the court. To the public at large, Shootoku and Dokyou would be dead. No mention would EVER be made of Mihei. But in private, they would be allowed to live in peace as long as they never revealed their affiliation to the Imperial throne to anyone else. To better facilitate that, Shootoku and Dokyou were adopted into a low-rank noble family, the distant ancestors to the modern-day Moroboshi Clan. And they lived to the promise they made to Konin for the rest of their days."

"What happened to Mihei?"

"She married the young heir of the family and eventually bore him ten very healthy children. For the time period, it was seen as the greatest of miracles that none of them succumbed to the many illnesses rampant then. That brought Mihei to the attention of Master Hosan, who at that time served as Emperor Kanmu's personal inspector for the noble houses."

Ranma blinked. Almost EVERYONE involved in the more esoteric of Oriental martial arts these days knew the story of Master Hosan Hirosuke. Believed to have been born five thousand years ago, Master Hosan gained his immortality -- as to what sort of immortal he was, that remained a mystery -- very young in life. Gaining an appreciation for the martial arts, Master Hosan, over the centuries, came to develop his own personalized school of ninjutsu, the Tensei-ryuu. A servant of the Japanese throne since the days of Prince Shootoku in the seventh century, Master Hosan was the one man EVERYONE trusted when it came to the paranormal. That is, until the rise of the militarists in the early 1930s. Horrified that his homeland was being forced towards an apocalyptic war with the Americans, Master Hosan demonstrated his disapproval in a way that would deny the militarists the chance of using Tensei-trained warriors against their foes: By allowing himself to be killed and bestowing his millennia of martial arts knowledge to his last student, Major Dean Raeburn of Canada.

"Did Kanmu know about Mihei being Shootoku's daughter?" Ranma asked.

"Master Hosan discovered that soon enough. He persuaded Kanmu to allow things to stand. In fact, Kanmu and Mihei came to maintain a lively -- albeit top secret, of course -- correspondence for the remainder of their lives. It was during that time that Mihei came up with an interesting idea. Since many children were being born out of wedlock among the noble houses, why could there not be a place where they ALL could go to live their lives in peace? A place where they could also learn to be active and productive assets for Japan as a whole? Kanmu was intrigued by the concept -- I believe Master Hosan persuaded him -- so the agreement that created the Tenchiaiki Juukazoku was made. All of Mihei's children, sons and daughters, were the founders of the Ten Families."

"So that started the whole idea of your family adopting people who were orphaned or abandoned because they weren't 'pure,' right?"

Negako nodded. "Exactly. Over the years, the Juukazoku have been forced to conform to some set standards imposed on them by outside society. But the primary mission remains. In fact, in this day and age, with there being so much of a struggle between 'traditional' and 'modern' values, our clan's primary mission becomes more paramount. How better to symbolize it than by allowing those who were not of 'pure' birth to take control of the family's future? If Nokoko returns . . . " She indicated her adopted sister.

"What happens to the sisters?" Nokoko finished.

Ranma considered that. "Don't you miss Ataru?"

Nokoko's eyes hardened. "Yes, I DO miss him! I miss him very much. Before Negako got pulled out of his head, my fondest dream was to go back to Tomobiki and pull Ataru-chan away from Muchi and Kinshou. I couldn't do it at the time though; I was stuck in the Outland dealing with other matters. By the time I DID get to Earth, what did I find? Ataru-chan brainwashed, Kinshou just waiting for the chance to get her hands on the family fortune, Muchi following along with whatever Kinshou decided, Uncle off who-knew-where, and . . . " She shrugged. "There was Nagaiwakai on Rishiri-tou, acting as if it was totally BELOW her station to go down and straighten this whole mess out herself."

She sipped her tea. "Didn't you offer to handle this mess?" Ranma asked.

Nokoko stared at her. "And what would that have done?"

"But Ataru was . . .!"

"Suffering?" Nokoko's eyebrows arched, and then she shook her head. "Not exactly. Yes, he was being lied to and manipulated to a certain extent, but not suffering, not like you did under Genma. And Negako was planning to go back to him sooner or later, regardless of what she 'promised' Kinshou. We wanted to wait or the right time to move in. Well . . . " She shrugged before taking a deep breath. "Lum's arrival complicated matters."

"Not to mention Nagaiwakai's death," Negako added before sipping her tea. "Plus the many questions hovering over the sisters."

Ranma sighed. "You guys wanted to do it in such a way that didn't wind up hurting the ones you really wanted to help, right?"

Nokoko nodded. "Exactly. Ranma-chan, if I went back when she was still alive, Nagaiwakai would've made me the Matriarch-in-Waiting, and then abandoned Sakuya-chan and the others without a second's hesitation or remorse. Yeah, she could've used the sisters to break up Muchi and Kinshou's marriage, but what would that have done? It would've put those girls through an eternity of pain and misery for no real benefit whatsoever. And you know how Ataru-chan eventually came to think of what Muchi and Kinshou did to him."

"Nagaiwakai's death cleared matters since Nokoko never bothered to reveal she was still alive to anyone, not even Komeru or any of Komeru's wards like Yumoa Reigi," Negako added. "For the sisters' sakes -- and in some ways, for Ataru's as well -- Nokoko must remain 'dead' until well after Sakuya turns twenty and is made the new Matriarch. After that, it will be of no concern."

Ranma considered that for a moment. "And because you've obviously got access to some powerful stuff -- if you didn't, how the hell could you've come to a place like Sanctuary, eh? -- you felt it was more proper to stay away even if Lum was busy making hash out of Ataru's life, right?"

Nokoko nodded again. "Yes. I'm not fully human, Ranma. I was transformed the instant I entered the Outland. These days, in part, I'm of a race that calls themselves 'the Great School of the Nendo-kata.' Socially, my Great School is very advanced and we do our best to bring peace -- what we call 'Unity' -- to other species without forcing any of our core beliefs on them. We don't want to provoke something that would bring misery to others. It's wrong. It flies against our core beliefs." She sipped her tea. "Ranma-chan, if we tried to set matters aright concerning the Urusians and their interest in Earth, what might've happened? I'm sure Ataru-chan's told you about all the fun he had dealing with Uru's Imperial sects while he was busy learning the Art. Do you really think they'd tolerate something like _that?_"

"After they helped kill Ataru's grandmother?" Ranma grimaced. "No."

"It hurts me to do this, Ranma-chan." Nokoko then reached over to squeeze Ranma's hand. "But for my brother's and sisters' sake, I have to do this. It doesn't mean that I won't stay away forever. I will come back to be with you guys. It just can't happen at this time."

"Does he know you're still alive?"

"He knows," Negako replied. "And it hurts him. The sisters do not know, though Chikage may come to suspect it sooner or later."

Ranma took a deep breath. "You don't want me to tell them anything at all, right?" She stared concernedly at Nokoko.

Nokoko shook her head. "No, not now. Let them feel they're in control of their lives, Ranma-chan. It's what they deserve in the long term." A snide smile then crossed her face as she added, "And if they have that, then everything the rest of those fools tried to force on them will be nothing but hot air. After all, they say that living well IS the best revenge, ne?"

Ranma laughed. "True!"

* * *

_Journal Entry, Day 14 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__'Willpower without context is pure, blinding ego.'  
__I think I understand that now.  
__Telling me that, Negako hinted to me that to properly forge a real soulsword, I have to tap into my willpower within 'context.'  
__I didn't understand it at first, but Nokoko-oneechan's visit, the reasons she gave me for staying away from Ataru and the sisters, pretending to be 'dead' to the rest of her family, woke me up to something I've never really sat back and thought about. That I realize it _now_, after so much wasted time digging myself into a pit I probably could never had got myself out of hadn't the Moroboshis entered my life, hurts me worse.  
__It's my ego.  
__The same ego that constantly prodded me on regardless of the crap that came down on my head. The ego that made me always say, 'Saotome Ranma doesn't lose.' The ego that made me learn some of the most ridiculous martial art forms for some of the most idiotic reasons conceivable.  
__To think it took me THIS long to wake up to that._

Ranma sighed, wiping her eyes as she continued to type:

_I hate myself now. Or rather, I hate what that ego of mine blinded me to. I'm not the only one who has it. Everyone has ego; it's what drives people to do what they feel is good for them. From ego comes confidence, the belief that makes my Mooko Takabisha attack possible. But when one allows one's ego to take control of his life, well . . ._

A pause.

_. . . well, we get situations like Akane, who says that she's a martial artist when she hasn't really put her heart into studying the Art.  
__We get situations like the Nujiézú, who believe their way of life is perfect and would gladly kill anyone who disagrees with them.  
__We get situations like Kunou Tatewaki and Kunou Kodachi, who feel that because they're noble-born, they're entitled to anything.  
__We get people like Oyaji -- and Mom, too -- who say they're right when it'd be clear to a blind man that they're wrong.  
__And we . . ._

Another pause.

_. . . we get me.  
__'Never Loses A Fight' Saotome Ranma.  
__'Best Martial Artist in the World' Saotome Ranma.  
__'Won't Refuse A Challenge' Saotome Ranma.  
__Kami-sama, I hate myself!_

Fresh tears flowed down her cheeks as she finished the entry:

_I'm gonna stop now. I think I need to cry a bit._

She saved the entry.

* * *

"Feeling better?" 

Ranma stared nowhere in particular as Negako placed a bowl of ttouk-manduguk before her, it now being the start of the next "day." Picking up her chopsticks, Ranma fished out a couple of the flat rice cakes to nibble on them. "Not really. Part of me wants to quit," she then admitted.

Negako gazed on her. "Then quit."

"Is everything so black-and-white to you?"

"No. Existence Itself is not black-and-white." Negako smiled. "If you decide to 'quit,' you must realize that your decision will have a profound effect on those who believe they have a place in your life. If you press on the path you are on now, that decision will also have a profound effect on those who believe they have a place in your life. The question you must ask yourself at this time is this: Which path will produce the most positive effect, to both yourself and those associated with you? And are you willing to make the necessary sacrifices to your heart and soul to achieve that goal? Or, if neither path can produce what you want . . .?"

"Find a third path."

"Exactly."

"Shit!" Ranma shook her head, leaning on a palm as she looked nowhere in particular as she considered that. "Well, for one thing, I know I can't live in Nerima anymore. And I don't want certain people in my life from now on."

"Who exactly?"

"The Kunous, Oyaji and his 'friend' are on the 'out' list. The Nujiézú and Jijii aren't bad, now that I understand where they're coming from, but I still want to keep them at a distance. I might be able to remain friends with Ryouga. Ditto with Akane and Ukyou once we get this engagement business out of the way. Kasumi, too. Maybe Nabiki, but that's a BIG 'maybe.' And I'll certainly count Doc Toofuu as a friend. And Mom . . . " She took a breath. "Well, that all depends on her relatives, I guess. If they're out to manipulate me into earning money just for them, screw 'em! I'll walk out on Mom so fast, it'll make all their heads spin. Though I'll hate it . . . "

"Do you wish to remain a martial artist?" Negako asked.

Ranma sat back, gazing at the ceiling as she contemplated that question.

Oh, Kami-sama! That WAS the question, wasn't it?

"I do . . . " she whispered, "But I don't want to be the type of martial artist Oyaji wanted to make of me. Fight everyone at the drop of a hat, never turn back a challenge, never accept defeat . . . " Her voice trailed off.

"Even I can be defeated, Ranma."

Ranma gazed in stunned surprise on her host. "You're not afraid to admit that." She leaned on the table. "I could never admit it."

"You were not allowed to admit it." The ninjutsu grandmaster crossed her hands under her chin. "And by not being allowed to admit it by those who guided you down that path, you left yourself vulnerable to attacks that, since they were not done within the bounds of martial arts, hurt you greatly." A pause. "Ranma, what did I tell you before you met Nokoko?"

"'Willpower without context is pure, blinding ego.'"

"What is the context then?"

Ranma looked down at her bowl of stew before she replied, "People."

"Not just people. Your environment as a WHOLE. People do not compose the sum total of Existence. They are only a minute part. It is only human arrogance that makes many presume that people are all that matter."

"Like bears and sharks and dogs."

"And cats."

Ranma started on hearing that dreaded word. She then blinked as that flash of raw terror suddenly faded from her mind. Seeing her reaction, Negako smiled. The younger woman stared at her. "I guess it's working," Ranma noted with a chuckle, she gazing at her hands.

"Finish your breakfast, and then proceed to meditate," Negako ordered.

"Okay." Ranma picked up her chopsticks, grinning at her host. "Don't tell Shirayuki-chan that I did this . . . "

She fired down the ttouk-manduguk with the same rigorous élan she always demonstrated at the Tendous' dinner table, especially when Genma was around. Negako shook her head as she took the empty bowl back. As Ranma turned to leave, the ninjutsu grandmaster called out, "One more thing, Ranma."

Ranma stared at her. "What?"

Negako held up a finger. "When you understand your environment as much as you do yourself, THEN you can forge a proper soulsword."

The younger woman blinked before nodding.

* * *

"AH-CHOO!" 

The door to the kitchen opened. "Are you okay, Shirayuki-chan?" Karen peeked in to see the chef hard at work baking muffins.

Shirayuki rubbed her nose. "Hime thinks someone's talking about Hime," she said before looking into the oven. "Maybe it's Nee-sama."

"Probably," Karen mused as she headed back to Ataru's room.

* * *

The sixteenth "day" began with Ranma reclining on the doojou roof, she gazing on the energy overhead. "'Willpower without context is pure, blinding ego,'" Ranma muttered. "Find the context, Saotome. Find the context . . . " 

Her eyes narrowed as she used her ki-vision to pick out what was in the space between Sanctuary and the "cap" over the time-chasm. _Thank the gods Ataru showed me how to pick out -- what did he call it? The Te'a lines?_ She relaxed. Her eyes then widened as tiny, spider web-like lines of energy appeared in her vision. "Alright . . . "

Shifting her hands up as if she was reaching out, Ranma infused her fingers with ki. Instantly, new matrix lines formed from her fingertips to attempt to mesh with the surrounding area. Ranma grunted on seeing patterns shatter when they were touched by her own ki. "Whoops! That's not right!" she muttered before something came to her. "The Umisen-ken, maybe . . .?"

Focusing ki on herself, she moved to match her aura with the surrounding air. To an onlooker, Ranma appeared to slowly fade from physical view. This wasn't the Goshin Buufu, however. The Body Defence Air Cloak was a total-energy ki-cloak, perfected in secret by Ranma, Toshiko and Kumiko after the mirror-twins had been freed from the compact. No, doing THAT would probably be as much a disruption to the surrounding matrices as a straightforward attack.

Back to basics, then.

Just a simple Umisen-ken cloak . . .

Yes . . .

Ranma tried not to smile as the surrounding air's matrices began to mould with her aura. Okay, first step. _Let's see if we can change it_, she mused as she tenderly projected ki through her fingers into the atmosphere . . .

And then she sighed as the matrices around her arms shattered.

"Damn, too much force!"

She relaxed herself, preparing to try again.

Well, if at first, you don't succeed . . .

* * *

Negako looked up. The ninjutsu grandmaster stood in the kitchen. Nodding approvingly, she turned back to preparing lunch.

* * *

_Journal Entry, Day 18 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__Damn, I haven't concentrated THIS much on perfecting a single martial arts form since I learned the Hiryuu Shooten-ha!  
__But I'm getting somewhere. Right now, I've evolved a variation of the Goshin Buufu that would work perfectly in Sanctuary. I can't test it somewhere else, not until I get home, but if it works on Earth, then I'll give it the name 'Goshin Eifu.' I doubt I could perform anything like the Goshin Kaze-fu here, though. I don't want to risk doing something like THAT in Sanctuary.  
__Oh, that's right! I forgot to tell you that Kumiko and Toshiko have started creating their own variation of the Sen-ken forms. They titled their personal approach the 'Fuusen-ken.' I like the name since air can be both passive and active. They wanted to take the best of both the Yamasen-ken and the Umisen-ken, and then mix it all together to create something unique.  
__From what I've been told by Negako when I discussed this with her last night, they've already made progress, mixing the cloaking techniques of the Umisen-ken with the more brutal attacks of the Yamasen-ken. Oyaji and Akane's father got a taste of it before I came here to train with Negako.  
__Too bad for them.  
__While I have the twins' permission to use the Fuusen-ken forms, I want to make something for me. The Goshin Eifu is just the first step. Right now, I'm thinking of calling my forms 'Eisen-ken.'  
__That could change. It depends on what happens next._

Ranma paused for a moment. Taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts, she put her fingers back on the keyboard.

_What happens next?  
__I've gone the equivalent of twenty-five days or so as a girl with no change back to being a boy -- unless someone's gone and switched me back to being a boy when I was asleep and I didn't know about it.  
__Better ask Negako about that first.  
__But if I haven't, that means in the next three days or so -- if my cycle's like any other girl's -- I should be facing my first period.  
__My first period.  
__To believe that I have to face THIS of all things?  
__Right now, I say this: If any girl can live through it, so can I. And if I DO become a girl in spirit and elect to have my curse frozen in place, I'll have no choice BUT to face it every month until I reach middle age._

Another pause.

_It's funny. I'm being pretty calm about this. What will happen to me over the next while? How will it affect me?  
__I wish I could predict it.  
__Oh, well. Grin and bear it.  
__Better talk to Negako, though._

* * *

"Your first period?" 

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. I mean, the longest time I've ever been frozen as a girl was twenty days. That's when Herb froze me with the Chiisui-ton. What Elder Kelun did to me lasted nine days. So what can I expect?"

The ninjutsu grandmaster considered that. "I noticed you wisely packed some tampons with you when you came here," she then noted.

"When I had to deal with Herb, Kasumi told me stuff. On average, you start getting wet the tenth day after the cycle begins. That lasts eleven days. The eighth day of that period's the real bad one. After that, you go dry until you start to menstruate." A wry smile crossed her face. "I got wet down there right when Kasumi predicted it'd happen. When I was stuck, I had to hide tampons in my backpack and wear panties under my boxers to hold the damned things in place. If Oyaji ever saw them . . . "

Negako shook her head. "Fool."

"How do you handle it, Negako?"

Silence followed as Negako considered what to say. "Experiencing menstruation is a price I have to pay for having a woman's body, Ranma," she replied with a shrug. "It is as much a function of human biology as sexual arousal. When it comes, I deal with it. Like many women, I prefer tampons when I confront both menstrual and cervical mucus discharge. Unlike most, I use shiatsu in lieu of medication to deal with cramps and other side effects of the process. I will teach that to you over the next few days."

"Have you ever thought of becoming a mother?"

"To bear a child?" Negako glanced at her before shaking her head. "No. I still require time to fully comprehend the human condition before I could consider bringing new life into this world. To bring life into this world is a grave responsibility, Ranma. Who would I choose as my potential mate? Would I be a good mother to my child? What would my feelings for my child be? Would it be healthy for my child if I raised her?" A pause. "And, being what I am, would bearing a child make me vulnerable?"

Ranma squeezed her host's shoulder. "Emotionally, you mean."

"Yes. Emotional attacks are just as vicious, if not more so, than mere physical attacks. You know that as well as I, Ranma."

"Hai, true."

* * *

"Shirayuki?" 

"Is there something wrong, Chikage-chan?"

"I recommend you prepare some red beans and rice for Ane-kun when she returns from Sanctuary," the sorceress instructed.

The chef, standing beside the stove in the rotunda's kitchen, considered Chikage's words before her eyes widened as it hit her. "Oh, Hime forgot that Nee-sama'll be staying in Sanctuary for a month!" She nodded. "Hai, Hime'll make some today! Um, Chikage-chan, do you think Negako-neesama'll make some?"

"Do YOU believe Ane-kun would do something like that?"

Shirayuki then sighed. "Hime doesn't think so."

* * *

_Journal Entry, Day 19 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__It's happening.  
__I started getting bad cramps after breakfast. Negako kept me in the furo longer today, teaching me how to use shiatsu to moderate the symptoms. It won't make it go away, but it will allow me to function with some normalcy. It's not full-blown PMS -- that normally hits between five to eleven days before menstruation starts -- but it's close.  
__Felt something like a headache just before lunch. And when I changed my clothes after a spell in the doojou, it felt as if someone stuck a handful of knives into my breasts. More shiatsu in the furo to deal with that, then I decided to go topless when I went out to do some sketches. Heck, no one's here save us, so who the hell would notice?  
__Negako tells me this is pretty much normal.  
__Some 'normal!'_

* * *

_Journal Entry, Day 20 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__Oh, man! This is so damned ANNOYING!  
__Girls put up to this crap every MONTH?!  
__Oyaji always said girls were weak!  
__Oyaji no baka!  
__What the hell does HE know?!_ _

* * *

_

_Journal Entry, Day 21 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__The blood. Oh, damn, the BLOOD!  
__Kami-sama, why did you force girls THROUGH this shit?!_

_

* * *

_

_Journal Entry, Day 22 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__The blood's not so bad now, but gods, it's DISGUSTING!  
__Anyone ever tells me that girls are weak, I'll strangle them.  
__Heh! I'll bet Shan and Elder Kelun would love to see THAT!  
__Akane, too._

_

* * *

_

_Journal Entry, Day 23 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__Only two more days of this garbage.  
__And then I wait twenty-three more days for it to hit the NEXT time!  
__And this'll last until my mid-FORTIES?!  
__Kami-sama, I've decided.  
__For forcing women throughout time to put up to this crap, not to mention forcing ME through this crap, you're FIRED!  
__I want a Megami-sama instead!  
__At least She would understand this and DO something about it!  
__I hate this._

_

* * *

_

_Journal Entry, Day 24 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__When she was doing shiatsu in the furo with me this morning, Negako told me that I'm a very healthy girl. When I decide to have children of my own, I wouldn't have many problems conceiving and bearing them.  
__I almost wanted to hit her for that!  
__One more day.  
__One more day.  
__One more day._

_

* * *

__Journal Entry, Day 25 of Sanctuary visit,  
__Dear Diary,  
__Breakfast was red beans and rice.  
__I actually cried.  
__I never thought Negako had it in her.  
__Even better, she prepared the dish Louisiana Cajun style, which she picked up when she travelled to the States a year ago.  
__Damn, it was GOOD! Spicy as heck, but good!  
__The blood wasn't that bad today. It's easier to concentrate now. Looks like I'm one of the fifty-to-seventy percent of women who have to deal with some sort of PMS, THEN deal with menstruation atop that.  
__Negako assures me that, the next time this happens, it won't be so distracting. I hope, I hope, I HOPE that she's right!_

* * *

"So why are we doing this again?" 

The twenty-sixth "day" found Ranma and Negako in the living room, knitting needles in hand as they created a pair of thick wool blankets. "Part of your time with me will not be spent in Sanctuary," the grandmaster stated. "I will take you to Noukiios and her older colony worlds so you may see for yourself why Ataru ultimately decided to side with them against the Urusians. We are preparing these blankets . . . " She waved to dozens of blankets already done, they folded and sitting in one corner of the living room. "As an offering to the homeless when we make our journey."

Ranma stopped. "How long are we going to be there?"

"Two days."

The younger woman's eyes widened. "Won't that affect our going back to Earth? Or can we do some sort of time-travel from here?"

"Limited. At most, one could shift him or herself to a maximum of a week either forward or backward in 'real' time as it is measured in our dimension. That also depends on the exact conditions between there and here," Negako reported. "And no, it will not affect our return to Earth. Besides, there are some people I would like you to meet. You will understand when we arrive."

Ranma nodded. "Oh, okay. How many of these do you want to make?"

"Two hundred full-sized ones for adults. Three hundred half-sized ones for the children. We will depart when they are done."

"Don't rush this, right?"

"Yes."

"Gotcha."

* * *

_Journal Entry, Day 27 of Sanctuary visit,  
Dear Diary,  
Another world.  
I'm going to another planet.  
No, FOUR planets.  
The first world I'm going to is Noukiios, home to a culture approximately five thousand years old. The culture itself is akin to a mix of Hindu India with Three Kingdoms, Koryou and Chosoun Korea tossed in.  
The other planets -- Okusei, Tunchusei and Kurrusei -- are Noukiios' oldest colony planets. They got settled three hundred years ago by Noukiite refugees not wanting anything to do with the Urusians occupying Noukiios. Many of the settlers eventually became the Ip'ihu, an 'outcaste' society who made life REALLY rough for the Urusians for a century.  
When the Onis got their asses booted off Noukiios, they demanded Okusei and the other planets 'back,' ignoring the fact that no Urusian had ever WENT to those planets in the damn first place! The Noukiites told them where to stick it and the two peoples have been in a cold war state since.  
I can't imagine what it'll be like. To actually walk on another planet. One with a different sun, different length of day -- it's a few hours longer on Noukiios -- and people who, from how Negako described them, look like fair-skinned Klingons from _Star Trek - The Next Generation_.  
__Damn, I'm excited!  
__I'm going to places I could've never imagined going to not more than a year ago! Good thing Negako's got a camera with her; when news of this gets out, no one outside Ataru and his sisters will believe a damned word I say!  
__Oh, well, it's their loss._

* * *

"So why do you want me to watch the ki patterns, Negako?" Ranma demanded. "Aren't we supposed to be going to Noukiios?" 

Negako quietly chuckled. "Patience, Ranma. There is method to my madness. Tell me, in the meditations you have engaged in over the last 'week' to create the Eisen-ken, have you noticed the many null-time bubbles?"

She pointed up. Ranma looked, her eyes narrowing. "Hey, yeah, I do see them! The little white-ki air bubbles, you mean?"

"The same." Negako then stood up, she reaching behind her to draw out Mister Bunny. "Now, observe."

She crouched to send the stuffed toy flying into the sky over Sanctuary. Ranma panicked. "Hey, Negako! What the hell are you doing?! You toss and lose him, Hinako-chan'll throw a fit for a month!"

"Patience, Ranma."

Negako then sent Mister Bunny flying. The stuffed rabbit soared up to about fifty metres. It then stopped. Ranma quickly noticed that Mister Bunny was trapped in a null-time bubble. "Okay, it's trapped there! Now what?!"

"_**SEISHIN KUSARIGAMA!**_"

A glowing chain-and-hook formed around Negako's arm, the hook itself resting in the grandmaster's hand. Glancing up, she let the chain draw out and sent it flying. Ranma blinked on seeing the hook snare another time bubble close to the one holding Mister Bunny. "Watch me, and then do as I do, Ranma. And do it GENTLY!" Negako said as she tugged the time bubble gently over to touch the one holding Mister Bunny in place.

Ranma gaped as the two bubbles suddenly merged as one. "Oh, man!" she breathed out in shocked disbelief. Then drawing her own Psychic Kusarigama, she got to work. "How many of them do you want to draw in, Negako?"

"Five hundred-and-two."

"Why so many?!"

"You will see."

"Gotcha!"

Within thirty minutes -- as Ranma perceived it -- the requisite number of time bubbles had been made to merge with the one holding Mister Bunny. Once that was done, Negako ordered Ranma to create a modified Psychic Kusarigama Storm. "Now, observe. Then be ready to retrieve," the grandmaster said as she held up a finger, aiming at the time bubble. "_**SEISHIN HASAI HI-KOOSEN!**_"

The Spirit-Breaker Fire-Light bolt sheared through the time bubble like a laser through a hot-air balloon. Ranma blinked at the moment of impact. She then gaped on seeing a SHOWER of Mister Bunnies descending towards Sanctuary. "How the HELL . . .?!" she sputtered. Then, immediately realizing why Negako told her to prepare multiple Psychic Kusarigamas, she got to work. In less than a moment, all 501 Mister Bunnies were piled up on the ground beside the doojou. Negako waved Ranma with her to ground level. She then took one of the stuffed toys and transported it into the doojou. "One for Hinako when we return to Promised Island," she announced on coming out. "The remainder will come with us to Noukiios as gifts to some people Ataru knows."

Ranma glanced skyward. "How . . .?"

Negako gently pushed her head so they could gaze into each other's eyes. "Time, Ranma, is perception first and foremost."

The younger woman blinked as Negako moved to bundle all the stuffed toys in the blankets they knitted. "Right."

* * *

"Hinako-chan, why are you awake?" 

Hinako rubbed her eyes. "Hina just had a really, really, really strange dream," she muttered as she sat at the dining room table.

"What sort of dream?" Rinrin asked.

"Hina dreamt that Onee-tama somehow helped Usagi-san have babies."

The others in the room considered that for a moment. Rinrin shook her head. "You're right, Hinako-chan. That IS a strange dream!"

Everyone else nodded as Hinako rested her head on her arms.

* * *

"How does it smell?" 

Ranma's nose crinkled before she glanced up. "Stale."

An orange-gold sun, about the same size as Sol, blazed overhead. The sky itself was a brilliant pale blue, though there was a tinge of green in the clouds to her right and behind her. The land itself was quite rugged, somewhat like the mountains around Jusenkyou and the Nujiézú village. The trees were similar in shape to what Ranma was used to hiking in the back woods of China and Japan, but the leaf colours spanned the spectrum. There were many bare spots in the surrounding landscape, revealing worn, arid soil.

"What happened here, Negako?" she asked.

"Famine. It is not as acute here as it is on the colony worlds." Negako waved Ranma down a trail towards a valley about a kilometre away. "And with the new colonies the Noukiites are establishing far from any reach by elements of the Urusian military or their colonial militia, the famine should vanish within five years or so as more food-producing areas are put into production."

"Don't the Onis know what they're doing to these people?!"

"No. The normal Urusian would actually be horrified on learning such information. However, until this war started, the government did as much as it could to censor such information in the Urusian press and public media. Do you have your translator with you, Ranma?"

"Hai." Ranma tapped the pen-like device slung around her neck. She then grunted on feeling the weight of the massive bundle currently perched on her back. "By the way, how far before we get to where we're going?"

"Not too far," Negako assured her; she was carrying a similar bundle. "I would not recommend running. The Lost Stars might interpret it as an attack."

"Right . . .!" Ranma paused. "'Lost Stars?!'"

"Patience, Ranma. You will see."

"Hai . . . "

They proceeded into the valley. Ranma took the chance to gaze at the scenery. Despite the strange colours and shapes, not to mention the splotches of bare soil, this place could be mistaken for one of the rural parts of Japan. Gravity seemed to match Earth's. The air was breathable despite the lack of moisture. No doubt, they were some distance from any large bodies of water. And the mountains would block the flow of air. No, this part of Noukiios would match some places in North or South America, Ranma decided.

Twenty minutes later, they stepped into a wide clearing. Set up there was a small village, walled in like Sanctuary. The walls were wood, not concrete. A heliport or something like it sat off to Ranma's right. The trail she and Negako had used to get to this place lead right to the main gate. Standing guard by the gate were two burly, bearded men in camouflage fatigues, advanced-looking assault rifles in hand at port-arms. Both tensed on seeing the newcomers. Then, on recognizing Negako, they lowered their weapons.

"Greetings," Negako hailed as they stopped before the gate, she lowering her bundle to the ground. Ranma did the same. A quick glance towards the centre of the walled village later, the ninjutsu grandmaster asked, "Are the girls up to visitors today, Ch'ekaech?"

"They are, Most Venerable." The guard to Ranma's left nodded before gazing quizzically on her. "And this is . . .?"

"Ataru's 'Other,' Saotome Ranma. A student of mine," Negako stated.

He smiled. "Heaven's blessings on you. Welcome to Noukiios, Venerable Ranma. Please allow me . . . " Ch'ekaech nodded as he and his friend slung their rifles before carrying the bundle off Ranma's back. "Where do you wish this placed, Most Venerable?" he then asked Negako.

"The blankets are for whatever homeless group requires them. The stuffed animals are for the girls themselves," Negako ordained.

The guards nodded. "We understand, Most Venerable."

Ranma stared at Negako. "'Most Venerable?'"

She rolled her eyes. "Try as I might, I cannot make any of them address me as anything but with that particular title. Their society is, as I warned you, more structured than India's was before the British took over the country. In their eyes, Ataru and I are considered the equivalent of the Yekhu . . . "

Ranma nodded. "Their top caste."

"The same. 'Venerable' is their form of address to those Yekhu who do not serve as anointed priests in their native religion."

Ranma tried not to grin. "And 'Most Venerable?'"

Before Negako could answer, voices squealed "Auntie Negako!" as two typhoons around Hinako's age slammed into her, they sending her to her knees.

Ranma gaped on seeing Negako then rise, she holding twin girls, both possessing electric blue hair and blue-green eyes, close to her. As befitting those of Noukiios' highest caste, circular gold dots adorned their cheeks. Their head-ridges were in a crow's feet pattern based above the bridge of their noses. Both were now dressed in the same type of military fatigues the guards from the main gate wore, though they did not have any noticeable weapon on their person. One girl wore her hair loose to past her shoulders while the other tied her hair in a shaggy ponytail to her waist. "Hello, girls," Negako greeted, her voice softening considerably. Interpreting the change of tone, Ranma smirked. Yeah, she could understand why Negako was so hesitant on the idea of having her own children. "How are you? At least you are eating well."

"How can we eat so well when so many are starving?" the girl sans ponytail asked, her eyes falling on Ranma. "Auntie, who's this?"

"Ah." Negako lowered them to the ground. "She is the one your father has been bonded to since he was a child, girls. Her name is Saotome Ranma. 'Ye-Neap'ye Yesu-P'ucht'u' in your format. Ranma . . . " She waved to the twins. "May I present Ataru's adopted daughters, Moroboshi Reiko . . . " She indicated the girl without the ponytail. "And Moroboshi Kaneko . . . " She indicated the girl with the ponytail. "Two of the Lost Stars of Noukiios."

Ranma took that in, unsure of WHAT to say. Hearing who she was, Reiko and Kaneko smiled. Finally, Ranma stared at Negako. "If they're his kids, what are they doing HERE, Negako?!" she demanded, pointing to the ground.

"Would you abandon your friends if they were fighting a war for their race's survival and freedom, Venerable P'ucht'u?"

Ranma looked through the open gate, surprised to see a mass of girls standing in a group, gazing at her. Some were younger than Hinako by at least two years. Not one Ranma could see appeared to be older than Shirayuki. The one who just spoke to her was a silver-haired, golden-eyed girl about Aria's age. She bore the silver dots of a K'et'hu -- the caste of wandering missionaries, second only to the Yekhu in social standing on this world -- on her cheeks and a ray of five head ridges on her forehead. All of the girls were dressed like Reiko and Kaneko, none bearing arms.

She gazed on Negako. "I'm not going to like hearing this, am I?"

Negako shook her head.

* * *

Within an hour, Ranma and Negako were secured in the guesthouse, a raised structure located near the main gate. The blankets were quickly separated from the Mister Bunny clones and prepared for transport. As soon as Negako told the Lost Stars that the stuffed toys were theirs thanks to Hinako, a mad frenzy of girls nearly saw the grandmaster and Ranma's work in Sanctuary undone. Once all the toys were matched with a Lost Star, a smiling platinum-haired girl Kaho's age who reminded Ranma of Kasumi prepared a plain yet well-cooked lunch. "Chyek, did you remember to not serve foods that are not compatible to Terrans?" Negako wondered as Ranma drew chopsticks. 

"Yes, Most Venerable." Ei-T'e Yesu-Chyek then gazed apologetically at Ranma. "There isn't much to spare for visitors, Venerable. I'm sorry."

"Oh, heck, please! Don't worry about it." Ranma smiled, drawing up a strip of brownish-grey meat from the bowl to nibble on it. "Hmm. Odd taste," she mused before taking down the rest. "What is this, anyway?"

"Nat'echinai stew," she explained.

Ranma heard "opossum" instead of the nicer-flowing Noukiite word thanks to her language translator. "Opossum stew?! Well . . . " She brought up another slice of meat to nibbles on it. "I've had a lot worse. It's good."

Chyek blushed before looking over as Reiko and Kaneko walked in, both carrying Mister Bunny clones. "Mama, could you tell Auntie Hinako when you get back to Earth that we really appreciate her presents!" Kaneko said.

A funnel of half-chewed stew burst from Ranma's mouth. "_**WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!**_" Ranma shrilled, making warding signs with her hands.

Their eyes instantly began to tear. "B-but you're b-bonded to Papa!" Kaneko sniffled, pointing to Negako. "Auntie Negako said you were bonded to Papa! That means you and Papa are going to marry! Wh-why don't you w-want us to call you 'Mama' . . .?!" She then started to cry. Reiko joined her.

Ranma's bluster instantly crashed. When it came to the waterworks, Reiko and Kaneko were Aria times two, magnified to the hundredth degree. "Oh, man . . .!" She deflated. Staring at the weeping Noukiite pre-teens, she sighed, and then placed her plate down. "Oh, c'mere . . . " She reached over, drawing them into her arms. Sensing her warm embrace, the twins sniffled, and then they moved to cuddle, allowing their stuffed toys to fall to the floor.

Chyek gazed quizzically at Negako. "Most Venerable, why is the Venerable One so hesitant on the idea of marrying the Euk Hisehek and adopting P'yeknu and Atnu as her daughters?" she asked.

Ranma blinked. The translator did not work on "Euk Hisehek" -- it allowed its wearer to hear the Noukiite words straight out -- though it did translate the Noukiite names as "Reiko" and "Kaneko." "Ranma is unique as would-be spouses come," Negako then replied. "Give her time."

Chyek sighed. "If you believe so."

* * *

"Anigimi-sama, are you alright?" 

Ataru sat down at the dining room table. He seemed to be distant for a moment, and then he flashed Haruka a reassuring smile. "I was just thinking about something, Haruka-chan. It's alright," he assured her.

"Aniue-sama, would you want some tea?" Marie asked.

"Sure! Some of your cherry tea?"

"Alright!"

Marie stepped out of the room to head into the kitchen. Ataru sighed, sitting back in his chair. Looking over to where Hinako was sleeping on the couch beside Aria, he took a deep breath. So beautiful.

So much like Reiko and Kaneko . . .

Reiko. Kaneko.

Damn it! How was he supposed to explain THEM?

"Oh, by the way, did you girls know you're AUNTS now because I adopted a pair of Noukiite girls as my very own DAUGHTERS?"

After they got over the shock THAT would unleash, he would then have to explain why their seven-year-old nieces were off fighting the war against Uru. And that wasn't in a support role, but actually in the front line of battle!

How . . .?

"Ani-kun?"

He looked up to see Chikage gazing at him. "What is it, Chikage-chan?"

Placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, she leaned down to whisper, "I would like to meet them sometime soon, Ani-kun. So would the others once you tell them of our nieces. You have nothing to fear, Ani-kun."

She walked away. Ataru watched her before turning to look at his hands.

* * *

"Venerable?" 

Ranma turned to see the silver-haired K'et'hu girl she had first seen when the Lost Stars as a whole confronted her and Negako at the front gate standing at the door. Shushing her, the former pointed to the sleeping girls on a futon, both clutching their Mister Bunnies. The girl nodded, waving Ranma to follow her. In a minute, they arrived at another hut, this one looking more lived-in. "This is where you live, Sister?" she then asked.

The girl stopped, her cheeks flaming. "V-v-venerable! You don't need to address me as _that!_ I haven't taken any vows!" she stammered.

Ranma laughed, sitting down beside a futon. The girl relaxed beside her. "Sorry, but being called 'venerable' all the time'd drive me up the wall!" She waved to herself. "I haven't done anything to earn that sort of title."

She considered that. "I'm sorry. But in my culture, respect for those born of a higher element of the Ten Orders must be shown. Though many of us do envy the social equality the Ip'ihu project, we fear doing something which could threaten our advancement to the next life when we face the Ch'uoeuk." Ranma knew "Ch'uoeuk" was the posthumous title of the founder of Noukiios' first worldwide dynasty, Muchach. A thoughtful look then crossed the young girl's face as she offered her hand. "Forgive me. My name is K'e-Nuk Yeho-Niap'yeng. It's an honour to meet you, Ven- . . . " She stopped on seeing an annoyed look cross the older woman's face, and then she smiled. "Ranma."

"Niap'yeng," Ranma repeated her given name, hoping she got the burst of air on the "p" right, plus enunciating the "ng" as it might be said in Korean, with a slight "g" sound. She grasped Niap'yeng's hand to draw it close, which made Niap'yeng shift onto her lap. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too. So how the heck does a cute girl like you wind up fighting for your planet?"

Niap'yeng stared at her before forlornly sighing. "How much has the Most Venerable One told you of us, Ven- . . .? Er, Ranma?"

"Not much, but I can see through your auras you've been through quite a lot." Ranma cradled her as she gave Niap'yeng a knowing look. "And I can tell you've all been to Sanctuary. Is that where you met Ataru and Negako?"

"Yes. We were the victims -- or if you wish, the _beneficiaries_ -- of an evil plot to create a group of metahuman-powered Naihu warriors to be indentured across the Galactic Federation." Hearing that, Ranma nodded. The Naihu were Noukiios' slave caste, though in pre-Occupation society, they served along the lines of the English concept of "gentleman's gentleman" or "lady's lady-in-waiting." "Most of the Lost Stars were abandoned at birth, left to die because their families couldn't support them due to famine or poverty. Some, such as I, were kidnapped from our families to fill the quotas our 'dealers,' who styled themselves 'the Masters of Noukiios,' needed to fill."

Ranma blanched. "What happened?"

"Well, when the war with the dog people . . . " -- Ranma knew that was a common way of addressing the Urusians here -- " . . . started, the government drafted us. The Masters tried to keep us under their control, but they were put to death by the Inquisition, aided by the Most Venerable One and your soul-mate." Niap'yeng ignored the blush crossing Ranma's face. "When your soul-mate announced his intention to persecute the Imperials responsible for his grandmother's death, the Dominion offered their assistance. In repayment of that, the Most Venerable One offered to train us in Sanctuary so we can help the Dominion's cause against the Urusians and bring the war to an end."

Ranma considered that. "Yeah, I can see that. What about Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan? How'd Ataru end up adopting them?"

Niap'yeng sighed, she gazing at her hands. "P'yeknu and Atnu are very unique. They're both bioroids, Ranma. Purpose-built from the DNA of some of Noukiios' greatest heroes, emperors and philosophers, all mixed together."

"'Bioroids?!' Like Negako?"

"Yes. Their creators wanted to give Noukiios living symbols of what makes us who we are, symbols that could help us finally overcome the pain and misery the Urusians left behind. They simply tricked the Masters into paying for P'yeknu's and Atnu's creation. It . . . " Niap'yeng stopped to take a deep breath. "It's been hard for them, though. The DNA that went into P'yeknu and Atnu had to be taken from the graves of their 'parents,' but grave robbing of any sort is a capital crime on Noukiios. So . . . "

"So they needed to be adopted by someone who wouldn't look down on them because of how they came into this world, right?"

"Yes."

Ranma sighed. "So when did it happen?"

"After your soul-mate had his encounter with those dung heap-dog Niphentaxians." Niap'yeng made a face. "When he returned to Sanctuary, he was on the brink of a total nervous breakdown. We . . . " She closed her eyes as echoes of pained screams reverberated through her mind. "We helped as best as we could. P'ye and Atnu most of all. Eventually, he came out of it. And as he did, he started to call P'ye and Atnu 'musume-chan.' When the Most Venerable One told them what that term meant, P'ye and Atnu knew they had found someone who could adopt them as his children. When our training with the Most Venerable One was complete, her brother formally adopted them."

"But they had to come back here to help end this war, right?"

"Yes. Your soul-mate didn't want them to come back here, but to return with him to Earth to be with him and his sisters. Many of us felt it wouldn't be right, either, especially now that P'ye and Atnu now had a family to call their own. But . . . " Niap'yeng shrugged. "They just couldn't envision leaving Noukiios once and for all while we were still fighting the Urusians. So they came back with us to help us finish the war."

"They WILL go back to Ataru, won't they?"

"When it's all over, yes."

Ranma breathed out. "That's good. I mean, they're both sweet girls and all. I . . . " She paused. "Ataru never told me about them."

Niap'yeng sighed. "I would not blame him for that."

Both perked on hearing someone, turning to look as a crimson-haired girl Niap'yeng's age walked up. "Nia, we've got a problem."

"What is it, Han?" Niap'yeng asked.

"Our friends on Okusei received a message from across the line," Han -- her full name was Eyu-Teo Yeho-Hanak'at' -- reported, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Seq Yethis is still alive! As are his sister and his niece. They fled to Machibusu after Onishuto was destroyed. A group's preparing to try to get them. They want us to help out."

Niap'yeng's eyes widened. "Still alive?! I thought all the major leaders of the Imperial Round were accounted for by P'ye's father!"

Hanak'at' shrugged. "Who could identify bodies after Onishuto was atomized, Nia? The sighting's been confirmed."

Niap'yeng considered that. Ranma stared at her, and then at Hanak'at'. "Did he have a hand in what happened to Ataru's grandma?"

Hanak'at' gazed at her. "He had a hand in a LOT of things concerning your kind, Venerable. He was the one who slipped in a clause in the First Tag Race agreement that would've forced another tag race onto the people of Earth if P'ye's father was killed or permanently crippled, even AFTER the original race was done. He and his kind have dreamt of conquering your planet, just like they dreamt of re-conquering us! In his eyes, Venerable, your people are the 'uo-t'ich.' And before this war started, he was the chief-of-staff to the Urusian President himself! What do you think we should do?!"

"Han's right, Ranma." Niap'yeng sighed. "If Yethis is allowed to live, then he could reconstitute a government that would present a threat to your people and mine. He has to be eliminated. Quickly."

Ranma considered that before a sigh escaped her.

* * *

Night came. Ranma relaxed on the roof of the guest hut inside the village, gazing on the stars. The star pattern was different from what she was used to on Earth, but some of the constellations were recognizable. Another big difference between this world and Earth was the absence of a moon, though there were a pair of -- she assumed this -- large planets visible in the sky off to her left. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she shuddered as her conversation with Niap'yeng's and Hanak'at' replayed in her mind. 

Damn, was THIS ugly or WHAT?!

Young children -- both of who should be with their families, playing with each other and their friends -- forced to fight a war. And there they were, calmly discussing ways of KILLING somebody with the same tone of voice others would use to discuss going to a movie or buying some cosmetics at the local beauty salon. Yeah, this Seq Yethis sounded like someone who clearly had no sense of honour. And he clearly was someone who was not just a threat to Niap'yeng's people but to Ranma's. But still . . .!

"Ranma?"

She looked left to see Niap'yeng standing beside her. "I needed some time to think to myself, Nia-chan," she whispered.

She blushed on hearing Ranma give her the "-chan" appellation with her "pet" name. She then walked over to sit beside her. "It has to be done, Ranma." She stared at the stars. "For the sake of millions -- on my planet, on yours -- and yes, on Uru, too -- he has to die."

"Why can't you just capture him and put him on trial? Make him admit what he did wrong in a court? That could hurt."

Niap'yeng shook her head. "If we did that, Ranma, he could do all sorts of things that would hurt us both in the short and long term. He's THAT committed. He's THAT convinced he's right. No attempt at persuasion will help, not now." She took a breath. "If we make him disappear, make his final fate a mystery, the Imperial cause will be dealt a crippling blow. That is what we want, Ranma. We don't want to kill every Urusian alive. To do THAT is a hideous crime before the Ch'uoeuk and we would be damned to the lowest level of the Ten Orders for it. Just like the fellow who took that annihilation bomb into Onishuto. P'ye's father told you about that, didn't he?" Seeing Ranma nod, she continued, "Yes, he was able to destroy the whole Urusian government machinery, but millions of innocent people died, too. That he did that . . . " She shuddered. "That he would do that would make me pray for the salvation of his soul and the souls of those who helped him, for the Ch'uoeuk will not show him any mercy when he faces judgement at the Pool of Reincarnation."

Ranma nodded. "Is Negako going with you guys?"

"Yes, she is. Do you want to come?"

"I guess I should. And for that . . . " She sat up. "I best get in some practice before going to bed tonight, Nia-chan."

"Practice in what . . .?"

Her eyes widened in shock as Ranma vanished before her.

* * *

Ranma triumphantly smiled as she felt her body slip into the embrace of the Goshin Eifu. She then stopped on seeing Niap'yeng frozen in place, her eyes wide as her jaw seemed to drop toward the roof. "What the . . .?" she blurted out before taking a detailed look around. 

What the . . .?

Holy . . .!

Oh, gods, this was JUST not POSSIBLE!

EVERYTHING . . .?!

"Now do you understand, Ranma?"

Ranma gasped, spinning around to see Negako sitting on the roof nearby, a bemused smile on her face. "NEGAKO?! Jeez, you're just as . . .!" She stopped to look at her hand. "Negako, what did I just do?!" she then demanded.

An eyebrow arched. "Remember what I told you in Sanctuary, Ranma?"

Ranma considered that before a surprised grin crossed her face. "'Time is perception first and foremost.' Then that means . . . "

"By mixing your ki with the energy of Sanctuary, you've given yourself the ability to, for brief periods, step outside of linear time," Negako explained. "And I emphasize BRIEF periods. If you do this TOO often . . . "

She held up a warning finger. "I could be stuck here forever, right?"

"Exactly."

"Ranma, why did you do that?!"

Ranma screamed, spinning around to see a mildly annoyed Niap'yeng glaring at her. "What the HELL?!" She nearly backed into Negako before turning to face the ninjutsu grandmaster. "H-how the heck . . .?!" she sputtered.

Negako wryly chuckled. "Niap'yeng has the ability to temporarily shift herself out of linear time herself. She has the added advantage of being able to shift herself forwards and backwards through time."

Ranma blinked, blinked again, and then she sighed. "Oh!"

Niap'yeng giggled.

* * *

The next morning saw a group of Lost Stars, including Reiko, Kaneko, Niap'yeng, Hanak'at' and Chyek, plus Ranma and Negako, board a clunky-looking starship for Okusei. The ship blasted off from the village, soaring into orbit without any noticeable side effects on her passengers. Glancing out a view port in one of the ship's recreation lounges, Ranma sighed as Noukiios, a water-bound planet with two Asia-sized continents, they shaped somewhat like the two Koreas as if they were separated by a narrow sea where the DMZ would be, plus many island archipelagos, receded from view. As soon as the ship entered warp, she relaxed. "Man, I'll be glad when this is over with . . . " 

"Mama?"

She perked, turning to see Reiko and Kaneko standing there. "What is it, girls?" she asked, beckoning the twins to approach her.

Both sat down to either side of her. "Mama, we made these for Papa's sisters." Reiko held up a computer chip.

"What's this?"

"It's a replicator code-chip," Kaneko explained. "Auntie Negako can help you work it when you get back to Sanctuary. It'll create sets of formal noukik'eng for our other aunts. We . . . " She looked down. "We can guess that Papa hasn't told his sisters about us. But no matter what, we want to care for them as much as Papa cares for them."

Ranma considered that. She then smiled, slipping the chip into her jersey pocket. "Don't worry." She reached over to draw the twins into her embrace. "I'll make sure they get it. When this is all over . . . "

"We'll be together as one family," Reiko finished.

Silence fell as Ranma reflected on what Reiko said. She then nodded, leaning down to kiss their foreheads. "Yeah. One family."

* * *

Within two hours, the ship arrived in orbit over Okusei. Staring at the planet, Venus' size, Ranma was stunned to see the differences between here and Noukiios. Most of Okusei's landmass, broken up into a dozen Greenland-sized continents in a planet-wide ocean, was a brownish-grey, not the lush green of Noukiios. If that was the consistency of the planet's surface . . .! 

Negako stepped up behind her. "Terrible, is it not?"

Ranma breathed out. "Bad?"

"Very. Look." Negako pointed to their right.

Ranma watched as the ship drifted alongside what appeared to be an orbital docking station, like the one from the first _Star Trek_ movie near the dock where the _Enterprise_ had been refitted before her encounter with V'ger. A glass-lined lounge was located beside the docking collar. Staring into it, Ranma blanched on seeing a sea of living skeletons in bare rags. Men and women of all ages, children . . .! Oh, gods, the CHILDREN . . .?!

The martial artist spun around and raced to the nearest washroom, a hand covering her mouth as nausea overwhelmed her. Negako watched her, and then she sighed, staring at the station. "Not as pretty as you would think, eh, Ranma?"

* * *

The ship took on a battalion's worth of Ip'ihu irregulars and two companies of Dominion Marines, the Noukiites' elite shock troopers below the Lost Stars. Once aboard, the leader of the strike force, a wizened brigade commander Genma's age, called everyone together for a meeting in the ship's largest lounge. Ranma and Negako were invited along, the grandmaster doing the introductions. On hearing Ranma's "relationship" to Ataru, Eyu-Uch Chuho-Nakseuch grinned. "So you are the one the Euk Hisehek bonded with?" He gave Ranma a firm squeeze of the hand. "We've heard of his so-called 'girl-hunts' even on Noukiios. It's nice to see that his taste in ladies is so high." 

Ranma flustered, embarrassed that she was seen as THAT in the soldier's eyes, yet she felt . . .! Complimented? "Um, y-yeah!"

"Oh, it's quite alright, child." Nakseuch chuckled before staring concernedly at Negako. "Most Venerable, did young Niap'yeng speak the truth to me earlier on about the Venerable One's ability to step clear of linear time?"

Negako nodded. "Yes, she does speak the truth. Unlike Niap'yeng's power, however, Ranma's is not based on alterations of her DNA, but her ability to manipulate her very own life-force to do what she desires."

"Indeed?" Nakseuch grimaced. "Good. We've heard reports that some scientists from the Urusian Defence Chronology Institute -- those who survived the Euk Hisehek's attack some weeks ago, I should add -- might be trying to develop defences against our manipulating time to our benefit. They're unsubstantiated, but one can't run the risk."

Ranma perked up on hearing that establishment's name. "You mean the stupid jerks that helped Pochik Ando kill Ataru's grandmother?"

The Noukiite nodded. "The same. One of the goals of our current conflict with the dog people is to see to it that all commercial use of time-travel devices -- 'spacializers' as they call them -- is put to a stop. What happened to the Most Venerable Lady Nagaiwakai is just an example of what their kind could do to every race in the galaxy and beyond if they're not checked."

Ranma shuddered as Nakseuch's words sank in. "Damn!" She crossed her arms. "If they succeeded in screwing around with history . . . "

"Many would be affected across a dozen worlds," Negako finished.

"So how can I help if these guys did what the general just said?" Ranma demanded. "I can't slip from one time-frame to another like Nia-chan can. I CAN step out of linear time, but everything around me freezes up . . . " Her voice trailed as her eyes widened. "Oh."

Nakseuch grinned. "Exactly."

* * *

Another two-hour trip finally brought the ship to Machibusu. Gazing on the planet, Ranma whistled. "Man, THAT'S different." 

"Indeed it is." Niap'yeng walked up beside her as they stared on the pink-orange hued world. Electric blue seas, some as big as the Mediterranean, dotted Machibusu's surface, but there were no oceans like the ones found on Earth, Noukiios or Okusei. Taking a closer look, Ranma quickly picked out the fair-sized cities hugging the shores of those seas. "This is one of their larger food-producing worlds, Ranma. With what is made here, the Urusians have more than enough to sustain their people, plus export the surplus elsewhere," the young Noukiite explained before she gazed on the martial artist. "Why then do they seek to deprive us of the ability to sustain our own people?"

Ranma shuddered as she tried to consider how to answer. The arrival of Nakseuch and Negako cut that short. "The intelligence forces here have located Yethis and his relatives," the grandmaster reported. "They have hidden themselves in a farming village near the planetary capital."

Ranma stared at her. "That was pretty quick!"

"Someone in the general's party is sympathetic to our cause." Nakseuch chuckled. "Not all Urusians are 'dog people' as we term them, Venerable. Many of them are descent of commoners who were made to resettle on our planet during the Occupation. We have always treated them with the respect they deserve even if their own government views them as traitors to the Urusian 'cause.'"

Ranma considered that before nodding. "So what do we do?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later -- after Ranma's first ride via matter-quantum transporter; it made her feel like someone had infused her body with a sea of ants for about five seconds -- found her and Negako, both presently masked by the Goshin Buufu, sneaking into a village about the same size as the Lost Stars' home base. The differences between Niap'yeng's current home and the village here were stark. Everything appeared to be pre-fabricated, either reinforced plastic or some form of stainless steel. All the houses sat on stilts, the main floors ten metres or so off the ground. That made sense. Most Oni-Urusians could fly and those who couldn't could be given anti-gravity belts with thruster jets to compensate. "Where're the folks who live here?" she asked Negako as they placed themselves under the overhang of a family home. 

"In the capital city being processed by the occupation forces," Negako reported. "Another goal the Noukiites seek in this war is the destruction of the colonial militia forces who've raided Okusei, Tunchusei and Kurrusei since the Union Revolution two centuries ago. It has resulted in the near-extermination of whole towns on this world."

Ranma paled. "But . . .!"

"Ranma, remember what I told you about wars?"

Silence fell as she considered that. "Right . . . " she drawled. "Wait!" Her eyes focused on a building, built of the same design as the other structures, located near a line of pink-leaved trees. "Someone's there."

Negako looked. "Good. Shall we pay them a visit?"

"Let's go."

They slipped into the open, casually making their way to the hut. Given their presently being hidden under a total-ki shield, there was no fear of anyone spotting them. Even better, the grass was cut low, thus no tall stalks could get in their way or rustle when they walked amongst them. "Negako, this is too easy," Ranma warned as they came within ten metres of the hut.

"Perhaps. Then again, the Onis are too addicted to technology to worry about this," Negako said with a smirk before her eyes widened.

"What's wrong?"

The ninjutsu grandmaster stopped, her eyes narrowing as she focused her senses on the hut. "Interesting . . . " she mused.

"What?" Ranma prodded.

"Ranma, do you remember what Yedris and Sugoi look like?"

"Um, yeah! What about them?!"

"Use the Goshin Eifu to get in there, and then carry them out. When you do get to them, strike them here . . . " Negako pointed to an area on the back of her head, an inch above where the skull joined the spine. "Before handling their bodies. I will explain why later. Go now!" she ordered.

Ranma nodded, concentrating as she shifted from the Body Defence Air Cloth to the Body Defence Cloth of Eternity. Everything around her froze in place as she raced to the hut. Getting there, she noticed an open hatchway leading into the lower floor. Leaping inside was child's play. Once there, she looked around before relaxing as she switched to the Goshin Buufu. With that, she perked on hearing voices. Finding stairs, she headed up.

" . . . very unsafe for you and your family here, General."

The speaker was a burly Oni soldier, he presently standing by a window. There were a half-dozen others like him in the room, along with three other people. Seq Yethis reminded Ranma of a green-haired Oni version of Abraham Lincoln, though he also wore glasses. Seq Yedris appeared to be Nodoka's age and every bit as beautiful, though she wore her green hair loose to her waist. Seq Sugoi, a girl Rinrin's age, was a slender teen about to blossom into womanhood. Unlike her mother and uncle, Sugoi had one horn on her head, just above the point where Ranma had to strike her . . .

Wait!

_Well, I'll be damned! They're just like Kimiko-chan!_ she mused before turning back to the conversation as Yethis moved to reply.

"There's no need to concern yourself, Captain." He smiled, turning to look out the window at the fields around the house. "The Noukiites have been VERY lucky of late, but they're not the warriors they like to think they are. One strong strike against them would send them reeling back past _our_ colonies, then we'll show them who are the REAL warriors in this galaxy."

Ranma scowled. _Jeez, this asshole's like Kunou!_ she snorted before her eyes widened as an idea popped into her head. With that, she allowed the Goshin Buufu to shift back to the normal Umisen-ken cloak. "Let's test that theory of yours, General!" she then called out.

Everyone screamed out on hearing that alien voice as Ranma shifted back into the Goshin Eifu. The screams faded into total silence as she yanked the weapons out of the troopers' hands to shatter them. They wound up in a pile on the floor. Over to Yedris and Sugoi. Shiatsu strikes to the backs of their heads, and then Ranma called out, "Negako!"

"Bring them downstairs!" Negako ordered from the lower floor.

Ranma grunted as she carried Yedris to the stairwell. "Sorry about that, ma'am!" she apologized as her hands brushed past the older woman's bust. Once Negako had her, she went back to Sugoi. Once she was passed down, Ranma shifted to the Air Cloth. Everything went back to normal.

"Hey!" the captain screamed out, finding himself without a rifle, and then he looked around in desperation. "What the hell . . .?!"

"Who was that?!" Yethis demanded before he noticed two people missing from the room. "Yedris?! Sugoi?! What the . . .?!"

"That was me!"

Ranma dropped the Goshin Buufu. The Onis spun on her, stunned to see a TERRAN here. "Who are you?!" Yethis demanded.

"Name's Saotome Ranma, Yethis." She smirked, her battle aura flaring. "Just in case you were wondering about your other Imperial pals in Onishuto and elsewhere, I got a news flash." She tensed. "Moroboshi Ataru killed them!"

Yethis' eyes went wide. "Moroboshi . . .?!"

"Yeah!" Ranma nodded as ki coalesced in her hands. "_**KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN KITEI! SEISHIN SHURIKEN TAIFUN!**_"

A storm of ki bolts slammed into the troopers protecting Yethis, sending them flying through the window to crash-land on the ground beyond. Suddenly finding himself alone, the general moved to flee. A Psychic Kusarigama snared his legs to yank him back to make him kiss Ranma's fist. He dropped to the floor, blood showering from a broken nose and shattered teeth. Ranma's foot then slammed into the back of his head to keep him down. She then allowed ki to flow into her hands. "Jeez, Yethis! Did you REALLY think Ataru was gonna let you get away with murdering his grandmother?!" She leaned down to contemptuously flick the horns from his head. "I don't think so!"

Yethis shuddered as he sensed Ranma fade from view. He then screamed out as a storm of fists smashed into his body from all over.

* * *

"Impressive," Negako mused, sensing what Ranma was doing from nearby the hut. Around the grandmaster, the troopers Ranma dealt with were tied up, stripped of their horns and made to sleep thanks to some deft shiatsu strikes. Yedris and Sugoi were asleep nearby, they having been given their own shiatsu treatment to allow them to better function among other people without their un-moulded Avalonian powers overcoming them. 

A second later, a broken body sailed out one of the shattered windows to smash into the ground some distance away from Negako. She gazed at Yethis' battered face before turning back as Ranma leapt down to join her.

"I trust your first test of the Eien Mooko Taifun-ke went well?"

Ranma sighed. "Needs some work."

"Fair enough." Negako then drew out a communicator.

* * *

"She sold her own brother out?!" 

Nakseuch nodded. "Yes!" The general was meeting with Ranma in one of the Noukiite ship's lounges, the ship still in orbit over Machibusu. It was an hour after the raid on Yethis' hideout. "Lady Yedris is the leader of the Urusian Democratic Alliance. We want them to survive this war so they can lead their people to a better future. They will need strong leadership, especially after what happened some weeks ago in Onishuto."

Ranma took that in before sighing. "That's a brave lady. I take it Sugoi-chan backs her mom up all the way."

"I do."

Both turned as Sugoi stepped into the room, followed by Yedris and Negako. Seeing the two Onis in plain noukik'eng in lieu of the tiger-striped cheongsam-like dresses Ranma first saw them in on the planet below, the martial artist grinned as she accepted the Seqs' embrace. "So you are the one who was truly meant for Lum-chan's Darling." Yedris gave the Terran a careful look-over, nodding approvingly. "Well, at least, if what Negako told us is true, he'll have someone who truly understands him."

Ranma nodded. "I do. So what's going to happen to you two?"

"We'll stay with the Lost Stars," Yedris explained. "They're interrogating my brother as we speak. He supposedly has knowledge of a Noukiite missionary colony that was established on Uru over a thousand years ago, before the Seifukusu conquered us. If the remains of that colony are found, everything the Imperial Round has espoused concerning our relations with the Noukiites will be made hollow. And, if the good general here . . . " She gazed on Nakseuch, who bowed in return. "Speaks the truth about his people's war aims, once Heaven's Gate Bridge -- that's the colony's name -- is found, the Dominion will then move to bring hostilities to an end."

Nakseuch smiled. "That is something we all want, Lady."

Ranma smirked, popping her knuckles to emphasize her point. "Hey, if you need help with that creep, let me have some time with him."

Yedris chuckled. "It's alright. The Lost Stars have many strong telepaths among them. You won't be needed."

"And if Uncle proves stubborn about it, that's just too bad," Sugoi added. "Don't they say on your planet, 'You reap what you sow?'"

Ranma chuckled. "Yeah, that's true. Um, General, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Yedris and Sugoi-chan here alone . . . "

"Of course." Nakseuch nodded before heading off.

Once she sensed that they were alone, Ranma turned to Yedris. "Um, if you were wondering about Lum and Ran, ma'am, I can tell you . . . "

"It's alright." Yedris squeezed Ranma's hand. "Negako told us about them. It's good they're safe on Earth. Even if Lum-chan wouldn't EVER think of doing what my brother and his friends might have wanted, there are many on Noukiios who wouldn't hesitate in 'finishing the job' as your people'd say. I just hope the chance will come that Lum-chan and your fiancé will reconcile."

Ranma nearly gagged on her bile, and then she sputtered, "Hey, wait a sec' . . .!" She backed away from Yedris only to feel Negako's hand on her shoulder, the ninjutsu grandmaster moving to guide her out of the lounge.

"Come, Ranma. It is time to return to Sanctuary," Negako ordained.

"Um, y-y-yeah, r-right!" Ranma nodded, waving. "'Bye!"

"Mama, wait!"

Ranma stopped as Reiko and Kaneko ran in. The twins carried long, narrow cases, cases that could only contain swords. Stopping before their father's friend, they held out the cases. "Here you go, Mama!" they chimed in sync.

"What're these?" Ranma wondered.

"Seucheuchet'," Reiko explained, that being interpreted as "eunuch's sword" thanks to Ranma's language translator. "It's okay! Papa has two of his own; he found them when he helped the Inquisition deal with Yethis' friends."

"It's only right that you have a pair of your own," Kaneko added. "These were ones welded by our . . . " She paused before shrugging. "Well, two of the people -- the two women of the group -- whose DNA went into us."

Ranma considered that before she sighed, shaking her head. "They should go back to the graves where they were found, Kaneko-chan . . . "

"It's alright." Reiko shook her head. "One of them -- this is her blade . . . " She patted her case. "Was the T'yekhek Empress. She was murdered by Urusian agents before the Occupation began. Her grave was destroyed mid-way through the Occupation. She . . . " She looked at the case. "Wound up with Auntie Yedris' family on Uru after the Liberation."

Ranma gazed on Yedris. Seeing the older woman nod, the martial artist then turned on Kaneko. "What about that one?"

"This was a posthumous present for the Most Venerable Ye-Hit' Yeho-Huit'ch'uk, the mother of one of our planet's greatest philosophers," Kaneko explained. "It was buried with her until it was stolen during the Occupation." She glanced at Yedris and Sugoi. "It wound up with the Seqs, too," she added.

"And there's no one left of the Most Venerable's family, Mama," Reiko added, holding up the case to Ranma. "Please?"

Kaneko echoed her sister's actions. Seeing the pleading looks in their eyes, Ranma nodded. "Alright, then. I vow on my honour as a student of Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjutsu-ryuu, home Art of your adopted family, that I will keep these blades in my company until such time as the government of the Dominion of Noukiios requests their return. OR until such time that you two are old enough to weld them yourselves," she then declared.

Hearing that, the twins beamed.

* * *

_Journal Entry, Day 30 of Sanctuary visit (counting time elsewhere),  
__Dear Diary,  
__They called me 'Mother.'  
__That scared me, but at the same time, it warmed my heart.  
__Once we returned to Sanctuary, Negako explained to me that if it wasn't for Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan, Ataru's recovery from what happened in Lumukyou might not have happened. It's no wonder he was willing to adopt them once he learned of the problems they faced being what they are.  
__If that had been me, I would've done the same thing.  
__The blades they gave me, according to Negako, have nice names to them. According to the traditions concerning these swords, they have to be given 'soft' names to offset their purpose. Huit'ch'uk's blade is Et'a Yekaechsuch-at', 'Mother's Eternal Dream.' T'yekhek's blade is Aeyek-hup'uk, 'Righteous Love.' Man, some of these syllables are tongue twisters, but I won't give them Japanese names. After hearing what happened to Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan's people, it doesn't seem right.  
__Reminds me too much of what Japan once did to Korea._

Ranma paused to collect her thoughts before she carried on:

_It's nice to be back in Sanctuary, even if I can't work on the new form I used against Yethis. When I return to Earth, I'll have to practice it quick. There's no telling what might happen when I go to Nerima and have to worry about the tomboy or the lunkheads, especially with what Negako has in mind now.  
__Oh, I forgot to tell you that. Negako's come up with an idea about my breaking away forever from the panda. What I'd have to do is apply to the Family Registrar to start up an independent branch of the Saotome family based on Promised Island. Along the way, I have to talk to the Court of Special Appeals to ensure Oyaji couldn't dodge around that and make me roonin before I could finally stick it to him. Even if he HAS dragged our family honour through the dirt, I'm not taking another name.  
__To do THAT would give the bastard some satisfaction in the end.  
__He gets NONE because of me.  
__NONE!  
__To do that, though, I'd have to turn over all the information Tampopo-chan helped collect on the bastard when I was off modelling to the Court of Special Appeals. I doubt that showing some of that, including information on the five OTHER fiancées Oyaji got me engaged to -- Honestly! What the hell was I supposed to do with TRIPLETS as my fiancées?! -- to Akane's dad won't make him turn away from his so-called 'dream' of uniting the schools. That also means I have to attack him where it'll hurt the most: Going after his doojou sign. I've got a couple ideas about that, but I'll bounce it off Negako first before making any firm plans. And no, it won't involve a Doojou Destroyer!  
__Whoo, won't HE be in for a surprise!_

Ranma stopped, and then she saved the entry.

* * *

Six "days" later, Negako silently stepped into Ranma's room to crouch beside the sleeping girl. Fortunately, Ranma was reclining on her side. Reaching over, the ninjutsu grandmaster tapped several points on the younger woman's head and back. With that, she rose, moving to the door. 

"Time to wake up, Ranma. Go have a bath first."

A moan escaped Ranma, and then she rolled onto her back. "Right . . . "

Negako headed into the kitchen as Ranma gathered her toiletries before she jogged into the bathroom. Turning back to her cooking, the grandmaster relaxed as she extended her ki-senses to keep an "eye" on her student.

Any moment now . . .

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"

That was a BOY'S yell, by the way.

Negako walked to the bathroom door to peek in. Kneeling beside the furo was a MALE Ranma, staring down at himself with a mixture of stunned shock and horror. _Perhaps the same expression he showed when he was initially immersed in the Niángniquán?_ she wondered to herself as she crossed her arms.

"Are you alright, Ranma?" she calmly asked.

He shuddered as he gazed at her, and then he sputtered, "W-why . . .?"

"You had to feel it for yourself," Negako reported. "Change back, and then meet me in the doojou. It is time for your final lesson here."

She headed out.

* * *

Minutes later, a female Ranma stepped into the doojou. Negako knelt by the head, where the kamidana would be located. Ranma placed herself before her, and then she bowed. Negako nodded. Straightening herself, Ranma sniffed before wiping her eyes. Silence then fell as she collected herself. She then stared at her host. "Could you please lock me up as a girl again, Negako?" 

"Are you a man or a woman?" Negako asked in return.

Silence.

More silence.

Still more silence.

Then . . .

"I'm a woman. Chikage and the guide were right."

Negako beckoned Ranma with a hand. Ranma shifted over, and then she remained still as the grandmaster fused new ki into her. Once that was done and the Chiisui-ton lock was again in place, Ranma shifted back to where she first sat. "How did you feel when you changed?" Negako asked.

"Ugly!" Ranma immediately responded. "I went over a month without a change. My sense of balance was totally out of whack. And I . . . " She quaked. "I saw myself in the mirror there, as a guy. And it just HIT me, Negako! That just wasn't ME! It wasn't ME anymore, Negako!" Taking another deep breath, she pointed to herself. "THIS is me, Negako! A woman who wants nothing to do with that . . . that . . . " She sputtered. "That macho, sexist FREAK Oyaji wanted to create to please Mom! Oh, gods . . .!"

She covered her face with her hands, wiping away the tears. "Now that you have allowed that to escape you, it is time," Negako said.

She reached behind her to draw a box. Laying that before Ranma, she opened it. Ranma looked in. A black belt with a kanji symbol.

"Mizu."

Ranma stared at Negako. "Happy, Kelun and I made an agreement before you and I came here," the grandmaster explained. "If you show to me that you have proven the right to have this, Happy will release you as a student of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu and acknowledge you as a student of Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu under my tutelage. Furthermore, he will strip Souun and Genma of their teaching licenses. The Tendou-ryuu and the Saotome-ryuu will cease to be. Happy will then take Nabiki and Akane under his direct tutelage." A pause. "Furthermore, if you earn this, Kelun will send a message to her sister councillors about your emotional change of gender, then have you adopted into the Nujiézú as a warrior of full standing. You and Shanpú will become blood-sisters under their Blood Sibling Law. Chikage explained to you about that after you first came to Promised Island. Once that is done, if you desire, you will be free to pursue your own future. It will NOT force you into a marriage with Ataru, though."

"And if I desire to marry Ataru?"

"Do you desire that now?"

"I . . . " Ranma stopped before sighing. "I don't know."

"Then you have to find out."

"I guess I do." Ranma looked down. "Negako, I haven't learned all the forms yet. I don't even deserve a plain black belt . . . "

Negako held up her hand to silence her student's protest. "Ranma, your time here wasn't meant to be spent learning ALL the basic forms. Some of them, including the Earth-Heart Fire Geyser and the Paranormal-Power Inverse Fire Bomb, require special training. And you might not be compatible to learning those forms since, even with your curse locked in place, your natural affinity is water." She pointed to her own belt with the "chi" kanji. "What you had to prove, to yourself most of all . . . " She pointed to Ranma. "Was the fact that before a teacher can truly teach others . . . "

"I have to learn how to teach myself."

"And to fully THINK for yourself. To take what you hear from others, make your own theory, and then proceed to prove it and use it to your benefit. You did it when you created the Mooko Takabisha. You did it when you modified the Hiryuu Shooten-ha to suit your style of combat. You did it when you created the Goshin Buufu, then later the Goshin Eifu and the Eien Mooko Taifun-ke. You CAN do it, both within martial arts and beyond, that you see and do for yourself. What you will learn over time is how to differentiate between the good forms and the bad forms. That comes with experience."

Silence falls as Ranma considered that before she sighed. "What now?"

"Part of the trial will be done here. The rest comes in Nerima when you deal with your would-be suitors and the other hangers-on."

Ranma's eyebrow arched. "So this includes the thing with the Court of Special Appeals and the Family Registrar, right?!"

"Exactly. Not everything in life is battle, Ranma."

Ranma grinned. Life. "I can see that. Nokoko-oneechan was right."

"She was. Up!"

Both rose, and then properly greeted each other; practitioners in Saikoo Jinseijitsu used the left fist-in-right palm salute employed by certain kung fu and t'ai chi schools. Ranma stepped back to give Negako space, and then she assumed a standing sword-draw stance. Negako nodded, concentrating her ki into her hand. Seeing that, Ranma nodded, relaxing herself.

"Better," Negako said. "Now, draw."

"_**KONTOU!**_"

* * *

"Ranma . . .?!" 

Everyone in the dining room perked on hearing Ataru. They then turned to gaze on him. "Onii-chan, are you alright?!" Karen asked.

A lost look was on his face as he rose, heading out. "Anigimi-sama, what's wrong?!" Haruka demanded as the sisters crowded the door.

"Leave him be."

"Chikage-chan!" Karen snapped. She then fell silent as everyone watched Ataru place himself before the doors leading out of the rotunda. He lowered himself into seiza, and then he relaxed, his eyes fixed on the doorknobs.

"What's wrong with Onii-tama?" Hinako wondered.

"What we have wished for has taken the largest step towards coming true, Hinako-chan," Chikage replied. "Now, we wait."

The others nodded.

_**To be continued . . .**_


	10. 4th Part D: Freedom From Honour

"Hey, you okay?"

Ataru blinked before his vision focused on a smiling face framed with flaming red hair worn loose past her shoulders. Seeing the concern in those deep sapphire eyes, he smiled, his eyes misting. "Okaeri nasai."

"Oh, man! Don't tell me you stayed up all night waiting for me?!" Ranma chuckled as she helped him to his feet. She then looked past him as the dining room doors opened. "Tadaima!" she called out on seeing the sisters come out.

"Okaeri nasai, Onee-chan!" Karen replied as they massed around Ataru, Ranma and Negako. "How was your time in Sanctuary?"

"Productive." Ranma reached behind her to draw out a certain stuffed rabbit. "I believe this belongs to Hinako-chan!"

"Waaai! Usagi-san!" Hinako grasped it, and then she squeezed Mister Bunny close to her. "Did Usagi-san make Onee-tama happy?!"

Negako lightly smiled as she exchanged a knowing look with Ranma. "You might say, Hinako, he made _many_ young people happy."

Hinako then paled. "Eh?! Hina's dream came true?!"

Ataru's eyebrow arched. "What dream?!"

"Hina dreamt that Onee-tama helped Usagi-san have babies!"

Confusion crossed Ataru's face. His eyes then widened as he turned to Ranma. "Don't tell me you used the null-time bubbles to . . .?"

"Make five hundred-and-one copies of Usagi-san for five hundred kawaii girls on Noukiios." Ranma then gave him a knowing look. "Including two young girls you happen to know very well. Ne, Ataru-kun?" Her eyebrow arched.

He jolted, sweat drops pouring down his hair. Sakuya gazed curiously at him. "What's she talking about, Onii-sama?"

Ataru shuddered before deflating. "It's a long story."

"But not a bad one," Ranma amended before she drew up a large carrying rack bearing the ukiyo-e woodblocks she had made in Sanctuary. "Anyone got a place where these can be stored? I don't want them to get ruined."

Haruka gasped, "Oh, Anegimi-sama, you learned how to make ukiyo-e prints?!" She gently drew out one of the blocks to stare intently at it. "What's this of?" she then asked as she gazed on Ranma.

"Sanctuary," Ranma replied. "I made some prints already if you want to see them, but . . . " A yawn stole her voice. "Man, I'm tired!"

"I believe you need to have breakfast, and then get some sleep," Negako ordained before she gazed knowingly on Ataru. "Not to mention you. Shirayuki, can you bring breakfast out for everyone? We can delay our return to Nerima until after the noon hour so everyone can rest."

Shirayuki nodded. "Hai desu no. Hime's got breakfast all set!"

Ranma chuckled as she headed into the dining room. She stopped by the table, and then she looked right to see Chikage relaxing by the door. They gazed on each other. Ranma walked up to the sorceress. Before Chikage could ask what was wrong, the martial artist leaned up to tenderly kiss the sorceress' forehead. Chikage's eyes widened as she looked confusedly on Ranma.

"You were right," the latter whispered.

Chikage nodded. "Part of you wishes that were not so, even now."

"I . . . " Ranma shook her head. "No, not really. But I know that when news of this gets finally out, there'll be at least four girls in Nerima who're going to be heartbroken. I don't look forward to that even if I didn't want to marry them when I was still a boy . . . "

"Nee-sama?"

Ranma watched Shirayuki place a tray on the table. Seeing what was there, Ranma asked, "Did Negako teach you how to make that?"

A curious look crossed Shirayuki's face. "Hai desu no. Why?"

"Just wondering," Ranma replied as she headed over to eat.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Ranma peeked into Ataru's room to see him on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Can I come in?"

"Sure!" He glanced her way, grinning. "So how are they?"

She stepped in, closing the door behind her. "Pretty good." She sat on the bed. "They miss you a lot. By the way, you didn't get one of those Urusians who had a hand in what happened to your grandmother. Negako and I helped finally catch him on Machibusu."

His eyebrow arched. "Who did I miss?"

"Seq Yethis."

"Oh, him! I thought he got atomized in Onishuto. So they've got a good chance of finding out where Heaven's Gate Bridge is?"

"Hai. Yethis' sister and niece made it out. They're staying with the Lost Stars." A pause. "You going to tell them?"

"About Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan?" He nodded, a smile crossing his face. "Hai, soon. Chikage figured it out. She told me it should be alright to tell the others, even with them still fighting with the other Lost Stars."

"Let's hope she's right." Ranma nodded understandingly before lowering her voice. "I saw Nokoko-oneechan in Sanctuary too, Ataru."

He nodded. "That has to stay under wraps."

"I know."

Silence fell as they considered what to say next. Their eyes turned to gaze into each other's. He offered a hand. She took it, and then she allowed herself to be drawn towards him. They cuddled, gazing still into each other's eyes. She leaned up. A kiss later, she kicked off her shoes as he shifted a blanket over them. Soon, their eyes closed as they allowed fatigue to overcome them. Unnoticed by either, Yotsuba was gazing through a barely opened door on them. Once she confirmed they were asleep, the amateur detective closed the door. She made a new entry in her notepad as she headed up to her bedroom. "'Ani-chama and Ane-chama are asleep in Ani-chama's bed. It is clearly obvious that they ARE falling in love with each other. The signs all look promising.'"

She headed off.

* * *

_**Lonely Souls  
**_By Fred Herriot  
This part's title suggested by Silussa. Ranma's and Ataru's dream sequence, in part, written by David Chamberlain.  
_Walking In The Air_, written by Howard Blake. Ryan and Rachel O'Donnell performed the version that forms the base of the lyrics printed here for _The Celtic Chillout Album_, produced by Universal International Music.  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

* * *

**THE FOURTH PART, "D" SIDE - FREEDOM FROM HONOUR **

"Oh, I'm so glad that I'm not alone now . . . "

"Me neither!" Kashima Namie purred, she allowing her tongue to lap the side of Kodama Hiro's neck. They were in a cul-de-sac some metres from where Tampopo's restaurant once stood in Tomobiki. Both were dressed conservatively, though given their pawing and wet kisses, they obviously preferred to have no clothes on at all. "When was the last time we were together?"

"Probably when we first emerged from gestation." Hiro forced Namie's face into her cleavage. "Let's make up for some lost time."

Namie wiggled her head. "Hai . . . "

"Excuse me, but would you prefer to do that in private?"

Both spun to see a wheelchair-bound first-year high-school student gazing amusedly on them from the cul-de-sac's entrance. The newcomer's raven hair was tied in a pair of stubby ponytails, her chestnut eyes twinkling with delight on seeing the sex show before her. Even bound to a wheelchair, she was nicely shaped for a woman her age. Hiro and Namie gazed intently at her before they exchanged a confused look. No, this woman wasn't an Avalonian, yet she seemed to know both of them. How was that possible? Who was this woman?

Sensing their confusion, the newcomer wheeled her mount into the alley. "Narumi Miruko." She held out her hand. "Yukimi sent me."

"You know Yukimi?" Hiro demanded as she and Namie pulled apart, both of them automatically moving to straighten their clothing.

"Hai. Her programming accidentally kicked in a year ago, sometime before we started to live together." Miruko waved them with her. "C'mon. Kanami-chan and Tamako-chan are already here. I'll take you there."

Immediately, Namie came up to push Miruko's wheelchair. Hiro fell in beside her fellow infiltrator as they exited the alley, and then they headed up the street. "Doesn't any of this bother you, Miruko-san?" Namie asked.

Miruko blinked. "Does it bother me?" She hummed as she took a moment to think about it. "Let's see. Does it bother me that after my parents abandoned me, I became housemates and lovers with a beautiful alien bioroid? A bioroid, by the way, who was built to serve Lum on behalf of an honest-to-goodness CHURCH which worships her as a living goddess?" She shrugged. "Trivial. What matters is that Yukimi and I are a couple, that I love her and she loves me."

"But we exist to serve Lum-sama, Miruko-san," Hiro warned.

The crippled girl nodded. "I know. It doesn't bother me. Most girls my age in Tomobiki don't really care for Lum, but if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have met Yukimi. Why should I complain?" She fell silent as several Butsumetsu Girl's students passed by. Once they were out of earshot, she cupped her hand around her mouth as she whispered, "Besides, if Lum survived what the news said happened to her, she'll need all the help she can get."

They gazed on Miruko, both quick to sense her sincerity. Namie squeezed her shoulder. "Yukimi is lucky to know you, Miruko-san."

Miruko grinned. "Hey, I'M the lucky one!"

"Why did you parents abandon you?" Hiro wondered.

"Two reasons. One is my gender preference and my wanting a relationship with Yukimi. The second is that I suffer from paralytic poliomyelitis." She waved to her lap. "Mom and Dad decided they didn't want to deal with me, so they got rid of me as soon as they could. Lucky for me that Yukimi took me in or else . . . " Her voice trailed off, a shudder running through her.

"Stupid fools," Namie muttered as Miruko indicated a right turn.

They headed up the street to the third building on their right. The building was a split-level bungalow type, designed to possess four half-floors. A special access ramp led to the second-level apartment. Awaiting them were three smiling women in casual clothing. Namie and Hiro were quick to sense what the others were. "Welcome to your new home, sisters," Kitahara Yukimi, the oldest-looking of the three, stepped up to grasp Namie's and Hiro's hands, and then she took over pushing Miruko inside. "Was it a safe trip?"

Hiro nodded as she and Namie slipped off their shoes. "Quiet."

As they headed inside, Yukimi lifted Miruko into an indoor wheelchair so she could move around inside. Kurosu Kanami folded the outdoor wheelchair as Momose Tamako guided the crippled girl to the dining room table. The other Avalonians joined them. Yukimi and Miruko held hands.

"What news of Lum-sama?" Kanami asked.

Yukimi shook her head. "I'm not sure. She and Ran-sama returned to Earth yesterday morning. I was able to sense Lum-sama is alive, though there's something wrong with her. What, I don't know, not yet. Fortunately, given that Ran-sama's plot is seldom noticed by the locals, few know of her return outside other members of the Holy Company: Shuutarou-sama, Shinobu-sama, Ryuunosuke-sama, Sakura-sama and Hayao-sama. They visited them that morning. The big surprise was that Ataru-sama showed up as well, as did another woman whose identity I've yet to confirm. I take it you all know of Ataru-sama's feelings now for the people of Tomobiki?" An eyebrow arched knowingly.

"I learned it later," Tamako confessed. "When it happened, my brain nearly got fried when my programming clicked in after Urayamu-sama . . . " Her voice trailed off as her eyes misted with tears. "Well, after he . . . "

The others nodded. Nothing needed to be said. "What else?" Hiro asked.

"Ran-sama returned to her ship that afternoon. I didn't see Lum-sama, but I could sense her presence near Ran-sama," Yukimi reported. "I came back to prepare apartments for you. That took the rest of the day. I haven't taken any time to do a detailed scan of either Lum-sama or Ran-sama this morning."

Namie patted her sister Avalonian's hand. "That's alright. Perhaps we should just proceed to Ran-sama's ship and meet them directly. Let them know that they have more friends here than they first believed."

"Our creators wouldn't be so blunt, Namie," Kanami warned.

"We know how foolish our so-called 'creators' really are, Kanami," Yukimi said with a sneer. "Besides, we exist to serve and support Lum-sama. The Church, in my eyes, is totally irrelevant to the point. Besides, given how bad this war situation between the Onis and the Noukiites has become, Lum-sama and Ran-sama ARE truly alone. Do we really want them to remain that way, sisters?"

Her eyebrow arched. The other Avalonians shook their heads.

* * *

"Hello, Shinobu! I see you brought your friend!"

"Good morning, Father Cristobal. Hai, this is her." Shinobu bowed respectfully, gently grasping the hand of her family's pastor.

She then indicated Ryuunosuke as she performed introductions. "A pleasure to meet you, Ryuunosuke," Juan Miguel Cristobal Rodriguez y Gennara, a slender Latino with a hint of Amerindian ancestry, draped in the black robes of a Jesuit missionary, greeted her as he gently gripped her hand. "I am truly sorry for your loss, my dear. Please, do come in."

"Thanks." Ryuunosuke nodded before she followed Shinobu into the Cathedral of Saint Urban, located in downtown Shinjuku. Already there was a small crowd. She knew -- thanks to Shinobu -- most Japanese Christians lived in Kyushu; the Miyakes hailed from Kagoshima. However, with an ever-increasing migration into Tokyo and its suburbs, the Church of Rome soon realized it was necessary to establish a church here. Saint Urban, named in honour of one of the earliest pontiffs, was modern as churches come, lacking the rustic masonry one might find in a medieval European cathedral. "Nice place," she whispered to Shinobu as they, Toshoba and Kimiki slipped into one of the pews.

Shinobu nodded. "Yes, it is."

People took their places. Father Cristobal assumed his post by the altar. Prayers were given, and then the priest asked everyone to be seated. Once everyone relaxed, he took a deep breath before he motioned to one side of the room. Someone rose to stand beside Father Cristobal. To the surprise of many, the newcomer was dressed in the flowing robes of an Islamic imam.

"My friends, this is my very good friend . . . " He paused, smiling. "And my brother-in-faith, Imam Daniyal Larik. He is from Karachi, Pakistan. Like I for you, he ministers to those of his faith here in Tokyo. I asked him to come today to help us understand the events that struck Tomobiki last Monday. We also have with us today . . . " He indicated Ryuunosuke. "One who lost her father and her boyfriend that day. For my friend . . . " He indicated Imam Daniyal. "His loss is as bad, for the man who was responsible for that horrible act . . . " A pause. "Was one of his own flock."

Ryuunosuke blinked. Glancing at the others here today, she noticed everyone gazing on the Islamic cleric with sympathy. Guilt then surged up her spine. Ever since the official announcement concerning who perpetrated the bombing at Tomobiki High was made on Thursday, she had felt nothing but hatred and betrayal every time Ibrahim Alhamzi's face appeared in her mind. Gazing at Daniyal Larik, her sense of guilt increased. The pain etched on the imam's face was far worse than what her father once showed when he thought of her late mother, Masako. No doubt, even with what Ibrahim did, Imam Daniyal thought of him as not just a friend and fellow Muslim, but a close relative.

Like a son, perhaps?

The Jesuit stepped aside, allowing the imam to assume the podium. "The blessings of the most Merciful God unto you, who follow the teachings of the Prophet Jesus (Peace Be Unto Him). Thank you, my dear friend and brother-in-faith, for allowing me to speak to your flock today." He nodded thanks to Father Cristobal. "Yes, my friend does speak the truth about what happened on Monday and how much it affected me personally. I did not come here to either condone or forgive the actions of Ibrahim Alhamzi. I cannot, for the only one who could do such a thing is God. I can only but pray that God will help those who died, including Ibrahim, find their peace in Heaven.

"No doubt, there are those among you who wonder why this happened. Why is it there are those in this world who, supposedly acting in the name of God, would murder? What made a person like Ibrahim become a living weapon . . . " -- the imam was grateful that he spoken to Father Cristobal about this beforehand -- " . . . like the kamikaze pilots who died defending Japan in the last years of the Greater East Asian War? What made a man who had treated all his fellow men with kindness, respect and mercy . . . " His eyes began to tear as he bowed his head. "Come to hate and to kill?"

He wiped his eyes. "I have asked myself and I have asked God that very question since Monday. I wish I could explain why is it so many who say they follow the Word of God are ready to toss away His Wisdom when it comes to those they hate or fear. God told Moses on Mount Sinai, 'Thou shall not murder.' That is the Sixth of the Ten Commandments, the bedrock of Jewish and Christian law. And if there is to be peace between Muslim and Christian and Muslim and Jew, we MUST learn not just to understand but to RESPECT each other's wisdom. We followers of Islam, after all . . . " He pointed to himself. "Look upon you as 'people of the Book.' You worship the same God as we."

Shinobu put her hand up. Then, when the imam indicated her, she asked, "If that is what the Prophet Mohammed wrote in the Qur'an, why is it, sir, that extremists want to make war on the people of Israel or Americans?"

"My dear, I wish I could give you a simple answer for that question." He then indicated Father Cristobal. "My friend here told me that in previous sermons with you, he explained how people who considered themselves 'faithful' Christians have perverted the teachings of the Prophet Jesus (Peace Be Unto Him) to their own selfish ends. Everything from the acts of the Holy Inquisition to the Crusades and ultimately to atrocities like the Holocaust can be attributed to that sad fact. And yes, it is the same in Judaism. And yes, it is the same in Islam. Speaking of Israel and Palestine, young lady, one of the areas of profound dispute is Jerusalem. You see, Jerusalem is not JUST the holiest city in both Judaism and Christianity. Jerusalem also ranks as the third holiest city of Islam, after Mecca and Medina."

Kimiki put up her hand. "So that conflict is really all about control over the holy places in Jerusalem, like the Wailing Wall?"

"In part, yes. The Dome of the Rock and the Noble Sanctuary, where, in our tradition, the Prophet is said to have ascended to Heaven, sits on the site of the Temple of Solomon, of which the Wailing Wall is the last intact remnant. As you will all know, the Temple was razed by the Romans when the Israelites rebelled against the Caesars in 70 CE."

Ryuunosuke: "It all comes down to who really owns the site, you mean?"

Imam Daniyal glanced at her. "Exactly."

"What is 'jihad?'" another person asked. "I heard once that it means much more than 'holy war,' but I don't know the exact term."

He perked. "Ah, yes! What 'jihad' properly means is 'struggle.' Let me tell you a story about the Prophet and perhaps you may see where such a mistake is made." A pause. "The Qur'an was written at a time of terrible conflict in what today we call Saudi Arabia. That conflict was similar in many ways to the Warring States period here in Japan. The Prophet, as God, through the Angel Gabriel, revealed the Qur'an to him, was trying to bring peace to Arabia. One day, returning after a battle, the Prophet told his friends, 'We are returning from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad.' 'Jihad' refers to the effort a Muslim must make to allow God's Will and God's Desire to influence ALL parts of his life. His personal life. His social life. His relations with his friends. His place as part of a community. The struggle the Prophet spoke of, my friends, is to eliminate evil not just from your community . . . " He pointed to his heart. "But also from your very soul."

"That's not something one would regularly hear from a Muslim, sir," Toshoba noted. "With what appears on television . . . "

The imam considered his comment before he sadly nodded. "Yes, sir, you are right. Indeed, I myself once believed like many of my faith do these days. That no good could come out of accepting the secular ways of the West. That the creation of Israel bode nothing but evil and misery for Palestinians and other Muslims in the Middle East . . . " He fell silent for a moment. "I think I'm fortunate in that I spent much time learning to teach the Prophet's words in Toronto, living with Muslims who resided there. There, they lived alongside those of other faiths. Their children went to school with those of other faiths, where they happily interacted with each other, learned to respect each other. In seeing that, I experienced a personal revelation. I realized that God WANTED it to be this way. After all, the Prophet said that God created people to be different, with different languages, so that we could all come together, learn each others' ways and live with each other."

Silence fells, and then Father Cristobal walked over to squeeze his friend's shoulder. "If we could all believe in that."

Imam Daniyal nodded. "Yes, my friend, if we only could."

"Those who say they're fighting for Islam, like Alhamzi-san, believe they're actually warring against evil," Shinobu concluded.

Ryuunosuke sighed. "Wish they'd listen to their own prophet's words."

"Indeed." The imam gazed at Ryuunosuke. "Believe it or not, miss, I do know of you. I know of the terrible loss of your mother when you were but a baby. I know how that affected not just your father, but also you and your friend Nagisa. Ibrahim . . . " He sighed. "Many times did Ibrahim tell me of things in Tomobiki. What he knew of the alien girl Lum and how her presence there had come to affect so many. He wept when he told me of how often you were hurt because your father could not see you as God made you. He wept even more when he told me of Nagisa and what had happened to him. He . . . " His eyes shifted to Shinobu. "He even told me of learning how much your friend Moroboshi Ataru had been abused, in all effect rendered friendless, by not just Lum and those who supported her. But by his parents as well."

The knowing look Imam Daniyal gave her sent chills down Shinobu's back. She then blinked as another man's voice echoed in her mind . . .

* * *

_"Shinobu-san?"_

_She turned back to stare at Yumoa Reigi. "Hai?"_

_"Do you understand what the concept of child abuse is?"_

_

* * *

_

_Oh, Jesu Cristo! What have I done . . .?_

Shinobu shuddered before she wiped her eyes, sensing tears flowing down her cheeks. Ryuunosuke's hand was immediately at her shoulder. "Forgive me." Imam Daniyal's voice turned their attention to the altar. The cleric's head was bowed; no doubt, he realized his words had come to hurt her. "I didn't mean to accuse you of anything, Miyake-san."

"I . . . " Shinobu sniffed before she smiled, nodding. "It's alright."

The imam smiled, turning to Father Cristobal. "My friend, you are truly blessed, you know that? To have such good people to care for." He patted the Jesuit's shoulder before turning to Ryuunosuke. "I've prepared something for you, Fujinami-san." He drew out a book from a shelf under the altar. Descending from there, he held it out to her. "It is from Ibrahim's mother. She insisted I give you something like this. I contacted her to inform her of what happened to her son. She . . . " He patted the book, and then he smiled. "She insisted that you have this. To understand that what happened on Monday is not condoned by our faith. It is not our way, Fujinami-san."

Ryuunosuke opened the book, noting that everything was not just in Arabic, but also in kanji and kana. "The Qur'an?"

"Yes. This is not an 'official' Qur'an. In our belief, for one to be deemed one of the Faithful, one must learn the Prophet's words in the original Arabic he received the words of the Qur'an from the Angel Gabriel in. This way, any mistakes that could be made in translation are eliminated. This is a special guide I helped prepare to allow people to understand Islam, allow them to ask the right questions. I don't seek to convert you. The decision, should you actually seek it, MUST be yours. The Prophet was very specific on that: 'There must be NO coercion in matters of faith.' But I want to help you heal. So does my friend here . . . " He indicated Father Cristobal and the Miyakes. "As does your friend and her family. For that, I thank you."

Kimiki nodded. "It will always be our pleasure, sir."

Everyone beamed.

* * *

_Ranma opened her eyes to see a young boy running towards a girl with shaggy, light brown hair. The girl waved at the boy. Her lips moved, yet the martial artist could not detect any sound she made. In the twilight sky -- was it morning or was it night? No way to tell if the sun was now setting or if it had just begun its climb across the sky -- an eerie light shone around the waist of the girl as slowly, she began to rise into the sky. The boy ran ever harder to catch her. As he reached the spot where the girl had just been standing, he leapt into the air. In mid-jump, a trick of the light made the tears streaming from his eyes sparkle as they arced in the air._

_Ranma watched as the girl disappeared. The boy, his hands reaching out and upwards, collapsed into an awkward heap on the ground nearly. The_ thud! _he made on impact echoed impossibly loud, like the sound of rushing water over Niagara Falls at close range. He remained still for a moment, and then his arms and legs quaked in concert with sobs he would not vent._

_Then, without warning, pained words escaped him:_

_"I'm alone again."_

_He laid there on the ground for what seemed an eternity to Ranma. Finally, he rose, turning to walk away. Ranma remained in place as he faded into the night. Then, without any warning, the boy returned. Morbidly, the martial artist watched the boy play out a similar scene to the one she witnessed before. The only difference was the girl involved in this: This time, it was a pretty, pale-skinned girl with glittering green eyes and shaggy red hair held down by a headband embossed with a silver rose._

_Again, the girl departed, sadness etched on her face as she disappeared._

_A spaceship flew overhead._

_He leapt. He fell. He sobbed._

_"I'm alone again."_

_Another time with another girl._

_And again._

_And again._

_Ranma looked away, tears streaming down her cheeks as that heart-wrenching play repeated again and again . . ._

_Eh?_

_What was this?_

_Looking down at her hand, Ranma blinked on seeing a flower in her palm._

_A rose._

_Who . . .?_

_The boy._

_Ataru._

_He looked at her, smiling. She tried to smile back, yet her face didn't seem to respond as she wished._

_As if the muscles had never been pulled in this direction before._

_Very uncomfortable._

_He giggled at the strange face she made. The sound drew her to him._

_Yet the rose . . ._

_Why a rose?_

_Why only one?_

_Words came to her. She spoke them without understanding their meaning._

_"Do . . ._

_"Vanan'cha . . ._

_"Ataru."_

_Tears sprang in her eyes. She was crying, yet . . ._

_Why was she crying?_

_Why did she feel this pain . . .?_

_This pain that also brought her such joy . . .?_

We're walking in the air.  
We're floating in the moonlit sky.  
The people far below are sleeping as we fly . . .

_Arms wrapped around her, making her eyes fly open as she found herself gazing into the face of the Ataru of today. Sensing the hope burning within his eyes, Ranma cried as she drew herself as close as she could to him._

I'm holding very tight.  
I'm riding in the midnight blue.  
I'm finding I can fly so high above with you . . .

_"Do . . ._

_"Vanan'cha . . ._

_"Ranma."_

Children gaze open-mouthed, taken by surprise.  
Nobody down below believes their eyes . . .

_Their mouths parted in a tearful, relieved kiss. A cleansing, cool wind surged past them. Unnoticed, darkness transformed into a blue sky dotted with billowing clouds. No ground lay beneath their feet._

_That too did not draw their attention._

We're surfing in the air.  
We're spinning in a frozen sky.  
We're drifting over ice, see mountains floating by . . .

_They pulled apart, their eyes not averting from the other's._

Suddenly, swooping low ov'r an ocean dream,  
Rousing up a mighty monster from his sleep . . .

_"Together?"_

_Who asked that?_

We're walking in the air.  
We're dancing in the moonlit sky.  
And everyone who sees us greets us as we fly . . .

_"Forever."_

_Who answered that?_

We're walking in the air . . .

_Their lips drifted together as a beeping sound echoed in their ears._

* * *

Ataru and Ranma nearly gagged as their eyes flew open, the insistent beeping of Rinrin's Prototype Robot Number Two echoing from the nightstand. Reflexively, they pulled apart, the shock of the moment stealing their voices as the memories of that strange dream faded quickly from their conscious minds. Silence reigned over them for a moment before Ataru turned to gaze on his sister's invention, noting the time. "Eight o'clock," he whispered, and then he turned to Ranma as he leaned his head on the pillow. "Oh, man . . . "

She stared warily at him. "You okay?"

He blinked before a light smile twitched his lips. "Matter of fact, I am." A shrug tilted one of his shoulders.

Ranma took that in before her own lips turned up. "Strange. So am I."

* * *

"So when the hell did you get that back, Akane?"

Akane looked up from the shattered blocks on the doojou floor to see Nabiki standing at the doorway. She then gazed down on the Densetsu no Doogi. "Last night." She walked over to sweep up the debris her latest workout produced. "If I'm going to convince Ranma to come back home, I'll have to go all out on him in a formal challenge. This'll help."

Nabiki tried not to groan as Akane cleaned up the mess. _Oh, shit, what the HELL did those two fools tell her last night?!_ she mentally roiled as she took a long draw on her milkshake. "Akane, this isn't a good idea."

Akane spun on her. "You honestly think I don't know that?!"

Nabiki ducked the angry/afraid look in her sister's eyes. Akane took a deep breath to calm herself as she started to sweep. "I KNOW he's angry at his father! I KNOW he's angry at Dad! I don't blame him for that! But . . . " She paused, squeezing her eyes shut. "This is his HOME, Nabiki! I HAVE to bring him back here, Nabiki! I HAVE to!"

"What if he doesn't want to come back?" Nabiki asked. "He's paid off the debt he's acquired since he came. His father's words mean nothing . . . "

"If Ranma refuses, his father'll disown him and forbid him from . . .!"

Nabiki shook her head. "Akane! Akane! Akane! Do you really think Ranma-kun'll fall for that stupid ploy?"

Akane glared at her. "He has no choice!"

"On the contrary, sister dear. He's got loads of choices. And if he exercises them, Uncle'll be up shit creek without a paddle!"

"Nabiki-chan, such language!"

Nabiki ducked as Kasumi stepped up behind her. "Ohayou, Onee-chan." Akane turned back to cleaning up the mess. "Be done soon."

"I can see that." Kasumi then sighed. "Akane-chan?"

"What is it?"

"Kimiko-chan will be here later to see you," Kasumi announced. "I want you to treat her nice while she's here. Understood?"

Akane stopped. "There's something I have to ask her."

"No."

Akane spun on her older sister. "What?"

"No." Kasumi sternly shook her head, crossing her arms in a stance Akane feared all too well. "You will not challenge her or do ANYTHING that hurts her, either physically or emotionally. Kimiko-chan told us emphatically last night she has no interest whatsoever in Ranma-kun. You have nothing to fear from her, Akane-chan. PLEASE, treat her nice when she's here. Alright?"

Akane shuddered before she nodded. "H-hai."

Kasumi departed. Nabiki gazed on Akane before she turned to leave. Before she took a step, Akane whispered, "I still have to know."

Nabiki stopped, shaking her head; she just heard that. "You got to learn how to trust people, Akane. Let me give you some free advice: DO NOT follow whatever Dad or Uncle told you to do concerning Ranma last night. If you do, it'll be the biggest mistake of your life."

She headed back to the house. Akane watched her go, and then she turned back to her cleaning. Suddenly, one arm came up, some of the Doogi's fabric stretching as a small sign appeared in its grasp. (**I BELIEVE IN YOU.)**

Akane smiled. "Thanks, Dou-chan."

* * *

"_**WHAT?!**_"

"Yes, honoured friends, it IS true!" Kunou Tatewaki stood before the assembled members of the kendou club, along with a small gathering of students from the school's other sports teams. They had gathered on the front lawn of Fuurinkan High School. "Tendou Nabiki did proclaim it to the Blue Thunder last week! Tendou Kasumi confirmed what her sister said right then and there! That most beauteous flower, that fighting tigress, our beloved Tendou Akane, is now free from the clutches of that foul sorcerer Saotome Ranma!"

Hearing that, the group of forty young men before him -- the noble lads who, not so long ago, had gone out to duel Akane to win the right to date her -- emitted a joyous scream. "Yes, my friends!" Kunou shuddered, his eyes tearing as he gazed heavenward. "Justice has prevailed! The wicked one who dared attempt to take Tendou Akane away from us is defeated! Therefore . . .!" He pointed to them. "As we did before, so will we do now! Commencing tomorrow morning, we will show our love for the fair Akane! And again, I say this: Whoever should defeat Tendou Akane will win the right to DATE her! And there will be NO exceptions to our proclamation! NONE!"

A loud cheer echoed from the Horde as they raised their bokken and other instruments in salute. "Hey, guys, let's get ready!" Koriko Nagao, a member of the kendou club, yelled. "We've got a lady's heart to win over tomorrow!"

The others cheered before the groups broke off, spreading out over the school grounds to begin warm-up exercises. Kunou watched them go, shuddering delightedly. "Oh, yes! Yes!" He cackled. "Now I will finally win Tendou Akane's love, as it was TRULY meant to be . . .!"

"You're being real smart, Sempai."

Kunou jolted, looking around. "Pig-tailed girl . . .?!"

"Not exactly," echoed from his right. "I'm actually the mirror-twin of your Osage-no-Onna that showed up at school some months back."

The kendou team captain blinked, and then he snapped his fingers. "Ah, yes! I do remember hearing of you from Tendou Nabiki!"

"Wonderful." A giggle tickled his ears. "You can call me Saotome Toshiko, by the way. It's the name she chose for me. Now . . . "

Kunou gasped as he felt SOMETHING slip inside his trousers as another finger touched the back of his neck, specifically over a shiatsu point that would paralyse all movement from his legs. "Wh-wh-what . . .?" he sputtered.

"Oh, SEMPAI!" Toshiko cooed. "Is that because of ME?!"

He shuddered before sighing contently as waves of pleasure flooded his body from his groin. "Oh, that feels so good," he whispered.

"I'm glad. Relax, Sempai. I'm using a certain fool's invisibility technique. Just relax and enjoy it. Besides, no one's watching us right now."

"Indeed." He crossed his arms, bokken still in hand, in front of him to hide whatever was happening THERE from exposure to the others of the Horde. "Tell me, fair Saotome Toshiko, is there some reason you are here other than to bestow your loving touch upon the Blue Thunder's robust manhood?"

"Well, I do have a message from the Osage-no-Onna."

"Indeed?! Pray tell me what it is!"

"Patience, Sempai! It's this: Tonight at eight o'clock, all those who've been enchanted by the 'foul sorcerer' will learn of his ultimate fate!"

"What?! What fate is that?!"

"That's a surprise, Sempai," she soothed. "A surprise is meant to be anticipated, Sempai. Dreamt of, contemplated over and yearned for. But Sempai, I will tell you this, since touching you gives me SUCH pleasure," she purred before adding in a whisper, "The foul sorcerer is no more."

"Indeed?" Kunou breathed in, shuddering as Toshiko's fingers danced over his body. "A pity it was not I that delivered the final blow to that monster, Saotome Toshiko. It was only proper! But alas, Fate can be cruel at times."

"Hai, Fate can be that," Toshiko noted. "However, I can give you this promise, Sempai: The one who was TRULY responsible for the demise of the foul sorcerer will be revealed tonight. Will you be there?"

"I shall be there!" he vowed.

"Wonderful!" Toshiko yipped. "Oh, do tell your sister, Sempai. She would desire to know this, I think. Can you promise me that?"

"I shall do so, beautiful Toshiko! My oath is my bond!"

"Oh, I'm so happy," Toshiko breathed out as she unlocked his legs. "Now, Sempai, what say we go somewhere a little more private, ne?"

He paled, shakily nodding. "Ah, h-hai!"

* * *

A replica of Akane in slacks and a flower-print shirt stepped into the Tendou yard. Kasumi waited for her by the patio. "Welcome back, Kimiko-chan." Grinning, she then embraced the entity which once was called "Noroi no Ningyou." "Everyone's waiting for you inside."

Kimiko smiled. "Arigatou, Onee-sama."

Moving to escort the newcomer inside, Kasumi then paused, a curious look crossing her face as she sensed a slight difference in Kimiko's wa. "Kimiko-chan, are you all right?" she asked.

Kimiko looked nonplussed, and then she smiled. "Hai, I'm alright. Last night, Negako-sama released blocks she had imprinted on my body when it was created so I can learn how to make use of the many gifts that came with it."

"Ah, I see." They stepped in. "Everyone, Kimiko-chan's here!"

"Ah, Kimiko-chan, there you are!" Souun beamed as he waved her to a seat across from Akane. "Please, come in!"

Kimiko sat down. "Thank you for your hospitality, Tendou-sama."

Souun balked. "Kimiko-chan, I said last night that you . . . "

Kimiko did NOT return the Tendou patriarch's stare. "I understand that part." She tried not to overact as she moved to properly express what Negako suggested she say to Souun during this meeting. "But right after you said that, you turned around and, without a care in the world concerning your daughter's feelings, tried to force an engagement between myself and Ranma-sama. In doing so, you not only insulted your daughter, you also insulted Ranma-sama and I. Until such time as you properly apologize to your daughter, I will not look upon you as a father even if, genetically, we are related."

Souun shuddered before wailing, "_**WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! KIMIKO-CHAN WON'T CALL ME 'FATHER!' IT'S A TRAGEDY! NOW THE SCHOOLS WILL NEVER BE JOINED! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**_"

"Um, Kimiko . . .?"

"Akane-san." Kimiko stared on her, ignoring Souun's wailing. As did everyone else save Genma, who was forced to dodge around the fountains of tears pouring out of his best friend to avoid having his curse triggered. "On the memory of my first owner, I speak the truth when I say this: I do not have any romantic intentions or desires concerning Ranma-sama. Not now, not ever."

"I see," Akane whispered. Then taking a deep breath, she added, "By the way, Dad DID apologize for what he did to me last night."

Kimiko nodded. "I see."

In the blink of the proverbial eye, Souun straightened, a determined look etched in his face. "With that resolved, we can get to a much bigger problem. Namely bringing Ranma-kun back here where he belongs," he sternly declared.

"You won't be able to see him until this evening."

Eyes locked on Kimiko. "Why's that?" Nabiki asked.

"Ranma-sama will, according to Kumiko-san and Toshiko-san, be meeting some people when he returns to Nerima," Kimiko stated. "I believe Happoosai-sama is one, as is the Nujiézú elder Kelun. I have not been told about anyone else, but there are more. I do not believe he will have time to see you."

"Ridiculous!" Genma slammed a fist into the table. "That boy will come here IMMEDIATELY after he comes back! If he does not . . .!"

An invisible storm of fists smashed into his head and back, making Genma kiss the floor. Everyone save Kimiko gasped as Saotome Kumiko dropped the Goshin Buufu cloak, she behind her "father." "Kumiko-chan!" Kasumi said, and then she smiled. "Would you like some tea?"

"No thank you, Kasumi-san." The raven-haired mirror-twin shook her head as she pointed to the unconscious Genma. "Tell the panda here when he recovers that whatever he thinks is 'proper' will NOT be acknowledged by Ranma, much less Toshiko or myself, from this day on!" Seeing Souun move to unleash a Demon Head, a feral smile crossed her face. "Got a problem with that?"

Ki coalesced around her hands. Souun was quick to recognize that as the energy needed to unleash the Yamasen-ken's most devastating attack, the Demon God Assault Shot. "Y-you really wouldn't . . .!" he sputtered.

"Give me a reason NOT to?" Kumiko's voice was ice as she dispersed the ki in her right hand. She then pointed at Akane, not moving to look at her template's ex-fiancée. "And don't think for an instant that your cute little bunny suit'll save your ass from me, Miss Mallets. I can take you down right here and now if I wanted to. But that . . . " She glared at her, a mirthless smile crossing her face. "I'll let Ranma do tonight."

"You're here to deliver a formal challenge?" Kasumi asked.

"On her, yes." Kumiko crossed her arms. "Tonight at eight o'clock, on the front lawn of Fuurinkan High School, those who desire to pursue any marriage or other honour claims with Ranma are to assemble. Ranma'll deal with you then and there. _**NO TIME BEFORE!**_" she bellowed as she spun on Souun, unleashing her own Demon Head to make him curl in on himself.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! She's so SCARY!" Souun wailed.

Kasumi shook her head. "Oh, Father . . . "

Nabiki rolled her eyes. Akane did nothing save stare at her hands. "Kumiko-san, PLEASE, will you stop that?" Kimiko then asked.

The Demon Head vanished as Kumiko gazed on Kimiko. "Well, since you DID ask so nicely, Kimiko-san," she tittered before turning to leave. She then stopped. "Oh, I forgot something!" She glanced at Akane. "If you want to fight Ranma to force him into acknowledging your father's idiotic wishes, **bring your doojou sign**. If you do not, Ranma will refuse you. And you won't be in any position to challenge that! Ciao ciao!"

She vanished under the Umisen-ken cloak. Silence fell over the sitting room. Akane then whispered, "The doojou sign . . .?!"

"No . . . he can't demand that . . .!" Souun burbled.

"I think he's not going to give you a choice, Dad," Nabiki warned.

Kasumi shook her head. "Oh, dear."

* * *

"Hi, Mom, it's me!"

"Oh, Ranma!" Nodoka replied. Ranma was relaxing in the foyer at Welcome House, the rotunda's lone telephone in hand. "I didn't expect a call from you until you came back to Nerima! Are you still on Promised Island?"

"Hai, but we'll be heading back in an hour or so. Chikage-chan's gonna let us use her travelling rainbow to get back into town," Ranma replied, and then she smiled. "So how are things going with the divorce?"

Silence, then Nodoka asked, "How did you know . . .?"

"Ataru's friend, Yumoa Reigi, warned me about that a couple of days ago." Ranma chuckled. "Relax, Mom. They won't interfere or do anything stupid like that if you want to get away from the panda. In fact, they can help."

"That's a relief. It's nice to know that Ataru-kun's family are being so helpful. Things are going well. But there is the problem concerning what happens to you when Genma and I part ways." She paused. "You can adopt my maiden name if you want to get away from Genma, Ranma-chan. My family has no problems with that. In fact, they'll be happy to welcome you into the fold."

She smiled. "Mom, would you please tell them that while I appreciate their thoughtfulness, it isn't necessary. There's another solution."

A wary tone appeared in her voice: "The Moroboshis will adopt you?"

"Nothing that drastic, Mom. Look, if I turn around and adopt another family name, that'll give Oyaji some sense of satisfaction. He'll be able to tell himself that I ran from my 'responsibility' . . . " She made finger-quotes with her free hand. "To maintain the family 'honour.' Do you really want him to feel something like that after all he's pulled?"

"No, not really." Nodoka chuckled. "So what WILL you do?"

Ranma smirked. "That, I'll save until we get together at Ataru's place after lunch. Look, can you be there in about three hours? And can you ask your lawyer to be there, too? She'll want to know these things, I think."

"Alright, that's easily arranged. If you want, I can even bring my twin sister with me. Onee-chan's always wanted to meet you."

"I'd love to meet her too, Mom." Ranma perked. "Oh, one more thing."

"Being?"

"Bring OUR doojou sign with you. If we still have one after Ukyou, Shanpú and Kodachi trashed the place sometime ago."

"Yes, I can do that. It's still here. The property's in my name, so I was going to throw it out when everything was settled. I assume you'll do something with it when you finally decide to confront Genma?"

"You can assume that. I'll fill you in on the details later."

"Alright, dear. I'll see you soon."

"Hai."

Ranma hung up, and then allowed herself to sink into Ataru's embrace. "I made arrangements on our end." He kissed her forehead. "You sure you want to do this? Even if it helps, hearts are going to be broken today."

"Did you know that when you confronted Lum and Ran?"

"Hai, I did."

She stared at him. "Then why do you expect me to feel different?"

He considered that before chuckling. "Touché!" He kissed her again, and then waved her to his bedroom. "C'mon, let's get packed."

"Hai!"

* * *

"Tonight at eight at the school?" Ukyou stared at Saotome Kumiko as the latter waited for her order. "Sure, I can be there."

"That's wonderful." The raven-haired mirror-twin nodded before taking a breath. "U-chan, I should warn you right now that if what Ranma plans comes off the way she envisions it, any hopes of you marrying him will be dashed once and for all. I . . . " She gasped on seeing Ukyou swing her battle spatula at her face. "HEY! What are you doing?!" she demanded as she smashed it away.

"_**WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!**_" Ukyou reached for Kumiko's top. She then screamed as the latter vanished. "_**DAMN YOU, KU-CHAN! STOP PULLING THAT SHIT ON ME!**_" She looked wildly around, and then she yelped as a fist hit her head, sending her to kiss the floor.

Kumiko appeared behind the chef. "Would you kindly CALM DOWN and listen before you throw a temper-tantrum?!" she demanded. Sensing Konatsu moving to defend Ukyou, she pointed a finger at the kunoichi. "_**DON'T YOU DARE!**_"

Konatsu screamed as a Demon Head formed in front of him, he immediately vanishing upstairs. Kumiko relaxed, and then she hopped over the counter to sit in her chair. By then, Ukyou was on her feet. "Okay, TALK!" She slammed her fist on the counter. "What did you mean by all that?!"

Kumiko sighed. "Ranma is going to renounce all links with Genma, plus renounce his standing as a student of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu."

Silence.

Ukyou's eyes widened. "Ran-chan's gonna make himself roonin?"

"Not exactly. He will still retain the name 'Saotome Ranma.' However, in the next few hours, he'll apply to form a NEW branch of the Saotome family, based on Oomure-jima. Your engagement is to a Saotome Ranma, son of Saotome Genma and Saotome Nodoka of Nerima-ku in Tokyo. NOT to Saotome Ranma, head of the Saotome family of Oomure-jima, part of the city of Odawara in Kanagawa."

Ukyou stared absently at her stove as she considered that. She then gazed back on Kumiko. "Is that even possible?"

"Oh, yes! It is." Kumiko nodded. "U-chan, PLEASE! If you truly, REALLY care for Ranma, you won't try to screw this up!"

"But . . . " Ukyou shuddered. "What if Dad doesn't accept it?!"

"He'll have no choice BUT to accept it. Look, under normal circumstances, Ranma won't be able to do much to get himself out of this mess without hurting someone's honour. That's something he doesn't like, U-chan. I would think that you'd have realized that by now."

"Yeah, I do, but . . .!"

"No 'buts,' U-chan! There's something else that'll happen, too. When he was off with Tampopo-san to find your yatai, Ranma arranged for some investigators to take a detailed look at EVERY illegal thing Genma has done. It wound up creating a file THIS thick!" She made a three-centimetre space between thumb and index finger. "We're talking five ADDITIONAL fiancées, a debt of almost half a BILLION yen for stolen food and other items, the whole mess with the Neko-ken and everything else he pulled. THAT will be turned over to a representative from a special branch of the Imperial Household Agency. From there, it'll be spread to the National Police Agency and Interpol!"

Ukyou breathed out, "Whoa . . .!"

"Yes. The panda won't have any time to try to fight what Ranma has in mind. Once that information gets to the National Police Agency, he'll have NO PLACE in Japan to hide. And Interpol'll make sure the news gets to Korea, China and everywhere else the panda dragged Ranma off to so he could learn the Art. No matter what, Genma loses in the end."

"About damned time, too!" Ukyou scowled before she asked, "Ku-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Doesn't Ran-chan want ANYTHING to do with me?!"

"Not as a fiancée," Kumiko confirmed. "Like he told you: He wants his friend back. He doesn't want a fiancée. You can't be both, U-chan, not anymore." A pause. "He's very sorry about that. The one thing you can be assured of is that Ranma doesn't want anything to do with Shanpú, Akane or Kodachi. He's making arrangements now with Shan's great-grandmother to help Shan go back home with her honour intact. Kodachi has no legal claim on Ranma, so anything she says is meaningless. And Ranma renounced everything with the Tendous on Tuesday. And if Miss Mallets wants to challenge Ranma on that, she has to offer her doojou sign up or Ranma will refuse her challenge."

Ukyou winced. "Ai-ouch! Akane's dad won't like that!"

Kumiko nodded. "True, he won't. And if she refuses, Ranma destroys the Saotome doojou sign. Either which way, that morons' agreement comes to an end today. And with the panda on the run . . . "

Kumiko held up a finger. Ukyou smirked. "Damned if he does . . . "

"And damned if he doesn't," Kumiko drawled.

* * *

"Hey, check that out!"

People turned as the beat of Yanni's _Highland_ echoed through the streets of Tomobiki. Whatever the onlookers were doing came to a halt as they focused their attention on the road-train chugging past. Since some repair work was underway on the main road connecting Tomobiki to Nerima -- a frequent occurrence in this town given the times streets were chewed up by the treads of tanks, self-propelled artillery and the like -- the road-train had to take a detour which arced Ataru, Ranma, Negako and the sisters close to Tomobiki High. While some of the sisters snapped their fingers and clapped their hands to the beat -- not to mention Ataru gaily dancing with Haruka -- the others took in the scenery. "This doesn't look like such a bad place," Yotsuba mused, she examining everything out through her digital camera lens.

"Don't let the looks fool you, Yotsuba-chan," Chikage warned as she gazed on her crystal ball. "Even if many of the 'usual suspects' are either dead or rendered effectively powerless, the threat to Ani-kun is still there."

The would-be detective considered that before she nodded, and then she continued her inspection. In the cockpit, Rinrin scanned a computer map before calling back, "We should be back on the main road in ten minutes, Aniki!"

"Hai!" Ataru nodded as he and Haruka swept to the song's climax, and then they exchanged a bow. "Most enchanting, Haruka-sama."

"Anigimi-sama!" Haruka's cheeks flamed. "P-poh!"

Hinako waved her hands. "Hina wants to dance with Onii-tama!"

Ataru moaned, dropping to his knees. "Oh, my poor back . . .!"

Laughter echoed through the passenger compartment as Hinako gave her Onii-tama a properly annoyed pout. Ataru reached for her as the CD went to the next song, _If I Could Tell You_. Hinako giggled as they swayed to the music. Ranma stared at him, and then she turned her attention to the cityscape. She blinked on seeing a white military-like car parked on a side street, and then she shook her head. Didn't look too threatening.

* * *

"Moroboshi . . .!"

"Yes, Young Master, that does look like him!" the driver confirmed.

Mendou Shuutarou quaked as he watched the road-train pass. Yes, there he was. And he was DANCING with a GIRL?! And there were well over ten other GIRLS, some of them exceptionally beautiful, riding with him! An outraged quiver shook his body. How DARE he?! How DARE he abandon Lum-san in her time of vital need, all to chase girls?! That . . .!

"Follow him!" he ordered.

"Hai!"

The command car swung onto the road, Mendou soon finding himself three vehicles behind the road-train. Gripping his katana with one hand, he drew out his cell phone in the other, and then he speed-dialled a number.

* * *

An air-raid warning siren went off at the Mendou estate. Pilots and gunners manned the Air Corps' large fleet of Apache and Huey Cobra gunships as crews boarded the Panzer Division's Leopard II main battle tanks and Marder armoured fighting vehicles. As the first flight of helicopters rose from the airport, several emergency gates along the outer perimeter opened, allowing tanks to surge out onto the streets. Passers-by scrambled out of the way of the vehicles. "What's got into Mendou now?" one man asked.

His friend shook his head. "Search me!"

A third rolled his eyes heavenward. "I thought this would've all come to an end when that Oni girl left!" he lamented.

"Wishful thinking!" a fourth grumbled.

* * *

Ranma started on sensing something coming her way. She leaned out of the passenger compartment to gaze skyward. Seeing the menacing shapes sweeping toward the road-train, she looked at Ataru, who was still dancing with Hinako. "Hey, Ataru, is there a military base here?!"

Ataru stopped, and then he walked over to see what just caught Ranma's attention. "What the . . .?" He blinked. Then seeing the helicopters' guns pointing in their general direction, he sighed. "Oh, hell!" he spat out.

"It appears Shuutarou has leapt to conclusions again," Negako wryly mused, she having leaned out to take her own look.

He turned to see a familiar command car behind them. "Oh, great . . .!"

Karen tensed. "Onii-chan, what do we do?!"

"Yotsuba'll handle this!"

Eyes locked on the young detective. Jaws hit the deck as she reached into her jacket to draw out a red cape. "Hey, Yotsuba, what the heck are you . . .?" Ranma demanded before Yotsuba whirled the cape around her, a burst of light blinding everyone. When the light faded, Yotsuba was gone.

"Yotsuba-chan . . .!" Kaho gasped. "Where did Yotsuba-chan go?!"

Unseen by the others, Chikage and Negako had also vanished.

* * *

"Young Master, the helicopters are moving into position!"

"How soon will the troops have the road-block prepared?!"

"Two minutes, sir!"

"Excellent!" Mendou shuddered as he slipped his cell phone into his pocket. His mind quickly drew up images of what might happen -- No! What WOULD happen! -- after he thoroughly punished Moroboshi for this latest transgression against the fairer gender, especially the many beautiful girls in that slime's company aboard the strange vehicle some . . .

"_**AH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!**_"

The scion of the Mendou fortune started, his hairs standing on end on his hearing that shrill laugh. He looked around. "Who . . .?!"

A blur of red and green whipped past his face. Mendou cried out as his eyes automatically snapped shut. His sword hand then squeezed on empty air! "What the . . .?!" He looked at his hand, and then he bolted up, wildly looking around. "WHO TOOK MY SWORD AWAY?!" he shrieked.

More of that mocking laughter from his left. He turned, glancing at the top of a nearby telephone pole. Standing there was a caped figure resembling a French musketeer, with a green knee-length skirt, a red pleated cape, a silver feathered hat, brown calf-length lace boots and a mask covering her face. In her hand was his katana. "Looking for this, oh vile villain of villains?!"

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Mendou wailed, overwhelmed on hearing this mysterious stranger call HIM of all people a "vile villain of villains."

"Aaaah! It's the Bishoojo Kaitou Clover!" Kaho cried out.

Mendou barely picked that up. He then screamed out to his driver, "Catch her! Summon the Kuromegane at once to capture this thief!" He then reached into his pocket, and then he blinked on feeling nothing there. "EH?!"

"Looking for this, perchance?!"

Mendou looked up, and then he cried on seeing the Lady Clover hold up his cell phone in her other hand. "Hear this well, beast!" she declared as she pointed at him with the hand holding his katana. "_**I ACCUSE YOU, SIR!**_"

He paled, eyes as wide as saucers as the shock of this moment froze him in place. "Ac-c-c-cuse . . . m-m-me . . .?" he sputtered.

"Yes! Hear my words and know the full level of your villainy against the innocents of Tomobiki!" she thundered. "Know this! I, the Bishoojo Kaitou Clover, sworn defender of the weak and oppressed, eternal foe of the rich and selfish, know ALL your deeds! How YOU lusted after an alien, an ONI, when she clearly desired you not! How YOU harassed and bullied an innocent man because the Oni you so lusted for desired HIS love, not YOURS! How YOU played with the hearts of HUNDREDS of maidens when you were bound by giri to marry yet ANOTHER innocent maiden! How YOU have brought anger, misery and endless disruptions to the lives of all of Tomobiki as you prosecuted your selfish goals! _**I ACCUSE YOU, SIR, OF ALL THAT! AND I FIND YOU GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!**_"

Before Mendou could find it within himself to respond, a surge of women from the local high schools surrounded his command car, all of them glaring at the Lady Clover. "_**WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO ACCUSE OUR MENDOU-SAN OF BEING A CRIMINAL?!**_" Ogin demanded, she pointing back at the caped woman. "Who the hell are YOU to STEAL from our Mendou-san, you bitch?! How dare you . . .?!"

A gust of wind slammed into Ogin's gut, sending her flying into Mendou's car. "Ogin-san!" he screamed, and then he paled as the air before the Rosebuds crackled, morphing into a familiar crimson-haired woman. "SAOTOME!" he gasped. Instantly realizing Ranma was standing against him, Mendou roared, drawing a spare katana from a hidden compartment. Leaping out, he charged . . .

"_**HIRYUU SHOOTEN-HA!**_"

He then went flying! "MENDOU-SAN!" the Rosebuds screamed in horror on seeing their icon disappear, and then they spun on Ranma.

Only to see a young girl in a blue hoop skirt and petticoat staring at them, eyes wide and tearing in fright. "Kusun!" Aria burbled, her feelings for these bad women who threatened her Nii-ya, her Nee-ya and Yotsuba as clear as crystal. "Kusun! Kusun! _KUSUN!_ **KUSUN!** _**KUSUN!**_"

That last cry echoed like a thunderclap throughout Tomobiki. Within seconds, an ominous rumble shook the streets, causing the Rosebuds to look around in confusion. That didn't save them from the large group of worried mothers, who literally ran them right into the asphalt as they crowded around Aria! The young Parisian gazed around confusedly. Then on hearing several of the people around them ask, "Are you alright, dear?! Did those mean girls hurt you?!" she relaxed, basking in the attention she was receiving.

Standing on the telephone pole, the Lady Clover watched this, and then she slipped off her mask. Yotsuba leapt to the ground. Making her way around the crowd fawning over Aria, she tossed Mendou's sword and phone into the car. "When you see that jerk, tell him this." She gave the driver the evil eye. "If he tries to hurt Ani-chama again, he'll get WORSE! Understood?!"

"H-h-hai!" the driver sputtered.

Yotsuba nodded, taking off her cape as she used her own Combat Clothing Transform Whirlwind to switch back to her normal clothes, and then she headed back to the road-train to rejoin her family. Ranma was there, standing by the stairs leading into the passenger compartment. "I take it Negako taught Yotsuba how to switch clothes like that," she commented.

"She did," Ataru replied. "Yotsuba came up with the 'Bishoojo Kaitou Clover' thing after seeing the Errol Flynn _Robin Hood_ one too many times. By the way, where'd you get the megaphone to amplify Aria-chan's crying?"

"Mendou's car. You wouldn't BELIEVE the amount of stuff he's got crammed into that thing." Ranma shook her head as the crowd around Aria finally dispersed, allowing the young Parisian to re-join her siblings.

Aria daintily made her way to the stairs. "Nee-ya, Nii-ya, did Nee-ya and Nii-ya like what Aria did?" she asked.

Ataru flashed her an "OK." "Oscar performance, Aria-chan!"

"Got that right!" Ranma leapt into the passenger compartment, and then she reached down to help Aria up. "Hey, driver, let's go!"

"Wait! Where're Onee-sama and Chikage-chan?!" Sakuya called out.

"We're right here, Sakuya-chan."

Everyone screamed on seeing Chikage and Negako relaxing in their seats, the former enjoying a can of ice tea while the latter seem to doze. "So where did you go?" Rinrin demanded as the driver guided the road-train toward Nerima.

"Do you hear helicopters now, Rinrin-chan?" Chikage asked.

People glanced outside. "What did you do?" Ataru asked.

The grandmaster and the sorceress exchanged a look and giggle. That response sent sweat drops pouring down the others' hair.

* * *

"How -- is this -- POSSIBLE?!"

A drenched Mendou, just treated by one of the clan's first-aid teams, stared at the pile of wrecked helicopter and tank parts on the lawn before the mansion. He was fortunate; he had landed in one of the swimming pools after experiencing the Rising Dragon Ascension for the very first time. The tank and helicopter crews were teleported back to the estate by Chikage when Negako destroyed their mounts. Ryooko then walked up to him, bringing with her a note that had been tied to one of the Leopards' cannons. "I highly suggest you better read this before you decide to play with your toys again, Onii-san." She handed it to her brother, a mischievously delighted smile crossing her face. "It appears to me that Moroboshi-sama no longer wants to play with you."

Hearing that, Mendou snatched the note to read:

_Shuutarou,  
__Today was a warning. Next time, it will be for REAL.  
__Leave Ataru and Ranma alone from now on.  
__Lum's feelings for Ataru are no longer relevant in this matter.  
__Neither are yours.  
__Moroboshi Negako_

Mendou shuddered before screaming out, "_**CURSE YOU, MOROBOSHI!**_"

Ryooko shook her head. "You are such a fool, Onii-san."

* * *

"Feeling a little better, Ran-san?"

Ran nodded. "Yes, I am." She was currently in her bedroom, a cold compress on her head. Though her skin was still quite clammy, she looked much better than she did when the Crossing Over began. "Just trying to meditate. I'd think the Crossing Over'd be easier than this . . . "

"Well, your Crossing Over is quite unique." Yamada softly cackled as he gazed on his scanner. "As you might now be able to sense, Lum-san is progressing well. Both of you should be on your feet by tonight."

"Wonderful . . . " Ran closed her eyes, and then she started on sensing something odd about her home. "Darling was here, wasn't he?"

The doctor paused, unsure as to how to respond. That response might as well have been a white flag to the Seishin-Urusian-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran. "He WAS here? But why . . .?" Ran stared wearily at him. "He said . . . "

Yamada sighed. "Yes, Ran-san, I know. Forgive me, but I've no WORDS to describe what I saw late last night. But . . . " He paused as he marshalled his thoughts. He knew Nendo-kata did not telepathically pry on other sentient beings unless they felt it was VERY necessary. "He was able to help you endure the Crossing Over with greater ease, Ran-san," the doctor finally stated.

Ran considered that. "He did . . .?"

"Yes. And he asked you one thing."

"Being?"

"To take care of Lum-san. He . . . " Yamada paused before lowering his eyes. "He learned of the abuse you endured thanks to your mother when you were a child. In fact, his exact words were, 'Now we have something in common.'"

Ran returned to gazing at the deckhead as she absorbed the doctor's words. "Darling . . . " she whispered. "Oh, Darling . . . "

"There appears to be much more going on with Ataru-san than any of us first suspected, Ran-san," Yamada warned.

"I know of some of it," Ran said as her eyes then glowed, the telltale sign of her telepathic powers going fully active. "Eh . . .?"

"Is there someone here?"

"Six at the front gate . . . " Ran concentrated. Her eyes then widened before a groan escaped her. "Oh, Blessed Mother, not THEM!"

Yamada looked ready to panic. "What?!"

"The Church of Lum . . . " Ran grumbled, reaching for her forehead.

* * *

"Are they both in there, Yukimi?"

"Yes, I can sense them clearly now." Yukimi's eyes were narrow as she used her empathic powers to scan Ran's scoutship. "Ran-sama is in her bedroom. Lum-sama's in the swimming pool, I think. And there's a third . . . "

Footsteps. "Hello . . .! Oh, Miruko-chan, is that you?!"

"Hi!" Miruko waved as Shinobu and Ryuunosuke came up. "Look who's back!" The crippled girl indicated the alien starship.

Ryuunosuke crossed her arms. "You aren't mad about that, are you?"

Miruko shook her head as one of her hands grasped Yukimi's. "Not really. In fact, you might say Lum, in a way, helped me meet my girlfriend," she explained as she glanced up at the wavy-haired, golden brown-eyed Avalonian.

Shinobu's eyebrow arched. She knew of Miruko's gender preference and how that had ultimately led to the estrangement with her parents. She also knew Kitahara Yukimi, having met her in passing, though she did not really know the older woman. From the start, Yukimi always struck her as being something of a gypsy, what with her flowery headscarves and flowing clothes. "Really?"

"Really." Miruko chuckled, gazing fondly at her lover. "Do you want to tell her this or do you want me to do it, love?"

Yukimi wriggled her eyebrows. "As you see best, Beloved."

"What're you talking about?!" Ryuunosuke wondered. "What's with these people? Are they aliens or something like that?"

The very tall girl in the halter-top, striped shorts and high-heel boots nodded. "We are, Ryuunosuke-sama."

Shinobu and Ryuunosuke exchanged a look. Everyone then tensed on feeling a strange, moist _warmth_ flood them from head to toe. _They are that, guys._

"Ran?!" Shinobu looked wildly around before she relaxed on remembering what Doctor Yamada told her last night about the Nendo-kata.

The motherly looking newcomer started. "Ran-sama?! But . . .?!"

_Never mind!_ the Seishin-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran's voice sounded like brittle ice. She then seemed to relax. _Remember what Darling told you guys yesterday about the Church of Lum?_ she asked Shinobu and Ryuunosuke.

"What about it?" Ryuunosuke asked.

_Meet their agents_. Ran sighed. _All but Miruko-chan. However . . ._

She paused, humming. "We're not Niphentaxians," Yukimi finished.

"But they aren't Terrans, either," Miruko added before cupping her mouth with a hand as she lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I think we'd better take this inside to ensure no one overhears us, ne?" she warned.

The others nodded.

* * *

"Tadaima!"

"Everyone, okaeri ne!" Chigaiko stepped out of the kitchen as everyone streamed into the old shrine. "How was your vacation?"

"Much better than expected." Ataru slipped off his shoes before he carried his bags into his bedroom. "No problems here?"

"No, but that China girl who wants to marry Ranma-san here called this morning, wondering when her 'Airen' will be back," Chigaiko reported before she looked sympathetically at Ranma. "I pity you, Ranma-san."

Ranma tried not to look nauseous. "She'll be dealt with . . . "

Everyone started on hearing the doorbell. "Who's that?" Mamoru asked as she opened the door to see an officious-looking gentleman there. Another, younger and looking like salaryman, stood behind him. "Hai, can I help you?"

The older man gracefully bowed to them. "I'm sorry for coming so soon, young lady. Are Saotome Ranma and Moroboshi Ataru here?"

"Your Honour, you're just in time!" Ataru hailed as he waved Ranma up. "Ranma, this is Judge Nozawa Kyuusuke of the Court of Special Appeals. He's the man who got Muchi and Kinshou off my back. I assume you must be . . . "

He gazed on the other visitor. "From the Family Registrar? Yes, I am, Moroboshi-san," he confirmed with a polite bow.

Ranma nodded, accepting the man's business card. "Pleased."

"We just got back from Oomure-jima, Your Honour." Ataru waved them inside. "Shirayuki-chan, we need some tea made up real quick!"

"Hai desu no!" Shirayuki called out as she headed to the kitchen.

* * *

"'Bioroids?!'"

"Hai, Shinobu-san, they are that!" Yamada lowered his scanner. "Quite similar to Terran norm -- in fact, I'd swear they were templated off normal Terrans -- but there are some distinct differences in their DNA."

"Including empathy, right?" Ryuunosuke wondered before she blinked as a smiling Tamako handed her a cup of tea. "Er, thanks!"

"My pleasure, Ryuunosuke-sama," the tomboyish Avalonian replied.

A sweat drop flowed down Ryuunosuke's hair at Tamako's show of formality towards her. "Not to mention touch-telepathy, different than the broadcast telepathy Nendo-kata use," Yamada added. "I never knew the Niphentaxians had advanced that far in bio-genetic engineering."

"They haven't," Yukimi reported. "Eighty years ago, explorers came to Phentax Twelve and discovered a bioroid factory left there by an extinct race from beyond the edge of the galaxy known as the Sagussans. The bioroids -- our people . . . " She indicated herself, and then Tamako, Namie, Hiro and Kanami. "Address ourselves as a whole as 'Avalonians.'"

Ran, who had been carried down by Ryuunosuke so she could join the others in the living room, sneered. "Stolen technology, you mean."

Kanami shrugged. "In a sense."

"You don't seem to be too angry about this," Shinobu noted.

"Why should we?" Namie wondered. "Were it not for Lum-sama, we would not exist. At least, not exist in this format." She pointed to herself in emphasis. "As Avalonians come these days, we are very lucky in that we've been allowed to live outside the Union's territory, free from any oversight by our 'creators.' Granted, it would be very ideal for all of our kind to be free of the Niphentaxians, but . . . " She shrugged.

"Well, with three billion of Lum-chan's so-called 'worshippers' now dead, you just might get the chance," Ran ruefully lamented.

Ryuunosuke gazed on her, the others paling on hearing the number of dead their host just quoted. "What does that mean?" she demanded.

"Yesterday, Benten called and told us that some awful calamity befell the Church of Lum a couple weeks ago. It . . . " The Seishin-turned-Nendo-kata shuddered. Oh, Mother, how could she explain what happened without making Shinobu and Ryuunosuke believe that Ataru deliberately instigated what happened in Lumukyou? "It was an event that, according to one of Benten's friends, claimed the lives of those who were 'hard-core' supporters of the Church. The type who would have killed Darling at first sight, in other words."

Shinobu blanched. "Three billion . . . "

Ryuunosuke tried not to gag on her bile as the sheer SCALE of what Ran just described to them sank in. "Oh, fuck!"

Ran nodded. "Hai. Much that I, even before the Crossing Over, wished they'd all get a life, I wouldn't wish THAT on them!"

Yukimi shook her head. "Nor would we. Ran-sama, we know that given the dire straits your people must be in thanks to the Noukiites -- not to mention you and Lum-sama merging with the noble spirits who came to help you yesterday afternoon -- the chances of you and Lum-sama returning home to Uru are very slim to nonexistent. Please, would you two consent to live with my sisters, Miruko and I at our apartment block? Sooner or later, someone like the monster who blew up the school on Monday'll notice this ship's back, and then decide to press on their warped goals against you. Do you want to really deal with that, even with the powers you've now been given?"

Yamada nodded. "Yukimi-san has a point. Even if the Great School has dedicated itself to promoting Unity between all the Schools, there are those who WOULD view what you and Lum-san are as a vile threat to their worldviews."

"It would be the smart thing to do," Shinobu agreed.

Ran gazed on them for a moment before nodding. "Alright, we'll consider it. But we best get in contact with Jay and Kay to tell them what's happening. Though they sometimes annoyed me, the MiB have the better interests of all, Terran and non-Terran, at heart. Oh . . . "

She winced, feeling her forehead. "I think you better get back to bed, Ran." Ryuunosuke moved to her side. "Here . . . "

Kanami rose to help. "I can do that, Ryuunosuke-sama."

"Nah, it's cool! I'll be okay."

Kanami nodded. Ryuunosuke carried Ran to her bedroom. "Thanks, Ryuu-chan," the latter said as the former slipped her under the covers. "Hard to accept, aren't they?" she then wondered.

"Yeah, they are that." Ryuunosuke drew the blankets over her, and then she sighed. "Ya know, even with what Moroboshi said about them, haulin' out that book and all, I still found it hard to believe that there're people out there who actually WORSHIP us as living gods! I mean, what the heck did we do ta deserve somethin' like THAT happenin' to us, Ran?!"

"That why I don't waste brain cells trying to figure them out." Ran tittered as she drew the covers close to her. "Still, I have to admit, it is nice that Yukimi and her friends are here. Hard to believe someone in the Church got away with sending 'slaves' to Earth without Oogi finding out."

"What do you mean?"

Ran sneered. "Oogi, above all else, was a control fanatic. It's a miracle in itself, but there are Church sects that actually view Darling with kindness. Of course they couldn't be too open about it or else they'd have been branded 'heretics' and dealt with." She yawned. "Not that it matters, given that Darling's dealt with him . . . "

Ryuunosuke considered that before her eyes widened. "He was there?!"

"Eh?!"

"Moroboshi! He was there when this all happened, right?"

Ran gazed on the tomboy with a smile. "You always were a pretty smart one, Ryuu-chan." She reached over to squeeze her friend's arm. "Yes, Darling was there. In the middle of it, to be exact. He . . . " She paused.

Ryuunosuke stared at her before shaking her head. "He couldn't . . . "

"No, he didn't. Not according to what Benten passed on. And I'd think we all know Darling a lot better than THAT, Ryuu-chan."

"Yeah, ya gotta point."

"And that HAS to stay secret."

Ryuunosuke sighed. "'Cause of Shinobu, right?"

"And a few others, too. Especially if there're other Church agents still active here in Tomobiki. The chances are VERY good that there're some out there now. After all, how was it that they were able to get copies of all our diaries to write the Book of Lum?" Ran grimaced. "I wish I could figure out HOW they were able to do that!" She then slowly nodded. "And yes, Shinobu, too. Please don't think that I hate her, Ryuu-chan. She's got many good qualities. But one of her more apparent bad qualities is how she sometimes views people more as personal property than as equals."

"Like Moroboshi?"

A tired nod. "Especially Darling. I noticed it a lot when I watched them. Lum-chan let Darling get away with more than what Shinobu ever did. Did you think that, in the wake of all that, Darling would continue to care for Shinobu in the same way he cared for Lum-chan?"

Ryuunosuke shook her head. "Not really. But still, Shinobu-chan's got some really strong feelings for Moroboshi, even now . . . "

Ran gazed at her visitor before her eyes narrowed. "You saw them too, didn't you?" she asked. "Darling's half-sisters?!"

"'Half-sisters?!'" Ryuunosuke gasped. "What're ya talking about?!"

Ran ordered Mister Big Screen -- her deck-to-deckhead tele-video monitor -- on, and then she linked into her ship's memory banks. Three holo-images appeared. Ryuunosuke recognized two, telling Ran about hers and Shinobu's encounter with Ataru, Sakuya and Chikage on Friday after the memorial service to Megane and the others. Hearing of Ran and Lum's encounter with Sakuya, Chikage and Haruka after the gang's meeting with Ataru and Negako at the Mendou mansion, Ryuunosuke shuddered. "Shit! How'd Lum take that?!"

"Not good," Ran said.

"Damn."

* * *

"So how are things with Lum and Ran?"

Negako smiled. "Progressing." She and Ataru were in the kitchen, while Judge Nozawa and the registrar, Sakagami Tetsuo, were busy with Ranma, Sakuya and Chikage -- the elder of Ataru's half-sisters acting on behalf of the Moroboshi Clan -- in the living room. Toshiko and Kumiko, along with Tendou Kimiko, came shortly after the judge and the registrar arrived to join in on the discussions since the mirror-twins would join Ranma as part of the Saotome family of Oomure-jima. "It appears the Church of Lum dispatched five Avalonian agents to be ready to take the place of Aisuru and his cohorts. They are with Lum and Ran, as is a local girl who became lovers with one of them."

Ataru blinked in surprise. "Avalonians?! But I thought that no Avalonian was to ever leave Niphentaxian sovereign territory!"

Negako peered toward Tomobiki. "It appears these five were created by one of the 'pro-Darling' sects of the Church." A pause as she scanned them further. "And they know no one in the 'normal' Church hierarchy knows of their existence, so they have incentive to 'play it safe.'"

"Really? We'll keep an eye on them, then."

"Agreed."

"Ani-kun?"

Both glanced at Chikage. "His Honour and Sakagami-san would like to see you. Ane-kun's mother and aunt just came, too."

"Right."

They headed into the living room. Sakuya was greeting Nodoka, her twin sister and another smartly dressed woman with briefcase. No doubt, that was Nodoka's lawyer. "Mrs. Saotome, it's good to see you again!" Ataru hailed as he joined his sister to greet Nodoka. He then waved to Ranma. "As you can see, he came back to you safe and sound."

Nodoka smiled. "I never doubted it for a moment. And I'm grateful that your family has been so willing to help my son in his time of need."

She then proceeded to introduce Hisayo and Maya. Once that was done, everyone formed a circle in the middle of the living room. Ranma sat across from Judge Nozawa, she flanked by Ataru and Sakuya. The justice of the Court of Special Appeals took a breath. "Saotome-san, it surprises me that you never reported any of this to the proper authorities." He indicated the folder thick with affidavits and other testimonials concerning Genma.

"I'm sorry, Your Honour. Until very recently -- about seven weeks ago -- I neither knew the full extent of Genma's actions on my 'behalf' . . . " Ranma's voice dripped with scorn at that word. "Much less believed that I could simply sidestep my 'obligations' and seek legal redress against those who desire to press one sort of claim or another on myself. It wasn't until I met Kamekichi Tampopo that I learned that I ultimately HAD that right, Your Honour. If I realized that much earlier, I would've . . . " She fell silent.

The judge nodded. "I see. Ranma, it will take some time for me to review all of this. But from what I've seen so far, I'd gladly issue an injunction today that would temporarily eradicate all obligations you may have to all the parties mentioned here." He indicated the folder. "By next Wednesday, I can have a full review of this matter completed, and then render a full judgement in that case. Do you wish that to happen?"

Ranma stared at him before she nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Very well, then. Mrs. Saotome, it has come to my attention that you are now seeking a divorce from your husband. Is this correct?"

"It is, Your Honour," Maya spoke up on her client's behalf.

"You're her lawyer?"

"Yes, sir." She handed him a business card.

He examined it. "Thank you, Nishiki-san. Mrs. Saotome, understand this now: The pledge your husband signed on his and Ranma's behalf eleven years ago no longer has any legal standing. Further, any attempt by you or your birth-family to force him into any agreement -- familiar, commercial or otherwise -- without Ranma's VOLUNTARY consent AND witnessed in the presence of Kamekichi Tampopo; Grandmaster Moroboshi Negako of the Moroboshi-Hana Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjutsu-ryuu; the Matriarch-in-Waiting of the Moroboshi Clan, Sukeyama Sakuya; the Second Matriarch-in-Waiting of the Moroboshi Clan, Hirosaki Chikage; or the Patriarch-in-Waiting of the Moroboshi Clan, Moroboshi Ataru . . . " He paused. "Will have no legal standing. Do you understand this clearly, Mrs. Saotome?"

He stared at Nodoka. She bowed. "Yes, Your Honour, I do."

"Good. Please make VERY sure that your family understands that as well, madam. Certain people have raised questions about your father's ultimate motives towards bringing Ranma into the Asagaya Clan. The Grandmaster here . . . " He indicated Negako. "Was one of them. If it turns out that your father's desire towards Ranma is ultimately to Ranma's physical or emotional detriment, it will be stopped. Is THAT understood?"

Nodoka gazed at him before nodding again. "I understand, Your Honour."

Hisayo placed a hand on Nodoka's shoulder. "Good," the judge said as he nodded before he took a deep breath. "I am sorry it had to come to this. Ranma's situation is very unusual. And because of that uniqueness, the court which I serve as justice is perfectly suited to deal with this matter."

Nodoka nodded. "I understand, sir. I'm grateful that my son will be able to live his life under his control. I . . . " She looked at Ranma. "For a long time, I allowed my husband's foolish ideas of a 'man above men' to direct my every action concerning you, Ranma. I can't BEGIN to beg your forgiveness for the pain you've endured because of that." She then gazed on Sakuya and Ataru. "And again, Sukeyama-hime, Moroboshi-dono, I cannot thank your family enough for stepping in to help when my son needed you."

Sakuya nodded. "It was our pleasure, ma'am."

"Your Honour, may I get copies of that file?" Maya asked.

"Here." Ranma drew out a file like the one the judge had. "We anticipated you wanting something like this to help Mom divorce that jerk."

She handed it to the lawyer. "Thanks."

"Will Ranma have to testify at the hearing, Nishiki-san?" Judge Nozawa asked. "Who's presiding over your case?"

"Judge Mizuko Shimako of the Tokyo Family Court, sir."

"Ah!" The judge nodded. "I'll send a message to her about this matter. Do you believe Ranma will be needed to testify?"

"I believe not, but if necessary, I can contact you about it."

"Please do so."

Ranma smirked. "Chances are you'll win hands down, Mom."

"What do you mean by that?" Nodoka asked.

"Do you really think the panda'll show up for the trial?"

Judge Nozawa blinked. "Ranma, do you believe that man is a potential flight risk in case criminal charges are raised against him?"

Ranma sighed. "Yes, Your Honour, I'm more than sure. If there's one thing Genma's capable of doing, it's running away. I . . . " She paused. "Two days ago, a friend of ours . . . " -- she nodded to Kimiko -- " . . . with Negako-san's help, erased from his mind the knowledge of two very devastating martial art forms Genma could use to stay free of the law. It won't make things easier for the police, though. That's one of the things I've always been concerned about when questions about police come up. If they intervened, especially against some of the martial artists or other creatures I've dealt with, they would've been slaughtered. I won't have that, not at all."

"What do you propose then?" the judge asked.

"What has to happen, sir, is that Genma has to be deprived of all LEGITIMACY," Ranma explained. "Part of that will be done by yourself and the honourable registrar here." She indicated Sakagami Tetsuo. "Part of that will be done by the grandmaster of my old martial arts school, when he strips Genma of his teaching license. Part of that will be done by Mom here because even though he technically runs our family doojou, Mom is the owner of the property that doojou stands on. And she happens to have the doojou sign right with her now. Ne, Mom?" She grinned as Nodoka produced a wooden sign faded with age, but clearly marked **MUSABETSU KAKUTOU-RYUU - SAOTOME DOOJOU**.

The judge nodded. "I see. What of your father's Jusenkyou curse?"

"Easily dealt with."

Eyes locked on Negako. "What do you mean, Onee-sama?" Sakuya asked.

"There is a variation of the soulsword that can be used: The Fire Scythe of Death. When it comes to a victim of Zhòuquán-xiang, all that happens is the cursed form is severed from the birth form. They would live as two beings."

Ranma nodded. "Oh, you mean like that magical burner Jijii has!"

Negako nodded. "The same idea."

Ataru grinned. "So one part of Genma could never again hide as a panda while the other half gets tossed into the zoo."

"In a sense. What more likely will happen is that Genma's soul will remain in his birth form while a copy of the soul of the panda who drowned in Xióngmaoniquàn all those years ago will take full control of his cursed form."

"So he won't be able to hide behind that?" Judge Nozawa nodded. "Very well, then. I'll have an arrest warrant sent to the National Police Agency later today. By tonight, Saotome Genma will be a very wanted man."

Ranma bowed thankfully. "That's all I can ask, Your Honour."

Nodoka handed the doojou sign to her child. Pausing for a moment, she drew up the bundle containing the clan honour blade, moving to hand it to Ranma. Seeing what she was doing, Ranma shook her head. "I don't need that."

Nodoka stopped. "Why not?"

"First, it reminds me of what kept us separated for so long. And second . . . " Ranma then grinned. "Someone like you needs something to help protect you from all sorts of evil jerks out there, ne?" She winked at Nodoka.

_'Including a certain deadbeat husband who is about to have the whole world come crashing down on his head,'_ Nodoka interpreted the underlying meaning behind Ranma's words. "Understandable." She embraced her before moving back to her place in the circle, she holding the blade close to her.

"Well, if that's all you need me for, I best get back to the office and get warrants drafted." The judge rose and turned to head out. "Sakagami-san, I leave the rest of this matter in your more-than-capable hands."

"Of course, Your Honour." The registrar nodded as everyone rose, bowing thankfully to the judge as he departed.

* * *

"_**HE DEMANDED WHAT?!**_"

Genma stared wide-eyed at Souun. Both were alone in the sitting room. "The doojou sign!" the latter sobbed. "Kumiko told us Ranma said he'd refuse a challenge from Akane-chan unless we put up our doojou sign!"

Genma slammed his fist into the table. "He can't demand that!"

"But he'll refuse to fight Akane-chan if we don't!"

"How about dropping this once and for all?!"

Both spun around to see Nabiki standing by the door, arms crossed. "No!" Souun shook his head. "The schools MUST be joined!"

Genma nodded. "Indeed! And they WILL be joined even if I have to drag that fool boy back here beaten and bloodied to a pulp!"

"Oh?" Nabiki smirked. "You are such a stupid idiot, Uncle!"

"Nabiki, how dare you speak to our guest . . .?!" Souun demanded.

"SHUT UP, DAD!"

Instant Niagara Falls. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Nabiki just yelled at me! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! She hates me!"

Nabiki ignored Souun's caterwauling as she glared at Genma. "Do you really think Ranma-kun's going to let you pull that garbage on him now, after all the things he, Toshiko, Kumiko and Kimiko've done to you since this began?!" Her voice was as thick as molasses in its faux sweetness. "Besides, why are you panicking so much about OUR doojou sign, Uncle? After all, what's to stop Ranma-kun from destroying YOUR doojou sign?! I'm sure it's still there even if the doojou itself got wrecked by Ukyou, Shampoo and Kodachi!"

Genma paled. "What . . .?"

Nabiki's grin grew wider. "Why not? Ranma-kun is now a student of Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjutsu-ryuu under Negako-san's tutelage. Ojii-chan approved of that just after Ranma-kun met Ataru-kun, remember? You haven't had a chance to train anyone else in your school since you founded it, have you? And do you really think that Ranma-kun's going to give you a chance to teach a new student before he calls the law down on your head?!"

"What are you talking about?!" Souun demanded.

Nabiki glared at him. "What I'm talking about, Dad, is the fact that while Ranma-kun was off on his trip that produced Ukyou's yatai, someone was VERY busy investigating ALL of us! ESPECIALLY your 'friend.'" She indicated Genma. "As to who was behind it, I don't have a name, but I'll lay a VERY strong bet that someone was the very same person who helped Ranma-kun get the jobs that allowed him to send those cheques to us . . . "

"Then you must find the name of this person so we may punish him for his interfering with our agreement!" Souun asserted.

She shook her head. "No can do, Dad. This person investigated ALL of us, remember? If I tried to go after this person, what's to stop him or her from nailing me with extortion and child pornography charges?" A hiss then entered her voice. "You remember that, don't you? All the things _I_ had to do to keep this house over our heads because YOU were lazy about teaching new classes, much less allowing THIS bastard to nearly eat us out of house and home?!" She indicated Genma again before turning away. "Tough luck, Uncle. Ranma-kun's made pretty damn sure you can't freeload off ANYONE ever again."

She headed off. "Nabiki . . .!" Souun then turned to Genma. "Saotome-kun, how could your son do this to us . . .?"

Genma stood up. "I have to go."

"Wha . . .?!"

"Nabiki may have a good point about the boy going after my doojou sign," Genma warned. "I'll be back soon, Tendou-kun!"

He raced off. "Saotome-kun," Souun whispered.

* * *

Rinrin smiled. "So this is it, huh?"

Ranma nodded, gazing at the beautiful hanko in her hand. Written on a circlet around the shadowed image of the Stargazer Park statue was the phrase **KANAGAWA-KEN ODAWARA-SHI OOMURE-CHOU SAOTOME-KAZOKU**. The official seal of the Saotome Clan of Oomure-jima, residents of the city of Odawara in Kanagawa prefecture. "Yeah, this is it!" She shuddered. As head of the new family, the hanko was Ranma's by right, though she had an arrangement with Sakagami Tetsuo to ensure that if anything happened to her, the hanko would pass into Toshiko's possession as the next-oldest sibling. Once it was properly registered with the civil district office on Promised Island, it was legal.

Even better, Toshiko and Kumiko had a greater sense of legitimacy over their lives. After the registrar opened the book for her new family, Ranma welcomed Toshiko and Kumiko as adopted sisters. She would have to prepare a will to ensure the mirror-twins would get her mortal possessions in case she died before having children, but that would come at a future date. Right now, all they had to do was await Judge Nozawa's indictment against Genma and Ranma could finally put Nerima and its troubles behind her.

"You better put that somewhere safe, Onee-chan," Karen warned. "Even if your baka father can't make himself invisible now, if he gets his hands on that hanko, who knows WHAT sort of trouble he can cause."

"Good point." Ranma then turned to Chikage, she holding out the hanko. "And who better to trust this with than a person who'd give Elder Kelun an industrial-strength case of the willies . . . hey!"

The "hey" came thanks to Cologne's walking cane tapping the back of her head. "I heard that, 'son-in-law,'" the Nujiézú elder, perched on Rinrin's shoulder, said with a smirk, a mischievous sparkle twinkling in her eyes.

Everyone laughed. Ranma flustered. "Sorry, Hibaa-chan!"

Silence fell, and then Cologne's eyes softened. "So, it has happened," she whispered, gently feeling Ranma's face. "To believe this particular power of Zhòuquán-xiang has eluded even OUR knowledge for all those years."

"From what I've learned of Zhòuquán-xiang, Elder, those of your tribe who've been afflicted in that manner have chosen to flee rather than face persecution from their clansmen." Chikage took the hanko from Ranma and slipped it into her blazer pocket. "Still, some news might have percolated to your ancestors. If not, then how did the Blood Sibling Law come into effect?"

Cologne nodded. "A good point, young lady. I take it, Ranma, you've been told about that particular law."

"I have. Chikage told me." Ranma indicated the sorceress. "If I am deemed worthy of it, I will gladly become blood-sisters with Shan if that is what is needed to allow her to return to the bosom of her family with her honour and standing intact. And if I am allowed to exercise my rights as that law dictates, I will . . . " She paused before shaking her head. "Not force your great-granddaughter into another marriage. After all my experiences, Hibaa-chan, I don't want to put Shan through anything like that."

"I can agree to that." Cologne then blinked as a gloved hand gently touched her cheek. "What . . .?" She stared curiously at Aria.

The young Parisian smiled before she kissed the elder's forehead. "Hibaa-ya is very, very, very sad that Nee-ya is not a boy anymore," she said. "There's no need to be sad, Hibaa-ya. Nee-ya loves Hibaa-ya very much."

She walked away. Rinrin blinked. "But how . . .?"

"I thought she couldn't accept me as a boy," Ranma muttered.

"That one has something of an enchantment on her," Cologne warned.

"A tree-spirit spent time with her some weeks before Christmas," Chikage explained. "They are very close friends, Elder."

"A tree-spirit?!" The Nujiézú elder spun on the sorceress before she breathed out, "Oh, yes! I keep forgetting it IS Promised Island we're talking about here! It has been some time since I was last there!"

The others laughed, and then they jolted as a bullet slammed into Ranma's chest. "HOT-CHA! You did it, didn't you?!"

"Happy!" Cologne moaned.

More laughter as Ranma pried the grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu from her. "Jeez, Jijii! Ya didn't need to squeeze me THAT hard!" she panted, allowing him to drop to the floor before she felt her chest.

"Oh, don't be so shy, Ranma-chan! Give your old master a hug!" Happoosai cooed before lunging again for Ranma ample bust.

"Kusun!"

He landed on target, his eyes widening as that pained sob froze him. He gazed on Aria. "Kusun!" the young Parisian sobbed again, tears brimming in her eyes. "Kusun!" The sisters shuddered as they backed off. "Kusun!"

Happoosai gulped, quickly leaping up to Ranma's shoulder as he waved his hands frantically at the young girl. "Now, now, dear, d-d-don't cry!" he sputtered. "Please don't cry! I was just having fun with R-Ranma here!"

"Kusun!"

Realizing he wasn't going to win this one, Happoosai quickly flipped to the shoulder of the nearest girl to Ranma. He relaxed as Aria seemed to calm down, and then a shudder shook his body as an icy chill warped around him from head to toe. Turning left, he gazed directly into Chikage's dark eyes. The young sorceress was NOT amused. "What are you doing on MY shoulder?"

Happoosai screamed, vaulting into Negako's arms as the grandmaster stepped in from the living room. "Happy, when are you EVER going to learn how to control yourself?" she wondered as she allowed her friend to relax.

Rinrin shook her head. "Aneki sure has some strange friends."

More laughter echoed through the kitchen. Ranma turned to Happoosai. "So how are things back with the panda and his friend, Jijii?"

"They are not pleased at all." The aged grandmaster drew his pipe, and then he lit it. A quick glance around the room to ensure Aria was nowhere in sight before he relaxed. "I assume you got your doojou sign with you?"

She drew it out. "Right here."

He took it, shaking his head on noting the weathering the sign had taken. "Stupid idiot," he muttered as he turned the sign around, tapping a point near the top. A door opened, revealing a slender compartment bearing an envelope. Taking that, Happoosai handed the sign to Ranma before he opened the envelope. Looking at what was written there, he sighed. "Foolish place to hide this."

Yotsuba leaned in to take her own look with her spyglass. "This is his teaching license, isn't it? Why'd he hide it in the doojou sign?"

"Actually, my dear, I put it in here when I made this sign for Genma just before he helped Souun seal me in that cave. I did the same thing for Souun." He shook his head. "To believe they failed so badly . . . "

"Their children have all the potential in the world," Cologne noted.

Happoosai nodded. "Hai, Cologne-chan, they do."

Seeing him now, Ranma was suddenly struck by how old the man before her really was. "It is not all over yet, Happy," Negako mused.

"What do you mean, Negako-chan?"

"As Kelun just stated, their children DO have potential." Negako indicated Ranma. "Ranma is exploring the limits of her potential. So have Toshiko and Kumiko since they were set free of that compact. Nabiki is rediscovering hers. Akane will do the same if she continues to make use of the Densetsu no Doogi. Kimiko has her own potential if she desires to explore it, as does Kasumi. And there are your other students, those who are not directly affiliated with Genma or Souun. The only way for it to be 'all over' is for them to stop doing what they are doing. Do you envision that happening?"

Happoosai considered that before he smiled. "You have a point, Negako-chan." He then handed the sign back to Ranma. "You might want to hang onto that, Ranma-chan. Who knows when you might need it again!"

Ranma smirked. "If I think of starting up my own doojou, Jijii, I'll carve a new one." She slipped the doojou sign somewhere safe, and then took a deep breath. "Well, I best get ready for tonight's fun at the school."

"Come with me, Ranma." Negako waved her outside, allowing Happoosai to place himself on the kitchen counter before departing.

Ranma followed her out. The others watched her go. Chikage hummed as she reached into her blazer to draw out a tarot card. Death. The sorceress' eyes narrowed, and then she sensed Cologne gazing at it. "You best prepare your great-granddaughter, Elder Kelun," she warned. "Tonight is not going to be a pleasant night for anyone, even Ane-kun."

The Nujiézú elder nodded. "Good point."

As she departed, a distant look appeared in Chikage's eyes.

* * *

_Darling . . ._

Ran's eyes opened as she sat up. Her body moved more easily now, though a chorus of painful dings continued to dance the Macarena around her joints. "Lum-chan?" She glanced around the bedroom before she stood up with a grunt.

"Huhn . . . it done now . . .?"

She looked to the couch beside Mister Big Screen to see Ryuunosuke stretching herself from a couple hours' nap. Watching the gentle shift of every one of the tomboy's well-honed muscles, Ran's eyes sparkled as a surge of arousal bubbled deep within her. _Sweet Blessed Mother, she's beautiful!_ Her cheeks flamed before she quickly calmed herself. No! Damn it, given the amount of mindless garbage Ryuunosuke had to endure since she was a baby, making any suggestions, no matter how subtle, toward forming THAT sort of intimate relationship with the tomboy would hurt her far more than help!

Still, she COULD dream . . .

"No, not yet." Ran walked over to help Ryuunosuke up. "But Lum-chan's drifting in and out of consciousness. Feels like she's undergone Psi-Unity. It's just a matter of time. You want something to eat? You look hungry."

"I can use a bite," Ryuunosuke smiled her thanks, and then she found herself gazing deeply into Ran's evergreen eyes. "Ran . . . "

Time seemed to stand still for them. Then, without understanding why she suddenly wanted to do this, Ryuunosuke leaned down to gently caress the alien teen's lips with her own. Ran's eyes widened in shock. They then softened as the warm tidal wave of feeling bursting from that contact surged right into her brain. They gazed into each other's eyes for another eternity. Ryuunosuke's cheeks then flamed as her brain caught up to her heart. "Ah . . .!"

"Ryuu-chan?"

A gulp. "Um . . . ah, s-sorry about th-that . . . "

"Please, Ryuu-chan, don't apologize." Ran placed a hand on her friend's cheek. "I really liked that. You're a good kisser."

"Ah . . . w-well, you s-see . . . " She stopped, blinking. "I am?"

"Hai." Ran took a step back as she gave her guest a knowing look. "Yamada-sensei told you about the -- uniqueness of the Great School. I'll have to live with that uniqueness for the rest of my life. I won't disguise it, either. To do that would mean that I'm ashamed of what I am. And I'm certainly not ashamed of THAT. Not one bit," she admitted with a serene smile.

Ryuunosuke considered that, and then she stepped up to Ran. She reached over to grasp the other woman's hands. They stared into the other's eyes. Ryuunosuke then leaned down to give Ran a chaste kiss. They pulled apart, and then Ryuunosuke smiled. "You won't be alone. I . . . " She shrugged. "You're my friend. Regardless of what happened before, I . . . " She paused again before giving Ran's hands a squeeze. "I want us to be friends. And if we become something more . . . " She shrugged once more. "Then we do."

"I'll hold you up to it." Ran playfully winked before turning as footsteps heralded the coming of Namie to the bedroom. "Yes?"

"Forgive me for interrupting, Ran-sama, but Shinobu-sama just came back from a brief shopping trip," the bioroid announced with a smile. "She brought with her Marubeya Momoe-sama with some news concerning Lum-sama's Darling."

Ran and Ryuunosuke nodded as they followed Namie to the living room. There, Hiro was serving Shinobu and Momoe tea. Both looked up as their schoolmates came down to join them. "Welcome back to Earth, Ran-san." Momoe nodded pleasantly to her host as Ran and Ryuunosuke sat down. "Though I have to warn you now that your presence in Tomobiki these days won't be as enjoyable as it might have been when you lived here before."

Ran nodded. "I've already sensed that, Momoe-san. Thank you."

Ran never got the chance to know any of Mendou's female fans; during the previous school year, she had been assigned to Class 2-7 while Mendou, Momoe, Shinobu, Ryuunosuke and the others were in Class 2-4. Since her primary focus living in Tomobiki was fixed on Lum, events centred on Mendou didn't bother her. From what she could sense of Momoe, Ran knew she cared deeply for Mendou as well as her small circle of friends. There was also a powerful surge of hate within her, but it wasn't focused on Ran. Most likely, that was reserved for Lum; most girls at Tomobiki High not so long ago fervently believed that if Lum hadn't been interested in Ataru, she'd have scooped up Mendou in a New York minute. "I take it Shinobu told you who else came back with me."

"I've been told," Momoe said with a shake of her head. Anger tried to swell forth, but something dampened it. Curiosity? Confusion? "I was told of what's happening to you and Lum. I find it so hard to believe that there's this race out there that DOES this sort of thing."

"We've done it for a hundred millennia, Momoe-san. No one's yet to complain about our desire to help others," Ran stated with a chuckle before she nodded thanks as Hiro came up to hand her a cup of tea.

"How long before Lum comes out?" Shinobu asked.

Ran glanced in the direction of the swimming pool, her eyes glowing. "A few more hours. By eight o'clock at the earliest. Things like this can't be rushed." She turned to Momoe. "What else brings you here today?"

"Some news from earlier concerning Mendou-san and Ataru-kun."

She explained. The others listened, surprise appearing on many of their faces as they heard how easily Ataru, his sisters and Ranma had dealt with Mendou and the Rosebuds. Ran remained relaxed, using her empathy to pick out how Shinobu, Ryuunosuke and Momoe, not to mention the Avalonians effectively standing in for Megane and his friends, reacted.

As questions started to fly, Ran focused on Shinobu. Ataru's ex-girlfriend was dismayed, no doubt at Moroboshi Muchi's infidelity to his wife. There was also concern and trepidation. That was understandable; Ataru had spent a considerable amount of time with those girls ever since he departed Tomobiki. Given what his feelings might have been like when he finally left Tomobiki -- if what his words yesterday reflected his true feelings, his actions toward Ran late last night notwithstanding -- Shinobu believed those girls probably thought the worst of their brother's old associates.

A glance to Ryuunosuke revealed a sense of envy. Ran understood that. To go from being the only child of a broken, emotionally hollow home to suddenly having a family of twelve loving, caring sisters -- thirteen if one counted Negako -- would probably make anyone like Fujinami Ryuunosuke VERY happy. And there was concern, even worry, for Shinobu as well, Ran noted. Given that woman's mixed feelings toward her former boyfriend, what could happen if Shinobu should ever directly meet any of Ataru's sisters? Would those sisters allow Shinobu to get close to their brother again? Or force her away? If that happened, how would Shinobu herself react to it?

Now to Momoe. That woman was a nexus of fear, anger and confusion when it came to Ataru's sisters. Momoe's anger at them was quite simple for Ran to understand. If what happened that morning continued to play out, it would ultimately drive Mendou to seek violent redress against Ataru. And in that realization laid the heart of Momoe's fear: If those girls were hurt, what WOULD Ataru do to Mendou in return? As for the confusion . . .? Ran tried not to groan. Oh, Sweet Blessed Mother, how could she be so STUPID? Did she really, truthfully believe that EVERY teenage girl on Earth would automatically reject Moroboshi Ataru because he once chased girls?

"What do you think, Ran?" Shinobu asked.

Ran started before relaxing herself. "I see no problem here."

"What does that mean?" Momoe demanded.

"Simple. People in this town have deluded themselves a LOT when it comes to Darling. Do you honestly think that he lived ONLY to chase girls? Of course not. But until his memories were repaired from what his 'mother' did to him, he had no means to pursue other interests. He got the chance thanks to Negako-san. They leave Tomobiki. Along the way, they meet these other sisters. Darling had a family again, one willing to give him a chance, a chance no one here EVER gave him." She focused on Shinobu. "Yes, Shinobu, that not only includes you, but Lum-chan as well. So why SHOULDN'T Darling get defensive if anyone from here tries to probe into his personal business? As far as he's concerned, no one in Tomobiki HAS that right. And if they disagree . . . " She shrugged. "Look what happened to Shuutarou and the Rosebuds."

Momoe's eyes narrowed. "There's something you're not telling us."

"Yes, there is . . . "

She gave them a replay of the encounter between her and Lum and Sakuya, Chikage and Haruka. Ryuunosuke cut in to remind Shinobu who Sakuya and Chikage were. At the end, the others in the room were thoughtfully silent. "So because his clan is run as a matriarchy, this Sakuya girl is seen as the new Matriarch of the whole family. And because of that, she has final say toward who Ataru-kun'll marry? Not his parents?" Momoe asked. "And that would override anything Ataru-kun's parents might've said because the leadership of the clan is passed on from grandmother to granddaughter?"

"That's unbelievable," Narumi Miruko spoke up for the first time.

Ran smiled. "Not really, Miruko-chan. Where I come from -- my Nendo-kata side, that is -- that would be seen as quite normal."

"Sounds like those Chinese Amazons from Nerima I've heard about a lot," Shinobu mused. "So what do we do?"

"Make sure they don't hurt us again," Momoe muttered.

Ran stared at her. "And why would they?"

"Why not?! Mendou-san's not going to live what happened today down! He's going to keep going after Ataru-kun again and again . . .!" Tears brimmed her eyes as she started to deflate on herself. "Until . . .!"

Her voice faded. She then jolted on feeling comforting hands on her shoulders. Momoe looked around to see Kanami gazing at her. The former blinked, and then she tried to smile as she gave one of the bioroid's hands a thankful squeeze. "Momoe-san, why do you care so much for Mendou?" Ran wondered, crossing her arms. "Don't you know that he's now engaged to marry someone else? What happens when he does get married? What will you or any of your friends do then? You can't keep pining for him, you know."

Momoe quaked before she muttered, "You never gave up on Rei-san!"

Shinobu and Ryuunosuke winced. Ran remained calm as she replied, "No, I didn't. Because I didn't, I'll be mourning Rei for a while to come."

"What . . .?" Momoe rasped. As realization dawned, she looked away.

Gazing concernedly at the silent woman, Kanami then turned to Ran. _Ran-sama, I'll walk her home_, she telepathically transmitted. _Momoe-sama needs a chance to think over what she's learned today._

Ran closed her eyes to hide their glow as she responded, _Make sure she does nothing against Darling or his family, Kanami-chan._

_Hai, I understand._

Wordlessly, Kanami helped Momoe to her feet, and then she walked her out of the room. The others watched her go. Yukimi then stared at Ran. "Ran-sama, what do we do now? Lum-sama still cares a lot for Ataru-sama . . . "

Ran nodded. "I know. But do NOTHING to him or any of his sisters, Yukimi. That goes for the rest of you." She focused on each of the other bioroids to make her point. "I know you feel your first duty is to Lum-chan, but trying to pigeonhole Darling into something he doesn't want is going to cause a lot of pain. I won't tolerate that, especially now!"

"Hai," the others nodded.

As the bioroids turned back to their own business, Ran beckoned Shinobu and Ryuunosuke to the pool. Stepping in, Ran telekinetically locked the door. Yamada was currently at the side of the pool, his scanner out as he monitored Lum. Gazing at the squid-like shape in the deep end, both Terrans noted the birthing sac on the side of the Nendo-kata's body. Within that, there floated a nearly adult figure, clearly female. "Man, she'll be a knockout when she comes outta that finally," Ryuunosuke noted.

Shinobu smirked. "All the boys are going to be pretty disappointed once they learn she can only mate with another woman."

"Couldja imagine what Megane'd say if he ever saw this?"

Shinobu considered that before she screamed out in a plausible Megane imitation, "IT'S A TRAGEDY!" Laughter then filled the room; even Yamada cackled on hearing that. Then Shinobu quickly sobered, her cheeks flaming. "I can't believe I just DID something like that!"

"He's now in the Black Ocean, Shinobu," Ran reminded her. "He wouldn't really care about that sort of thing anymore."

"Is that what you believe?"

Ran nodded, gazing on the growing humanoid form in the pool. "It is. In a way -- if you want to be pessimistic about this -- the Ran you knew is gone now, as is the Lum . . . and as is the Moroboshi Ataru we all knew before."

Shinobu shook her head. "I don't want to think that."

"You may not have a choice now, Shinobu," Ryuunosuke warned.

"But . . . "

"She's right, Shinobu," Ran affirmed, gazing once more on the "new" Lum. "And Lum-chan's going to have to realize that as well."

_No . . ._

All three jolted as that weak voice echoed in their minds. "Lum?!"

_No . . .!_ that voice moaned. _I'll never -- stop loving Darling!_

Shinobu's eyes softened. "Lum . . . "

* * *

"Damn it! It's not here!"

Genma gazed frantically around the ruins of the doojou he had called his own since he and Nodoka married. The building had not been touched by the repair crews since before the incident on Mount Phoenix. That had not bothered Genma until today. The Tendou doojou was still intact and usable. And the agreement between himself and Souun DID stipulate that Ranma and Akane would live and work at the Tendou doojou. But . . .!

"What are you doing here, Genma?"

The _shiing!_ of a drawn katana made him leap to safety. Nodoka's cutting thrust missed his feet by inches as he landed some distance away. Scanning the area around his wife, Genma quickly noticed the presence of two other people. Asagaya Hisayo was one, someone Genma despised as much as he did his father-in-law, Isao. The other woman was Nodoka's lawyer, someone whose name Genma didn't know. "This is my house and doojou, Nodoka!" he snarled. "I have every right to be here! Now, where is my doojou sign?!"

"_Your_ house?" Nodoka snorted. "_Your_ doojou? Don't be so quick to assume that, Genma. As for that worthless sign, I gave it to Ranma. I'm sure my son will find use for it soon enough! As part of a _fire!_"

Genma shuddered, and then he perked on hearing a bemused snicker echo from somewhere behind him. "My, are WE the stupid one today?!"

He turned. "Boy . . .!"

His stomach was then caved in, making him double over. The air near Genma fizzled. "Lucky thing for all of us that I came out this way just in case you decided to do something REALLY stupid today!" Toshiko smirked. "Not that it's going to really matter in a few hours anyway."

Genma groaned before he suddenly lunged. Toshiko back-flipped clear, landing on the ground near the doojou entrance. "_**KIJIN RAISHUU DAN!**_" she bellowed, sending a storm of vacuum blades at the Yamasen-ken's creator.

Genma dodged that attack, ducking behind a cloud of shattered wood and flung-up dirt as he moved to charge Nodoka. His wife didn't see Genma in time before his fist slammed into the side of her skull, the force of the blow sending her flying into Hisayo. Nodoka's katana dropped to the ground as the sisters collapsed. The sword and its scabbard were both snared by Genma before he vanished. "Nodoka! Hisayo!" Maya screamed as she races to her client's side, drawing out a cell phone to call an ambulance and the police.

Watching this, Toshiko grinned before she vanished under the screen of the Goshin Buufu. Once she was masked, she proceeded to a nearby cull-de-sac before going visible again. Drawing out her own cell phone, she made a call. The other end was quick to respond. "Negako."

"It's me," Toshiko reported.

* * *

"Damn it . . .!"

Genma tried not to shudder as he secluded himself under a bridge over the Shakujii River close to Kasuga-chou. Calmly sheathing the sword, he took several deep breaths to replenish the oxygen in his body. Once relaxed, he adjusted his glasses, mentally running over what he had just been through over the last while. Hell, since that meeting over four weeks ago when he tried to put matters concerning his and his family's future on the right track.

Unseen, an invisible hand reached out to tap several shiatsu points on the head and back. Genma gargled before he passed out, the katana clattering to the ground. A second later, the air behind him fizzled, revealing Kumiko.

"You'll keep for now."

* * *

"Oh, guys . . .!"

Ranma gazed mistily at the uniform the sisters just presented her. For junior high and high school students at Stargazer West College, the girls' standard winter uniform was a white shirt and tie covered by a red button dress, which was topped by a beige button jacket. The school crest was emblazoned on the left upper arm. Elementary school and kindergarten girls wore a simple beige, tent-like sailor suit. For boys, the uniform was a beige jacket and chestnut-brown trousers, that worn over a white shirt and tie. "School for us doesn't start until next Monday, Onee-chan," Karen explained. "Even if you want to go to Fuurinkan for the next week, you won't miss much."

Sakuya pointed to Ranma's heart. "Would they force you to wear the girl's uniform if you're 'stuck' this way, Onee-sama?" she asked.

"Nah, they didn't bother when I was locked because of the Chiisui-ton or the Cat's Tongue. 'Sides, even if I do go to school, I got Doc Toofuu's chit to 'cover' me." Ranma picked up the Stargazer West uniform, she holding it close to her. "Well, I better put this somewhere safe."

"Onee-sama?"

Ranma stopped. "Hai, Sakuya-chan, what is it?"

The eldest sister wagged a warning finger. "When you and Onii-sama get back to the Island, I'm DEFINITELY taking you shopping!"

Sweat-drop, eyebrow twitch. "Is that a threat?"

Laughter filled the living room as Ranma scooped up her uniform before heading to her bedroom. Placing that somewhere safe, she headed out, and then she stopped on seeing Inu Chigaiko standing in her way. "Chigaiko . . .?"

The slender Tomobiki native's eyes were misty. "Is this true?"

Ranma blinked. Ataru had gone for a walk with his old classmate while Negako was teaching Ranma the Shihi Oogama modification to the soulsword. No doubt, he told her things she, the only girl in Tomobiki who cared unconditionally for Ataru, really would not want to know. "Yes."

Chigaiko considered that before looking down. "I . . . " she began before she took a breath to calm herself. "I love him, you know."

"Well, you're one up on me, then."

The other woman gazed on her, surprised by the attempted show of humour. She then asked, "Do you want to love him?"

Silence falls as Ranma considered that, and then she crossed her arms. "Right now, I'm not worried about that. I got more important things on my mind. It doesn't mean I wouldn't shy away from wanting a relationship with him if he wants it. But . . . " She then shrugged.

"I see." Chigaiko lowered her head. "Maybe I should go."

"What the hell for?!"

That response surprised her. "But Ataru-kun said . . .!"

"I know what he must've told you, Chigaiko. But why the HELL do you wanna go back to a place where nobody remembers your name, treats you like you were part of the furniture, you have no friends and all the memories you have of that place are bad ones?" Ranma demanded. "Why the hell do you think Ataru left that place? Why do you think I want to finally put Fuurinkan behind me?"

Chigaiko considered that before she sighed, shaking her head. "I can't shut my feelings off, Ranma-san. It's not that simple . . . "

"I know. I just spent the last ten weeks trying to come to terms with my feelings for those people who said they 'cared' for me."

"They're not going to understand what you've just been through."

"I know."

They stared at each other, and then Ranma squeezed the other girl's shoulder as she gave her a pleading look. "Don't go back to Tomobiki. Hell, if you want, come live with us on the Island when we go there. You ARE Ataru's friend and I don't want to take that away from him. Please?"

"I . . . " Chigaiko blinked before she nodded. "Okay, I'll stay."

"Onee-chan?"

Both gazed on Karen, who had just come up from the sitting room. "Gomen nasai, Onee-chan, but it's a little after six," she warned. "Don't you want something to eat before you go to the school to deal with those people?"

Ranma nodded. "Good point."

She passed Chigaiko as she headed to the kitchen. The latter watched her go, and then she looked nowhere in particular. "Be careful."

* * *

"Uncle hasn't come back yet?"

Akane shook her head. "No sign of him." She and Nabiki were relaxing at the sitting room table, having just finished supper. The younger Tendou had the Densetsu no Doogi on. "I guess Ranma's dealt with him already."

Nabiki sipped her tea. "Probably."

Kasumi then stepped into the room, a wrapped object in hand. Noting the size and shape, her sisters were both quick to deduce what it was. "Make sure you take that with you when you go meet Ranma-kun," Kasumi instructed.

Akane trembled. "Onee-chan . . . "

"No. You heard what Kumiko-chan said. If we refuse to acknowledge Ranma-kun's wishes, ESPECIALLY now, we dishonour ourselves."

Akane considered that. She then took the doojou sign in hand before the sisters were surprised by Souun asking, "What are you doing?!"

They gazed on him. The look on his face reflected his current mood. "Doing what Ranma wants us to do," Akane said as she stood, tucking the sign under one arm as she moved to leave. "Isn't that the HONOURABLE thing to do?"

He advanced on her. "You put that right back . . .!"

Before Souun could finish, Akane's fist smashed into his jaw, sending him into the koi pond. "Dou-chan!" Akane gasped as the Doogi let go of her hand, she giving her father a look. Fortunately, the strike only stunned him. "Don't do that, alright!" she then scolded the sentient battlesuit.

A stretch of cloth raised a sign. (**SORRY.)**

"Let's go, sis." Nabiki finished her tea before standing up. "We'll be back in a couple of hours, Onee-chan."

"Be careful," Kasumi said as they went. A chill then warped through her as she gazed on the table. "Such a pity," she quietly lamented.

* * *

"Hibaa-chan, it's time, isn't it?"

Cologne glanced at the wall clock. "Yes, child, it's time."

Shampoo grunted, brushing her sleeves as she reached for her bonbori and butterfly swords. "I'll bring Airen back," she assured the elder in Mandarin as she stowed her weapons on herself, and then she glanced at the cage holding a transformed Mousse. "Thank you for keeping him out of my way," she added.

"It's quite alright, Shan." Cologne sagely nodded. "But remember, this situation is very fluid. Trust in your training, child."

Shampoo nodded. "I will."

After the door closed behind her, Cologne hopped down to let Mousse out. "Give her ten minutes, and then follow her discretely."

The duck waddled out, nodding thanks as he flew upstairs to get some hot water and access his weapons. The elder watched him go with a smile. "You wished for a long time to win Shan's heart, Mùsi," she said, switching to English. "Tonight, your chances can improve greatly if you don't let your mindless passions override your common sense."

Shaking her head, she headed to the kitchen.

* * *

"Heading off to see Saotome-sama, Mistress?"

"Yes." Kodachi collected her gear. "Hopefully by the end of today, a clear road will stretch between myself and Ranma-sama's heart!"

"Do be careful, Mistress," Sasuke warned, raising a finger in emphasis. "Saotome-sama did insist that all his other would-be suitors be present."

"I'm aware of that."

Kodachi sprang clear of the Kunou mansion, and then she took to the rooftops towards Fuurinkan High. The martial arts rhythmic gymnast tried not to cackle as the wind whipped past her. While she had no legal claim on Ranma, the fact that there existed a permanent estrangement between him and his fool father made things MUCH easier. Once Genma was out of the way, Tendou Akane's and Kuonji Ukyou's claims would be made meaningless. And it only would take a call to the Interior Ministry to see that Chinese barbarian sent packing.

With that done . . .!

* * *

"So Ranma's gonna be here to deal with all his fiancées, huh?!"

"That's what Sempai thinks." Takuichi Daikun, one of the seniors in the kendou club, gazed on the front lawn of the school. In the middle of the path between the front gates and the front door, a lone figure stood, bokken ready. Almost all of the other members of the Horde had gone home; Daikun and his companion were about to leave themselves. "Though he was being weirder than usual about what's going on with Saotome! Said somethin' about that crazy mirror-clone of his tellin' Sempai Ranma was dead."

"Man, is Sempai EVER gonna figure that out?!" Koriko Nagao wondered.

Daikun shook his head. "Search me, man."

* * *

"Something in the air . . . "

Ono Toofuu frowned as he gazed on the darkening sky. He had been in the process of closing up his shop when he sensed -- well, SOMETHING unnatural in the air over Nerima. What was it? It didn't seem to be any typical ki or mana signature he was familiar with -- and after studying under an archmage like Hirosaki Ryuuji, he knew a LOT! -- so what was it?

And why did he have this awful sense of FOREBODING?

What was going to happen?

* * *

"Uhnn . . . "

Genma's eyes fluttered as he slowly picked himself off the ground under the bridge. Glancing around, he was shocked to see that the sun had long since set. Snaring the clan sword, he stepped into the open, scanning around for an outdoor clock to get the time. Just his luck, a digital timepiece hung in the window of a nearby store. Seeing the time, he paled.

"Seven-forty . . .!"

No! In twenty minutes, the boy would . . .!

Grunting, he leapt for the nearest fence-line and raced off.

* * *

"Kunou-kun, what are you doing here?"

"Ah, Ninomiya-sensei, a pleasant evening to you." Kunou nodded sagely as Ninomiya Hinako, in her child's body, stepped out the front doors of the school. "I was called here by the pig-tailed girl concerning the final fate of Saotome Ranma. According to the lovely Toshiko, one of the lovely pig-tailed one's mirror-clones, Saotome is said to be dead."

Hinako stopped, staring quizzically at the kendou-ka. "Are you sure about that? We haven't received any notification of the sort."

"Ah, that seems understandable, Sensei." Kunou chuckled. "You know how slow the government bureaucracy can be at times."

"True." She then started on hearing someone laughing. "Who . . .?"

A storm of rose pedals showered the ground around Kunou. "A good evening to you, Sensei!" Kodachi hailed as she landed some distance from her brother, and then she dramatically bowed to Hinako. "I see we're the first ones here."

"It appears we are, sister." Kunou nodded before he tensed.

"What the hell're you guys doing here?!"

"Kuonji-kun!" Hinako turned as Ukyou came up, followed by Nabiki and Akane. "Tendou-kun?! How many people are coming today?"

"Might be quite a few, Sensei." Nabiki looked around, and then she perked on hearing a bicycle bell. "And there's Shampoo . . .!"

"Nihao!" Shampoo landed on the walkway, hopping off her bike as she scanned around. "Where's Airen?! He said he'd be here!"

Akane glared hotly at the warrior-maiden. "Why'd he invite you?!"

"This one wonders why Airen invited you!" Shampoo retorted. "This one knows he said he no longer wants anything to do with you . . .!"

Ukyou moved to moderate. "Girls, that's enough! Ran-chan's got something important to tell us! There's no need for a fight!"

The other suitors glared at the chef. "What does a servant girl like you know?" Kodachi hissed. "As far as I know, Ranma-sama desired to treat us all equally and fairly." A sneer turned her lips. "Not that I'd consider any of you equal to myself, of course!" she then added.

"Hey!" the others snapped.

"That's enough!" Hinako drew out a five-yen coin. "There'll be no fighting on school grounds even if there are no classes on . . .!"

"Akane!"

"Dad?!" Akane spun around as Souun stormed onto the property, a fretful look on his face. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to take that back!" He pointed to the wrapped bundle in Akane's hand. "You have no need to bring th- . . .!"

Before he could finish, much less get his hands on the doojou sign, a glowing chain snared him by the legs. He was then flung toward the clock tower. Everyone cried out in shock as Souun kissed concrete, and then he dropped to the steps. "Tendou-san!" Hinako screamed.

Kunou looked around. "What was . . .?!"

"Aiyah! That was a psychic kusarigama attack!" Shampoo exclaimed.

"That's right."

Everyone spun around to look off to Kunou's right as someone stepped up, a glowing hook-chain-weight hanging off one hand. "Ranma!" Akane gasped.

"Ran-chan!" "Airen!" "Ranma-sama!" "Pig-tailed girl!" echoed from the others as they swarmed toward the redhead . . .

As she vanished, a wall of air slammed into her would-be suitors, sending them flying back to the walkway. Ranma reappeared some distance behind Akane, an annoyed look on her face. "Do I have your attention now?"

"Shanpú!"

Ranma ducked as chains raced for her head. The Psychic Kusarigama flew. Mousse could not avoid it; he screamed out as it snared him by the neck. Ranma sent him into the walkway beside Nabiki. "Nice to see you, too, Mùsi."

She withdrew the ki-chain, allowing the energy to flow back into her. "We're here," Nabiki said. "What's this about, Ranma?"

Ranma's eyes narrowed. "We're not all here yet, Tendou-san."

She vanished behind the Umisen-ken cloak as a scream howled from the east. Genma slammed into the ground, his katana parting empty air. Before he could recover, an invisible fist smashed into his nose, sending him flying into the stonewall fencing the school property. As Genma dropped in a dazed heap on the ground, Ranma reappeared. "Pathetic," she hissed.

"What's he doing with your mom's katana?" Nabiki wondered.

"He attacked her at her house, looking for this." Ranma drew out the Saotome doojou sign from under her jersey, popping open the hidden hatch on the back. "Not to mention this." She then drew out the envelope contained within.

"What exactly IS that, pig-tailed one?!" Kunou asked.

"Glad you asked, Kunou-san." Ranma dropped the doojou sign as she drew out the license. "This's Oyaji's teaching license, given to him by Jijii to help him start the Saotome-ryuu. So . . . " She moved to rip it up. "Once this and the sign are destroyed, the Saotome-ryuu is no more . . . "

"NO!"

Ranma jumped clear as Souun lunged, his hands grasping for Genma's license. Before the Tendou patriarch could move to guard, a ki bolt slammed into the dirt beside him, sending him flying into a tree. As Souun slid to the ground, Ranma landed. "Stupid idiot!"

"Saotome-kun, you have no right to destroy that!" Hinako marched up, five-yen coin at the ready. "That is your father's . . .!"

"I have no father."

" . . . property . . .!" Hinako stopped. "What did you just say?"

Ranma reached into her tunic, drawing another envelope. Stuffing Genma's license into a pocket, she handed the new envelope to her teacher. Hinako opened it. Scanning the contents, she gaped. "Oh . . .!" She covered her mouth, and then she gazed on Ranma. "Saotome-kun, is this true?"

"It is." Ranma turned to the others. "As of noon today, I applied for and was given the right to form MY OWN branch of the Saotome Clan. I have renounced all familial ties with BOTH Saotome Genma AND Saotome Nodoka of Nerima. As of that moment, Saotome Ranma, son of Genma and Nodoka, ceased to exist. I am now Saotome Ranma of Odawara in Kanagawa-ken." A pause. "And I am an orphan. Because I am still under age, I am under the legal guardianship of Grandmaster Moroboshi Negako of the Moroboshi-Hana Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjutsu-ryuu, presently resident of Kasuga-chou in Nerima. None of you can use either Genma or Nodoka to get at me anymore."

Ranma waited for someone to say something, and then she turned to Akane and Nabiki. "Whatever claim your family has towards me is now null-and-void." To Ukyou. "The same applies to you." To Shampoo. "Given that our situation is unique, Shanpú, I will explain what will happen in your great-grandmother's company in the near future." To Mousse. "But that doesn't give you a free ticket to molest Shan like you did before." To the Kunous. "And no, I've no desire to have anything to do with you two. Not now, not EVER . . .!"

"NO!"

Ranma spun out of the way as Genma charged, the katana ripping close to her heart. The older martial artist spun around as he tried to cut off her legs. Ranma wheeled clear, sending a Mooko Takabisha at Genma. He dodged, and then he lunged toward Ranma. Hinako leapt in the way.

"_**HAPPOU-GO-EN-SATSU!**_"

Genma howled in frustration as the ki-drain began, his hands letting go of the katana. Seeing the blade fly right at Hinako's face, Ranma lunged. The teacher was knocked clear as the katana buzzed past. The others watched Hinako fall, and then they turned back as the sword plunged through Ranma's chest, punching out the back to the left of her spine.

"_**RANMA!**_" Akane screamed.

Unseen by the combatants, a certain crucifix given to Ranma some days before touched the edge of the blade. As contact was made, the rose in the heart of the cross blossomed, a burst of brilliant light blinding everyone.

* * *

Chikage grimly nodded. "Yes . . .!"

* * *

Negako closes her eyes. "Perfect."

* * *

Cologne perked. "What was that?!"

* * *

Happoosai puffed his pipe. "You did it now, Genma!"

* * *

"Ranma . . .!"

Looking confusedly around his bedroom, Ataru stood. As a whispered metallic voice began to echo in his mind, he raced out the back door so that the sisters wouldn't notice his departure. Leaping for the nearest roof, Ataru then took off at a dead run toward Fuurinkan High . . .

* * *

"_**OYAAAAAAAAAAAAAJIIIIIIIIIIIIII . . .!**_"

Genma's vision was full of spots as he staggered to his feet. Before he could sense any danger, a hand covered in fur grabbed him by the throat. One hard toss later sent him back first into a cherry tree. Before he could slide down, something bracketed his shoulder joints to pin him in place. His hands, feet and legs were likewise nailed down. Dizzy from the impact, he closed his eyes as he tried to recover. "R-r-Ranma . . .?"

Blinking, he looked up to where he thought his son was . . .

And then he wished he hadn't looked at all.

"**Nice try.**"

Standing before him was what should have been Saotome Ranma in female form. But Genma knew Ranma's female form didn't include golden fur covering her skin, a cat-like tail sticking out her back that ended in a diamond-shaped pad, cat-slit eyes, fanged canines, puffed cheeks sprouting a grove of whiskers, elegantly pointed ears tipped in black fur and large, bat-like wings sticking out of her shoulders. On her chest, the crucifix Chikage passed on to her through Ataru glowed softly. The katana that nearly skewered Ranma's heart was in this being's hand, no blood anywhere on the steel.

Gazing at this monstrosity from a safe distance away, the others were speechless. "Ranma-sama . . . " Kodachi whispered for them all.

"**But no cigar,**" Ranma added, playfully waving the katana close to Genma's face, her voice ringing with the rumble of thunder mixed with a tiger's purr. The older martial artist winced as the blade flashed before his eyes, he turning away as he squeezed his eyes shut. A faux-pout turned her lips at the supposed lack of attention. "**What's the matter? Aren't you happy to see what YOU created, Oyaji?!**" she then mockingly asked.

"YOU MONSTER!" Kunou then roared, drawing his bokken as he prepared to strike this beast down. "RELEASE THE PIG-TAILED GIRL THIS INSTANT!"

He charged at Ranma's back as she swung around, the katana flying. That sliced through his bokken in a flash. Along with his neck! "TATEWAKI!" Nabiki shrieked in disbelief as Kunou's severed head flipped in mid-air before hitting the ground with a hollow, wet _thud!_ His body collapsed right afterward. That sound was enough to make Genma's eyes snap open, they dropping at once to stare upon the corpse lying not two metres from him.

Before he could think of what to do, claw-tipped fingers tapped several places on his face. "**Uh-uh!**" Neko-Ranma shook her head. "**You're not going to avoid seeing THIS, Oyaji! There's no escape for you THIS time!**"

"Ranma, are you INSANE?!" Akane screamed as the others around her braced themselves for what might happen next. "He didn't . . .!"

"**He didn't WHAT?!**" the felinoid snapped as she loomed over Akane, the air around her ablaze with fiery rage. "**Deserve what I just give him?! SO WHAT?! He always kept screaming at me 'Die, Saotome!' all the time! WHAT SHOULD I'VE DONE?! THE WORLD'S BETTER OFF WITHOUT HIM!**"

"_**RAAAAAAAAAAAAANMAAAAAAAAAAAAA . . .!**_"

"Dad, NO . . .!" Nabiki shrilled.

"SOUUN!" Genma screamed.

Everyone was frozen in place as Neko-Ranma used the claws of one hand to shred Souun's Demon Head. The katana slashed across at the same time, catching Souun in the abdomen. "TENDOU-SAN!" Hinako screamed as the winged felinoid wheeled around to deliver a stroke through his side, ripping him in half! As the severed parts of his body slumped to the dirt, Neko-Ranma's wings spread out, the blazing aura of ki surrounding her flaring.

"**Just in case you get any ideas of leaving . . .!**"

Energy lashed out to touch the four corners of the school property. In the wink of an eye, a large ki-dome formed, sealing off Fuurinkan High from the rest of Nerima. Watching this, everyone still standing shuffled closer together, their eyes locked on the monster who just struck two people down with the same nonchalance one might apply to swatting an annoying fly.

"**Now . . .!**" Neko-Ranma purred. "**Where were we?**"

* * *

"Toofuu-sensei, what IS that?!"

Toofuu shook his head. "I'm not too sure, Kasumi!" He and Kasumi had met two blocks from the school's front gate seconds before the strange energy dome was formed. "Energy unlike anything I've EVER seen before."

The chiropractor peered intently at it.

* * *

"_**HAPPOU-GOJUU-EN-SATSU!**_"

Neko-Ranma remained still, allowing the tip of her mother's katana to punch into the dirt, as Hinako's energy-absorption powers tried to absorb her fighting ki. "**Oh, please!**" The felinoid's lips twisted in a demonic approximation of Ranma's cocky grin. "**I hardly feel that!**"

Hinako screamed as she felt NOTHING coming at her. She then spun her coin on Mousse, who was closest to her. He cried as she drained his ki. Now in her adult body, Hinako spun on Neko-Ranma. "_**HAPPOU TSURISEN GAESHI!**_"

The felinoid held up a hand. "**No thanks! I don't want that!**"

The ki bolt slammed into the palm. Neko-Ranma curled her fingers to pool the energy into a spheroid. "**Here, have it back!**" She then grinned savagely as the ki ripped out, lancing right for the teacher's heart.

Ukyou moved to shove her clear. "Look out, Sensei!"

All the fiancées and Nabiki were then snared around their legs by spirit kusarigamas. As they were sent flying away from the hapless teacher, the ki bolt punched through her fifty-yen piece. She screamed as the energy flooded her system. Then, a mindless shriek stole her voice as even MORE ki, a virtual tsunami of energy, flowed relentlessly into her. Neko-Ranma smirked. "**Here you go. I've got much, much more to spare . . . **"

She then blinked in mock-surprise as Hinako's body exploded thanks to her cells becoming supersaturated with energy! As the area was showered with a fine reddish mist, Neko-Ranma covered her mouth. "**Ooops! Overdid it!**"

"Why, Ranma?"

She then turned to see Nabiki standing nearby. Reaching down to yank the Saotome honour blade from the ground, Neko-Ranma walked over to the still-weakened Mousse. "**I'm doing to them what they long threatened to do to me, Tendou-san!**" She raised the blade, and then she contemptuously slammed it into the back of his head. "**I'm giving them a taste of what they've long wished to see happen to me!**" She then twisted the blade to ensure that the weapons-master's brain was sufficiently shredded. As soon as his body stopped twitching, she pulled out the katana, and then she turned to face Nabiki. "**Any reason I shouldn't be doing this?**" An eyebrow arched amusedly.

Despite the calm look on the felinoid's face, Nabiki was quick to realize that this thing before her was in NO mood to be civil. And given what Neko-Ranma had just done to Kunou, her own father, Hinako and Mousse, she knew that any false step she made, any wrong word she said, could easily be her last. Hopefully, the others would recover fast enough so they could find some way to take this damned thing DOWN. "I can think of some."

Neko-Ranma crossed her arms. "**Oh?**"

* * *

"Uhnnn . . . " Nabiki blinked. "Where . . .?" she grunted, sitting up as she rubbed her eyes. "What the hell . . .?! Where am I . . .?"

All around her was white. Not the blinding white one might associate with staring into a noon sun. But a ghostly white, what one might find in a billowing cloud. Standing, Nabiki took an intense look around. Wait . . .! She could pick out darker elements in the bland scenery. And her feet were clearly pressing on something solid. What could it be? Kneeling, she reached down, running her hand at the level of her toes. Wait . . .! Was that . . .?

"Grass?"

She had to still be on school property!

Standing, Nabiki straightened. Then, remembering nearly forgotten lessons about perceiving surrounding ki fields, she relaxed.

* * *

"**Let me tell you what I think.**" Neko-Ranma placed the tip of her sword on a large rock. "**I think the time has LONG since come for EVERY LAST idiot who's imposed himself, herself or itself on my life to finally understand what doing that will COST them! After all, Tendou-san, you don't allow people to take advantage of you without extracting a pretty steep penalty in return, ne? Why shouldn't I do that, then?!**"

Nabiki shook her head. "It's not the same . . .!"

The felinoid's eyebrow arched. "**'Not the same?!'**"

One hand then lashed out, a psychic kusarigama leaping from the palm. A scream echoed from where that ki-chain went. Nabiki watched as a dazed Kodachi sailed through the air toward Neko-Ranma. "**Take our local psycho-maniac gymnast here.**" The felinoid snared Kodachi by the neck, slamming the katana through her heart before ripping open her throat with her claws. "**Assumed she's my fiancée when I made it VERY clear that I wanted nothing to do with her!**" She allowed Kodachi to drop to the ground, and then she produced another kusarigama. "**She poisons me, paralyses me, then has the utter GALL to presume that because she's of 'higher' birth, she could do whatever she wanted to do with me regardless of what my 'honour' demanded otherwise!**"

The ki-chain flew off to Nabiki's left. The felinoid yanked back soon enough, this time producing Shampoo. "**And speaking of people who think they've got the right to impose their worldview on me, let's talk about Miss Kitty here!**" Neko-Ranma allowed the katana to impale the warrior-maiden through the forehead. With a yank, the felinoid ripped off the top of her skull, allowing the rest to drop to the ground beside Mousse. "**Represents an 'advanced' culture that's survived on its own for three thousand years! Feh! One nuclear bomb'd wipe them out in the blink of an eye! Doubt all their magic'd help then!**" She shrugged before gazing disparagingly at the fallen warrior-maiden. "**And to believe I actually defended them from Saffron! Heh! Maybe I should've let them die! Best way to get rid of them, ne?!**"

"R-Ran-chan . . .!"

Neko-Ranma turned to see a wobbly Ukyou emerge from the darkness, her battle spatula in hand. Snorting, the felinoid walked over to glare into the chef's eyes. "**Friend or fiancée, U-chan? What'll it be?**"

Ukyou shuddered before she shook her head. "You're not Ranma . . . "

In a flash of steel, Ukyou's head flew off her neck. Nabiki gulped helplessly as the okonomiyaki chef's headless body dropped to the ground, her head landing nearby. Still bound to the tree, Genma could do nothing but gaze in horror as the heartless beast that had been his child carried on its work. "**Jeez! Ask a simple question and you get THIS crap!**" Neko-Ranma shook her head as she turned. "**There you are!**" She crossed her arms on seeing Akane standing there. "**So, 'friend,' what do you want?!**" She smirked. "**Think that cute little bunny suit'll save your ass THIS time, tomboy?!**" A shake of the head. "**And to actually believe I really wanted to WEAR that flimsy thing! Dear Fates, WHAT was I thinking?!**" She turned away, shrugging.

Akane charged. Neko-Ranma faded from view. A thunderous "_**KONTOU!**_" then filled the air. Nabiki and Genma watched in horror as a blazing katana popped out of NOWHERE to punch through Akane's abdomen, psionically slicing the Densetsu no Doogi's buckle in half. The blade twisted around, and then it vertically "ripped" her in half from groin to head. A surprised scream bursting from her lips was instantly cut off as her very soul was shredded by the soulsword. As Akane dropped, Neko-Ranma dropped the Goshin Buufu cloak, dispersing the soulsword as her eyes fell on Nabiki. "**She was supposed to be the 'heir' to your school?!**" A snort. "**Get real!**"

"Actually . . . " Nabiki assumed a ready stance. "If you really want to know, Saotome, I'M the real heir of the Tendou-ryuu!"

They gazed on each other. Neko-Ranma then walked over to pick up the dropped Tendou doojou sign. Tapping the back of it, she popped open the small compartment, drawing out Souun's teaching license. "**Is that a fact, huh?!**" She held up the envelope, and then she used a ki ball to burn it. "**Well, I guess it's your doojou now, Nabiki! Here, catch!**"

She tossed the sign at the middle Tendou daughter. Nabiki caught it, and then she screamed as the Saotome blade punched through the wood -- and her heart! "**Some heir.**" Neko-Ranma sneered as Nabiki looked in stunned disbelief at her before dropping lifelessly to the ground.

* * *

"Where are we, Dou-chan?!"

A small sign appeared hanging off Akane's left arm. (**I CAN'T TELL.)** The sign twirled around. (**THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE!)** Another twirl. (**HE'S BEEN DOING SOME REALLY STRANGE TRAINING, AKANE!)**

"Yeah, but WHERE?!" Akane frantically looked around. She then blinked on seeing a human-shaped shadow pass by to her right. "Hey!"

She ran over to intercept it, and then Akane screamed out as the shadow faded into the cloudy white without a trace. "DAMN IT!"

* * *

"Wh-why . . .?"

Neko-Ranma perked, turning to see Genma staring blearily at her. Drool dripped from his mouth; his whole body was sagging as if Ninomiya Hinako had just nailed him with her ki drain. "**Why?!**" Genuine surprise appeared on the felinoid's face as she walked over to stand beside her father, waving to the corpses scattered across the lawn. "**Well, isn't this what you wanted, Oyaji?!**" She gazed intently into his eyes. "**It IS what you wanted, after all! You . . .** " She pointed at Genma. "**Wanted ME . . .** " She pointed to herself. "**To be able to defeat and destroy anyone who faced me in a fight! Isn't that why you taught me the Neko-ken? Isn't that why you took me away from Mom? Isn't that why you never wanted me to have friends or know a normal life?**" A hard edge appeared in her voice. "**So I COULD be the best martial artist ever?! Isn't that what you REALLY wanted of me, Oyaji?!**"

Genma shuddered, his eyes trying to turn away from the carnage. Not a muscle in his head or neck responded. "**Well, then . . .** " Neko-Ranma sighed, concentrating as a strange, icy fire seemed to consume her. Within seconds, she was back to normal. "I guess you just didn't meet up to my expectations, Oyaji." Her voice reverted to normal, though her eyes were still cat-slits. "Gee, isn't that just too bad."

She drew out a cell phone, dialling a number. A second later, a man's voice called back, "Toranoseishin Finances, Yumoa here."

"Reigi-san, it's Ranma."

"Yes, Ranma-san, can I help you?"

"Has Judge Nozawa put out the arrest warrant for Genma?"

"It went out two hours ago. In fact, the Nerima District Police Box got a call from Saotome Nodoka's lawyer sometime ago. Genma is wanted now for assault and battery on both Nodoka and her sister, Asagaya Hisayo."

"Is that a fact?" Ranma shook her head. "Stand by a moment."

"Hai, standing by."

* * *

"Ataru-kun!"

"Stand back, Kasumi-san!" Ataru waved Kasumi away from the sealed gate of Fuurinkan High School, and then he touched the handles.

"Be careful, Ataru-kun!" Toofuu, who had been trying to analyse the energy field encompassing the school when Ataru came, warned.

"Relax, Ono-sensei! I know what this energy's about!" Ataru grunted before he relaxed himself as he tried to pull the doors apart.

* * *

"Well, Oyaji, what's it gonna be?"

Genma quaked as Ranma glared amusedly into his eyes. "Do I tell Reigi-san to get the police down here so they can haul your ass into jail? Make you face up to ALL the things you did? After all, during those weeks I was gone from Nerima, I had some friends do some research on the stuff you pulled during the trip you NEVER, even to the day of the wedding, bothered to tell me about!" She leaned into his face, snaring his full attention with those burning, slit eyes. "Does the name Asayama Yuuko sound familiar to you, Oyaji? How about Fujiki Sayuri? Or maybe Sasamoto Miwa, Sasamoto Narumi and Sasamoto Mizuho?! What the HELL was I supposed to be doing marrying TRIPLETS, Oyaji?!"

No answer. Ranma raised a hand. A sphere of ki appeared. With a fling of the hand, she sent it to the corpses littering the school grounds. In a flash and clouds of smoke, they vanished. "Or do I give you one last chance?"

"L-l-last ch-chance . . .?" Genma sputtered.

She nodded. "Oh, yes! You see, Oyaji, much that right now, I hate you, I can't deny for a minute that you did teach me some important things about martial arts. And life. And honour." A sarcastic grin crossed her face. "Especially where it concerned upholding promises made on that honour. Ne, Oyaji?" Her eyebrows wriggled. "All I have to do is call Reigi-san and tell him that you're not here. It might give you a few hours' head start to get out of the country. Say head to Korea or China, where the police can't catch you. After all, you _stealing_ Mom's katana, not to mention _hitting_ Mom and her sister, isn't going to go down well with a lot of people."

"Wh-what do I have to d-do . . .?" he asked in a stronger voice, though Ranma was quick to sense the truth behind his words. To Genma, anything looked better than facing what Ranma had just unleashed. "T-t-tell me . . .!"

"Well . . . " She glanced to the gate. "Just meet my new fiancé!" she gushed. "After all, all YOUR choices for my fiancées kinda . . . well, as Yotsuba-chan would say it, just took the Last Checky to Saint Peter's Gate." She waved to the empty lawn where there had lain nine corpses. "Not to mention them having all sorts of problems and all that!" She snorted. "So I felt it was time to choose my OWN fiancé. After all, a 'man above men' should have full freedom of choice when it comes to his wife, ne?"

He rapidly nodded. "Yes! Y-yes! Of c-course!"

"Fair enough, then," she said before sauntering to the gate.

* * *

"You bastard . . .!"

Nabiki's teeth gnashed as she gazed through the fog at the bound, sagging Genma. She had come to this point in this weird place a minute before. She was unable to overhear everything Genma and Ranma had said, but with her years of experience reading lips, she got the general point. Ranma had his father over the hot coals. One call to Yumoa Reigi -- Oh, yes! She knew who that man was! -- would see the lazy ass panda jailed once and for all.

So why the HELL was Ranma willing to give the fool one last chance?

Unless . . .

* * *

Ataru gritted his teeth. "I think I got it . . . "

The front gates opened. Before he could understand what was happening, Ataru was snared by his collar and yanked into the school grounds. "Ataru!" Toofuu moved to catch him, but nearly got his face smashed in when the gates closed up. "Ataru!" He grabbed the bars, moving to yank hard. They did not move. "Damn it!" he screamed out in frustration.

"Toofuu-sensei, wasn't that Ranma?!" Kasumi wondered.

"I . . .!" The chiropractor stopped, gazing nowhere in particular as he considered her question. "I'm really not sure, Kasumi."

* * *

"Hello, Ataru!"

"Ranm- . . . mmmfpht!" Ataru's voice was cut off as Ranma swamped him with the proverbial mother of all French kisses.

Stuck to the tree, Genma stared at his son -- his perfect martial artist, his own legacy, his icon of manliness (even if he was currently in a girl's body!) -- presently kissing another MAN! And not just any man, but one of the most girl-crazy teenage men ever to walk the face of the planet! And that was no friendly kiss, either! Finally, Ranma pulled away from a stupefied Ataru, and then she turned to gaze at Genma. "You failed, Oyaji. Completely, totally failed!" She looked up as Ataru seemed to recover. "Right, my love?"

He looked at her, and then he shuddered as something overcame him. His eyes closed, and then opened. His left eye glowed with a burning crimson fire. "**You can say that, dear.**" A smirk twisted his lips. "**So why haven't you killed this fool yet?**" he then wondered, crossing his arms.

Ranma pulled away from him, closing her eyes as that icy fire returned. This time, it consumed Ranma and Ataru both. Once the fire faded, Neko-Ranma stood once more on the grounds of Fuurinkan High. Seeing that homicidal felinoid again sent a painful weight into Genma's stomach.

But the being standing beside Ranma . . .?!

HE was the stuff of nightmares!

* * *

Nabiki paled. "Kami-sama have mercy!"

* * *

(**AKANE, I THINK I CAN SENSE NABIKI!)**

"Okay! Get me to her, Dou-chan!"

(**RIGHT!)**

* * *

Water exploded!

"DARLING!"

Yamada moved to help the brunette get out of the pool before she drowned in what had just been her native environment. "Lum-san!"

"N-no . . .!" Lum sputtered as the door to the poolroom opened, revealing Ran, Shinobu and Ryuunosuke. "N-no . . . D-DARLING . . .!"

* * *

A growl escaped Neko-Ranma as she glared towards Tomobiki. "**NO!**" she howled. "**DON'T YOU DARE, ONI! HE'S MINE! HEAR ME?! MINE! **_**MINE!**_"

The Cyborg sighed. "**Ranma . . .!**"

* * *

"Y-y-yeah . . . when Ranma-chan falls in love with someone, h- . . .!" Nabiki sputtered before spitting out, "_She_ doesn't mess around!"

* * *

Lum looked up, her deep brown eyes glowing. She didn't sense the towels moving to wipe off the gestation fluid from her, much less the comforting hands of her friends squeezing her shoulders. "Y-y-yours . . .?!" she gasped.

* * *

"**Yes!**" Neko-Ranma snarled. "**Mine!**"

She slunk herself against the Cyborg, one of her clawed hands tracing the outline of the gunmetal-grey ascending phoenix insignia fused to the cybernetic right side of his chest. The finger traced down to the point where that symbol merged seamlessly into a golden cloth mirror version on his human left side. "**And we have YOU to thank for this, Oyaji.**" She gazed on Genma. "**Remember when you took me to Sendai? When you left me alone at our campsite when you tried to steal supplies from Ataru's uncle? Remember when you tried to take me from Ataru and Nokoko, who found me at our campsite, ALONE?!**" Her voice took on a brittle edge. "**Remember what happened next?!**"

Genma paled. "N-no . . .!"

The felinoid peered at him, and then she snorted, looking at her half-machine soul-mate. "**He doesn't remember. Typical, ne?**"

"**Hai, that it is!**" The Cyborg shrugged before straightening himself. "**Well, if it must be done, it must be done right.**"

Neko-Ranma pulled away from him as Ataru approached Genma. Stopping in front of him, the machine-man closed his good eye. Icy fire enveloped him, restoring him to normal. Almost normal; his left eye still glowed. "Saotome-san, I've a request of you," he then announced.

Genma stared blankly at him. Ataru looked tense. "Sir, having come to know your child over the last couple of weeks, may I . . .?" He paused dramatically, and then he finished, "May I ask for her hand in marriage?"

* * *

Sweat-drop, eyebrow twitch. "At least he's doing it right," Nabiki muttered before gasping on feeling a hand touch her. "Who . . .?!"

"There you are!" Akane breathed out. "Are you okay?!"

"Akane!" Nabiki felt a lump in her throat. She started on hearing her sister cry out in shock. "What . . .?" She turned to the image before them. "Oh, that!" She chuckled in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her head.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO RANMA?!" Akane shrieked.

A shrug. "Something to do with the Neko-ken, I guess."

* * *

"Marriage . . .?"

Spittle dripped from Genma's mouth as a laugh burst from him, he gazing maniacally at Ataru. "Marriage?! MARRIAGE?! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! I HAVE NO DAUGHTER! I HAVE NO SON! I HAVE NOTHING! _**NOTHING!**_"

Ataru blinked. "You've abandoned your child, then," he wondered. Seeing Genma readily nod, he shrugged. "Well, I guess you have to die."

That stopped Genma short. "'D-d-d-die' . . .?"

"Of course." Ataru turned away, an unwelcoming smile crossing his face before that cold fire came back. "**After all, according to the laws of that land where my Other and I hail, those who willingly abandon their own flesh-and-blood -- those who KILL their child's happiness for their own greed -- must pay for their sin with their LIVES!**" He gazed on Neko-Ranma. "**Agreed?**"

* * *

"What manner of beast IS that?!" Kunou hotly demanded; he had arrived ten seconds before. "What has he done to the pig-tailed one?!"

Akane's and Nabiki's elbows slammed into his head. "Shut up!"

"That, you had coming to you, Stick Boy!" Shampoo snapped.

* * *

"**Agreed**," the felinoid replied with a smirk before she allowed the cold fire to transform her. Unnoticed by anyone, the energy dome enclosing Fuurinkan High faded. Drawing out her cell-phone, she dialled a number.

"Toranoseishin Finances, Yumoa here," the other end answered.

"It's Ranma!" Ranma barked. "Genma's at Fuurinkan High! Get the police here right away! I don't think we can hold him down long!"

"Right away!"

The line was cut off. Ranma drew out the Saotome doojou sign. Walking to Genma, she stuffed that into his gi top. The teaching license then came out of her pocket to join the doojou sign. Ranma playfully tapped her father's cheek. "I won't be needing that anymore," she said with a smirk before stepping back as ki began to coalesce in her right hand.

"_**KONTOU KITEI: SHIHI OOGAMA!**_"

A wave of ki leapt from the soulsword to cleave Genma from head to groin!

* * *

"Saotome-kun . . .!" Souun burbled.

* * *

A sonic boom shattered the windows of Fuurinkan High as the cherry tree Genma was bound to was instantly shredded. Two balls of energy billowed from the impact point. The one to Ranma's right quickly formed into a panda, a replica of the same animal that drowned in Jusenkyou all those thousands of years ago. The one to Ranma's left formed more slowly into Genma. "There!" She dispersed the soulsword. "Now you can't hide, Oyaji!"

"Ranma-kun!"

Ranma started on hearing Ono Toofuu's voice. She then closed her eyes. They opened a second later, once again their normal sapphire blue shade. Ataru remained in shadow as he allowed cold fire to revert him to normal. "Yo, Doc!"

Toofuu and Kasumi stopped, their eyes widening in stunned shock on seeing Genma and the panda separated into two living beings. "What the . . .?" the former gasped before he spun on Ranma. "Ranma-kun, what happened . . .?!"

"_**SAOTOME GENMA! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!**_"

Genma jolted on hearing that scream, and then he bolted to his feet as a storm of Tokyo's riot police raced onto the property, shields and batons ready to do their necessary work. Flanking them on both sides were representatives of the Nerima division, guns out. Screaming, the martial artist turned to flee. He then cried out as a glowing kusarigama chain snared him by the leg. He kissed the ground as Ranma dispersed the ki-chain. She waved the police on to their target. "He's all yours, boys!" she called out.

Genma spun on the riot police, a weak ki ball in hand. "NO!"

It blasted through the phalanx advancing on him like a cannonball. Fortunately for the riot police, their shields and body armour protected them from serious injury. Seeing what just happened, one Nerima policeman levelled his revolver on Genma. A squeeze of the trigger later, half of the target's head disintegrated in a shower of crimson blood, pulped grey matter and shattered bone. Movement stopped as the burly martial artist wavered before he dropped to the ground. Silence fell as people stared wide-eyed at Genma. Smoke suddenly billowed from his body before a bright fire began to consume his corpse. Screams escaped the police as they backed away from the bonfire. They then fell silent as the fire instantly faded, leaving nothing behind.

A riot officer turned to Ranma. "What happened . . .?"

"We can explain that."

Everyone turned to see Negako, Cologne and Happoosai perched on her shoulders. "Negako-san?!" Toofuu blinked. "What . . .?"

"When Ranma separated Genma's birth form from his cursed form using the Fire Scythe, she didn't do it precisely enough to ensure both could live separate lives to their fullest, Doctor." Cologne's eyes narrowed. "Happy here learned that the hard way a century ago when he tried to sever the birth form and cursed form of a boy cursed by the Nyanniichuan."

"We had to watch the poor boy grow weak and die over a year's time," Happoosai continued as he bowed his eyes. "When he died, he disintegrated. There was nothing left to bury. Nothing at all. Save memories."

He looked away. The others took that in. A detective from Nerima, the senior officer present, then holstered his weapon. "Pity." He stared at the spot where Genma fell. "It would have been interesting to see that fool on trial. Alright, everyone, let's secure the scene!"

"Hai!" the other policemen chanted as they went to work.

"Ranma, did you forget something?" Negako asked.

Ranma looked nonplussed. "Oh, shit!"

She walked over to tap a point in mid-air over the walkway leading to the school's front doors. A fizzle later, nine people dropped into a heap by her feet. "Sorry about that!" She helped Nabiki and Mousse up. "We needed you all out of the way so Oyaji could be finally taken care of!"

The others were silent as they stared at Ranma or Ataru or the place where Genma just fell. Ranma was quick to notice the fear, disbelief and shock in their eyes as they glanced either at her or Ataru. Once they appeared to have sufficiently recovered, she headed to where the Tendou doojou sign rested, splattered in blood and nearly cleaved in half thanks to the Saotome honour sword. The sword in question was on the ground nearby. Ranma picked up the sword to stare at it for a moment before she gazed curiously at Ataru.

"Would you mind?" she asked.

He nodded. "Toss it."

She did. Ataru reached into his jacket to yank out his Lawgiver. Aiming on target, he barked, "Homing disrupt! Five shots!"

"_Homing disrupt, five_," the pistol's on-board computer responded.

Five _cracks!_ later, the sword was gone. Staring at the billowing mist that followed a disintegrating shot from a Lawgiver, Ranma shook her head. She glanced at the Tendou doojou sign. Taking a deep breath, she picked it up.

"Ranma-kun . . .?" Kasumi whispered.

Nabiki, Akane and Souun also noticed. Seeing the damage the sign had taken, it wouldn't require much from Ranma to destroy it. Staring at the wood, symbol of something that had warped the lives of so many over the last decade and more, she sighed. Shaking her head, she tossed it contemptuously at Souun. "Train a REAL martial artist! That is, IF Jijii gives you a new license!"

She moved to depart. "Ranma, wait . . .!" Akane called out.

The redhead stopped, snapping her fingers. "Oh, forgot . . . " She gazed on Akane, ki coalescing in her hand. "_**SEISHIN REEZAA KOOSEN!**_"

Akane screamed as the Psychic Laser Beam slammed into her, the impact's force sending her skidding back a half-dozen paces. As the youngest Tendou collapsed to the dirt, Ranma held out her hand, cupping it. "Kontou!"

The soulsword formed, causing almost everyone present to take a hesitant step away from Ranma. Even if they did not know exactly what that burning blade could do, that Ranma was willing to strike Akane -- with a KI blast of all things! -- spoke volumes. Sensing no one moving to stop her, she marched over to the slowly recovering Akane, swinging the deadly tip of that energy blade toward her face. "Ranma, don't . . .!" Nabiki cried out before her voice caught in her throat as Ranma's gaze raked over her.

Akane grunted, and then she tensed on sensing something hot yet icy cold hovering very close to her ear. She turned to see a burning column of very intensive energy, and then she shakily looked up into Ranma's eyes. "Do not EVER again presume you have the right to fight ANYONE because of me, Tendou-san," the redhead warned. "If you do that again, I will see to it you NEVER practice the martial arts for the rest of your LIFE!"

Without another word, Ranma turned around and marched off towards the front gate, the soulsword perched on her shoulder. Akane was still too out of it to make any attempt at pursuit. Save for one, the others on the lawn were just too shocked over seeing Ranma STRIKE her former fiancée to do anything.

A Demon-Head then exploded from Souun. "_**RANMA! HOW DARE YOU STRIKE MY LITTLE GIRL?!**_" he bellowed.

"Heavy stun, one shot!"

"_Heavy stun, one._"

_ZZZAP!_

Souun dropped to the dirt as Ataru holstered his Lawgiver. "Lieutenant, does Ranma have to be here to give testimony?" he asked, staring at the senior police officer as Kasumi headed over to help her dazed father.

"No, Moroboshi-san. We can send someone to talk to her tomorrow." The detective nodded, inwardly smiling on seeing Tendou Souun finally brought down so low -- and with such speed, too! Unlike many of the other senior public officials in Nerima, he knew how truly ineffectual Souun was when it came to matters such as the panty thief. "She looked tired. She best get some sleep."

"Hai." Ataru nodded as he headed off after his friend.

* * *

"Much more happened here than what they know," Cologne mused.

She, Happoosai and Negako sat on the front steps of Fuurinkan High. They were quick to note that none of Ranma's other would-be lovers had moved to accompany her and Ataru off the grounds. "Indeed," Negako said. "It would be interesting to see how these ones put this puzzle together."

Happoosai cackled. "Yes, it would be, wouldn't it?"

* * *

"Welcome home, Ani-kun."

Ataru stopped. A teary-eyed Ranma was in his arms, asleep. She had finally broke down some distance from Fuurinkan High. He stared neutrally at Chikage, she leaning against the wall beside the door leading into the old shrine. "Was this really necessary?" he finally demanded.

"It would've happened sooner or later. Just like the emergence of your hidden side would've occurred sooner or later, Ani-kun," the sorceress calmly replied before her eyebrow arched. "What would you prefer? What would Ane-kun prefer? Have it happen now when it could be controlled? Or have it happen when you least suspect it and risk the deaths of many?" A pause. "You at least had to confront the mass slaughter of Oogi's mindless minions when the Cyborg first appeared. I shudder to wonder what might have happened had that part of you emerged when Lum was still living in Tomobiki."

Ataru considered that, his lips twisting sourly. "True."

_**To be continued . . .**_


	11. 5th Part: The Morning After

_"How could you, Ranma . . .?"_

_Ranma's eyes went wide on seeing Akane float before her in a sea of burning energy. This Akane, draped in the Densetsu no Doogi, possessed a burning slash mark cleaving her face and body right to her groin. The Doogi's buckle was shattered. "Akane . . .!" she gasped._

_"I thought . . . " the apparition moaned. "You loved me . . . "_

_Ranma cried out in shock as Akane literally fell apart before her eyes. She then shrieked on feeling hands grasp her shoulders. She kicked herself away from whoever was behind her, spinning around to see a headless girl's body wearing an okonomiyaki-ka's uniform. "U-chan!"_

_"Ran-chan . . . " Ukyou's head floated by. "Why . . .?"_

_Ranma squeezed her eyes shut. "U-chan . . . "_

_"__**Humph! Pathetic!**__"_

_Her eyes flew open as she spun right, nausea surging up her throat on seeing the darkened figure standing a couple metres away. Despite her being in total shadow, the body shape and hairstyle spoke volumes. "Wh-who . . .?"_

_"__**Just pathetic.**__" The newcomer came out of shadow, revealing Ranma's face pierced by cat-slit eyes. "__**Isn't it?**__" She glanced at the decapitated Ukyou. "__**Even in death, all they can do is whine and complain that you didn't kowtow to them like you did when they were still alive!**__" She sneered. "__**Honestly, what did we ever do in our life to deserve this shit, eh?**__"_

_Ranma peered at her doppelgänger. As Ukyou's body bumped against her, she took it, and then reached for her head in some vain hope of reattaching them. "__**Oh, please! Don't bother!**__" the other Ranma snarled. "__**She doesn't deserve help from us. None of them do. None of them EVER did!**__"_

_She waved around them. Ranma looked before a fresh bout of nausea surged through her. There floated Shampoo, the top of her head ripped away. Over here was Mousse, a big hole where his forehead should be. Near him was Nabiki, a jagged wound in her chest. A decapitated Kunou Tatewaki. Kodachi with a sword wound under her breast, her throat ripped out. Souun chopped in half. And a sea of shattered body parts and globs of human blood, a hand holding a fifty-yen coin floating nearby. Ninomiya Hinako, Ranma concluded._

_What was left of her . . ._

_"Why . . .?"_

_"__**Why?**__" Neko-Ranma snorted. "__**Why not? They would've done that to us one way or another if we didn't kowtow to them! You know that as much as I do! Those spineless bastards got what they deserved!**__"_

_Ranma spun on her doppelgänger. "WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO DO THIS!" she shrilled, pointing to the drifting corpses. "NONE! Yeah, they were idiots, but they sure as hell didn't deserve something like THIS . . .!"_

_"__**Oh, spare me, please!**__" Neko-Ranma spat out. "__**Have any of these fools ever done what we've done?! No! Have they fought immortals, dragon half-breeds, monsters and a fucking OCEAN of martial artists?! No! Have they endured insult after insult because of what Jusenkyou did to us?! NO!**__" She pointed to the corpses. "__**All they've ever done, all EVERYONE WE'VE MET has ever done to us, is spit on us, use us, laugh at us, insult us and HATE us! Well, FINE!**__" She made a dismissive wave, and then she thumbed herself. "__**If that's the way they want to keep treating us, then let's show them what we can REALLY to do to them, to ALL of them, in return!**__"_

_Ranma shuddered. "I won't let you . . . " she hissed._

_"__**Oh?!**__" Her double smirked. "__**What're you doing to do? Destroy me? You can't! I'm PART of you! If you destroy me, you doom yourself! And not just yourself . . . **__" She pointed behind Ranma. "__**But him, too!**__"_

_Ranma turned to see a ghostly image float behind her. "Ataru . . . "_

_"__**Right,**__" Neko-Ranma drawled. "__**We're bound to him, remember? If we die, he dies. What's more important to us now, Ranma? Our Other? Or them?**__" She contemptuously indicated the corpses floating nearby._

_Ranma fell silent. "__**Don't worry about what happened last night, Ranma.**__" Neko-Ranma then snorted. "__**Thanks to you learning how to manipulate those null-time bubbles in Sanctuary, you saved their sorry asses.**__" A ho-hum look crossed her face. "__**Then again, does it matter? We're going to be leaving these fools behind. And if they have a problem with that, well . . . **__" She shrugged, turning away from Ranma. "__**It's nice to know that we can kill them all if we really feel it necessary. Ne?**__"_

_As Neko-Ranma faded from view, Ranma screamed out, "NO . . .!"_

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO . . .!" 

Ranma gasped as she felt strong arms embrace her. She turned, sinking into Ataru's hug. "There, there . . . " he whispered before kissing her, his hand ruffling her hair. "It's okay. It's okay. It's just a nightmare . . . "

"N-n-n-nightmare . . .?" she sputtered before a pained moan escaped her.

Ataru remained still as she wept, his eyes narrow as fingers kneaded and stroked her vibrant crimson locks. The door to his bedroom opened, revealing a worried Sakuya. "Onii-sama, is . . .?" She stopped on seeing Ranma crying.

"Nightmare," he wordlessly mouthed.

Sakuya nodded. As the door closed, Ataru allowed Ranma to sink into her futon, his hands keeping her close. Her moans continued for what seems an eternity before a train of sniffles heralded a restoration of self-control. "Th-thanks . . . " she then muttered under her breath.

He stared at her. "You okay?"

"Should I be . . .?" She bit her lip, and then reached up to stroke his cheek above his beard. "That guyver-thing you turned into . . .?"

"Same general idea as what you can become now," he confirmed. "And initially created under surprisingly similar circumstances. For me, it was Onee-chan being forced into my mind when I was six. For you, it was . . . "

"The Neko-ken training when I was ten." She rubbed her forehead. "Could that've happened because of the bond between us? I . . . "

He shrugged, reaching up to rub the side of her cheek. "Maybe."

"I killed them, Ataru . . . "

He shook his head. "No, you didn't."

"But that thing said . . . "

"You used the null-time bubbles, remember?"

"But still . . . "

"No!" He placed a firm finger on her lips before leaning down to kiss her forehead. "They're still alive, Ranma. No one died."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "You know that's a lie!"

"I'm not a theologian, Ranma," he reminded her as he shifted himself onto his back, allowing her to lean on his arm. "Don't worry about things that can't be changed. All you'll do is working yourself into a nervous breakdown."

"I can't forget that, Ataru."

"I know."

Silence fell as they lay together. "Was it the same for you?" Ranma then asked. "When the Cyborg first came out?"

He scowled. "Fortunately, no. You might say that I had the very distinct _pleasure_ . . . " -- she could sense the sarcasm in his voice on saying that word -- "Of watching three billion people die when that happened."

They stared at each other. Ranma drew her arms around Ataru.

No more words needed to be said.

* * *

_**Lonely Souls  
**_By Fred Herriot  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

**

* * *

**

**THE FIFTH PART - THE MORNING AFTER **

To quote the old Cat Stevens song, morning had broken over Tokyo and her many surrounding municipalities. For some, however, this day would be radically different than any in recent memory. Events on the front lawn of a high school in Nerima would have earth-shattering repercussions for most of its participants for years to come, perhaps even the rest of their lives.

Case in point: The Tendou doojou.

Kasumi shuddered as the rays of the morning sun penetrated her bedroom window and curtains. Grunting, she shifted into a sitting position to rub the sleep from her eyes. Pausing as her senses reached out to detect the current state of the house's wa, the eldest daughter blinked on sensing that both her siblings were awake. Odd. Akane was often an early riser, but she rarely if EVER got up at THIS time of the morning. Nabiki, even with her moving to recapture her martial arts skills over the last week, still preferred to get as much beauty sleep as she could. A glance in the direction of her father's bedroom a floor below revealed Souun to still be asleep, no doubt emotionally exhausted from last night's shocking and traumatizing events. A glance towards the guest rooms revealed Happoosai currently in his own room, also asleep -- not to mention a yawning emptiness from the space that, until last night, served as quarters for Saotome Genma. Genma . . .

Kasumi shuddered as the climax of events at Fuurinkan High replayed in her mind's eyes. A furious Ranma unleashing something she called the "Modified Soulsword/Fire Scythe of Death" on Genma. A cascade of ki slammed into the Saotome patriarch, it possessing the energy necessary to sever his normal body from the cursed form Jusenkyou forced on him months ago. The riot police stormed onto the grounds soon after, prepared to lay the long arm of the law on the Saotome patriarch. Genma tried to flee, but Ranma used a "psychic kusarigama" to propel her father into Justice's embrace. Genma then tried to use a ki blast to scatter the police before making his escape -- and he was shot down by a local officer defending his brother policemen. On his falling, an unexpected side-effect of the Fire Scythe disintegrated Genma's body in a burst of fire, leaving nothing behind of the Saotome patriarch save memories.

Shifting the covers away, Kasumi swung her feet into slippers. Standing, she reached for her housecoat. Once dressed, she made her way to Nabiki's bedroom. A gentle knock was responded by, "C'mon in, Onee-chan!"

Kasumi peeked inside to see Nabiki in her nightclothes, she seated at her work desk, her legs tucked in underneath her. On her desk were several sheets of heavy art paper, plus several plain and coloured pencils. Seeing that, Kasumi fought down an urge to smile. Before their mother's passing, Nabiki frequently demonstrated her skill with coloured pencils, a skill that seemed to have vanished over the years as the middle daughter threw her agile mind into ensuring a roof remained over their heads. "Have you been up for long?" Kasumi asked as she stepped inside, moving to take a look at Nabiki's work.

The middle daughter quickly sensed what gained her sibling's interest. "Been dozing on and off since we came back from the school." She picked up one sheet, holding it up for Kasumi. "Take a look at Ranma-kun's LATEST trick."

Kasumi took the sheet -- and nearly dropped it on seeing what had been drawn there. "A winged . . . catgirl?!" She stared at Nabiki. "I didn't know you were into THIS sort of fantasy . . . " she said, moving to be flippant.

The look Nabiki gave her in response told the eldest Tendou daughter this was NO joking matter. "Droll, Onee-chan. Real droll."

Kasumi blinked before staring at the picture. Turning it to gaze on those fierce features from a new angle, she frowned. "This is unlike any feline I've ever seen," she noted before staring at Nabiki. "An alien feline?"

"Possibly, especially given what Ataru-kun turns into." Nabiki reached under one of her pictures of Neko-Ranma to draw another sheet of paper, holding it up to allow Kasumi a view of the Cyborg. "What do you think of THIS?!"

Kasumi blanched, a hand flying right to her mouth. "Oh, dear . . . "

"Yeah." Nabiki placed that picture down, sitting back in her chair. "A lot's changed with Ranma-kun, Onee-chan," she then warned.

"So it seems," Kasumi agreed before she placed the picture of Neko-Ranma onto the desk. "What happened last night?" she then asked.

Nabiki sighed. "Like I told you after we came back home. We all get together at the school. Genma shows up trying to slice Ranma-kun down with his mom's katana. Hinako-sensei tries to stop it and nearly gets skewered. Ranma-kun takes the hit and _BANG!_" She made an exploding motion with her hands. "We all wind up in this big, white NOTHING! By the time I managed to get to some place where I can see what's going on in the real world, Genma's bound against a tree, Ranma-kun's a catgirl, Ataru-kun's doing his Terminator impression and . . . " A deep breath. "Shortly after that, you and Toofuu-sensei are on the scene. You know what happened next."

Kasumi slowly nodded. "How did this all come about?"

"Only person that'd know the whole story is most likely Negako."

"Negako-san?"

Nabiki nodded. "Yep. Onee-chan, last night, Ranma-kun was able to use a SOULSWORD! That's the deadliest basic manoeuvre in Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu. One touch of the blade edge, you're dead. One touch of the flat, your brain becomes instant fried nattou . . . "

"Ranma-kun is capable of learning martial arts forms VERY quickly . . . "

"Onee-chan, I KNOW!" Nabiki cut her off. "But how is it he LEARNED all this?! Negako's been HERE in Nerima while Ranma-kun's been off with Ataru-kun and his family! And I don't think Ataru-kun could've taught him that!"

Silence fell over the room as the elder Tendou daughter considered that. She then crossed her arms. "What do you plan to do now?"

"Get some answers from Negako about what's been going on with Ataru-kun since Lum got kicked off the planet," Nabiki replied. "Onee-chan, there's something about this part of Ranma-kun you have to know." She pointed to the pictures. "This part of Ranma-kun is clearly female in personality. What's worse, 'she' is VERY attracted to Ataru-kun. If there's any hope, ANY hope at all remaining for Akane-chan to patch up things with Ranma-kun, we have to find out what's going on between him and Ataru-kun."

Kasumi nodded.

* * *

Unseen by her siblings, Akane was standing in the hallway between hers and Nabiki's rooms. The door to the middle Tendou daughter's bedroom was ajar enough to have allowed her to overhear a LOT of what Nabiki and Kasumi had said over the last couple of minutes. Unfortunately, given her long habit of assuming many wrong things about Ranma . . . 

_That monster that possessed Ranma . . . it's attracted to MOROBOSHI?!_ she exclaimed as she quietly shuffled back into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Walking over to her own work desk, she sat, leaning on her elbows as she tried to make sense of what she just heard. _Or is it just that guyver-thing Moroboshi turns into . . .?!_ Her forehead furrowed before her eyes went wide. _Wait a minute! How is it Moroboshi turns into that thing in the first place?! Was it something Negako-san did . . .?!_

A hollow sleeve tapped her. Akane gasped, spinning around to see the Densetsu no Doogi floating by her chair, it tilted in a display of concern. A sign went up. (**YOU OKAY, AKANE?!**) It twirled around. (**WHAT'S WRONG?**)

Akane gazed on the magic fighting uniform. She then grimaced as the altercation between herself and Ranma in the wake of Genma's death replayed. "Do not EVER again presume you have the right to fight ANYONE because of me, Tendou-san," the redhead said after giving Akane a dose of the Psychic Laser Beam, one of the basic ki attacks of Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu. Ranma then followed that with a warning that if such happened again, she would see to it that Akane's career in the martial arts would come to an end.

Akane shuddered as a swell of anger thundered up from her heart. Then her body lost strength as a cloud of regret put a damper on that. Hugging herself, she fought back tears as the sheer scale of what had been lost over the last few weeks came back to her. The blunder she made with the Nanniichuan casket at the wedding and how the after-effects of THAT spiralled out of control over the following weeks, exploding finally in the fight between the fiancées over Souun, Genma and Nodoka's last attempt to force a marriage between Ranma and Akane. An explosion that had sent Ranma away for four weeks. And when he returned, he announced that he would be leaving the Tendous. When that happened, Akane would be forced onto a level playing field with Ukyou and Shampoo when it came to vying for Ranma. Even more, Ranma warned that if his would-be lovers screwed up, their claims on him would be rejected regardless of what honour demanded or the cost such might unleash on the fiancées.

Then, in the immediate wake that awful terrorist attack on Tomobiki High School last week, the Tendous and the Saotomes learned that Ranma had befriended MOROBOSHI ATARU of all people! The so-called "Cancer of Tomobiki" -- a man whose levels of lechery rivalled Happoosai's despite his late "wife" Lum's attempts at taming him -- who had mysteriously vanished from his hometown the very day of the failed wedding at the Tendou doojou, had just come back from a long training trip. A trip that ultimately helped Ataru become a world-class martial artist in his own right, a lingering "gift" of his being the last host of a sentient non-corporeal life form created by the Moroboshi Clan with the help of Master Hosan Hirosuke eight hundred years ago. A sentient non-corporeal life form that currently lived as Moroboshi Negako, Grandmaster of the Moroboshi-Hana Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjutsu-ryuu, the only real friend of Happoosai, Ataru's adopted elder sister . . . and Ranma's new sensei, thanks to Negako soon discovering Genma's greatest blunder concerning his son and heir.

A blunder Akane learned of the HARD way the day after things literally exploded in Tomobiki, when an automatic outburst of anger thanks to Ranma's showing up her dearth of cooking skills resulted in a shattered arm. AND effectively destroyed what respect Ranma might have held for her, not to mention ending what relationship they had. Negako's discovery also, atop driving a permanent wedge between Ranma and his father, destroyed Genma's marriage, which brought up the spectre of Ranma renouncing the Saotome name to wipe the slate clean when it came to matters of honour. THAT spectre had ultimately driven Akane into getting the Densetsu no Doogi back in hopes of giving her one last chance at bringing Ranma back into her home.

But Ranma had, to everyone's shock and disbelief, stayed a step ahead of the game this time. Last night, as he moved to destroy the Saotome doojou sign to bring a final end to Genma's and Souun's dreams, Ranma revealed that he had somehow been given the legal right to form an AUTONOMOUS branch of the Saotome Clan, free of any obligations being Genma's and/or Nodoka's child might force on him. Saotome Ranma, the would-be husband of Tendou Akane, Kuonji Ukyou, Nu Shanpú, Kunou Kodachi and who knew how many other people -- was legally no more. Thus, with Genma's death shortly afterward, the Saotome School of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu was wiped out forever.

Ranma, Negako told everyone after the transformed martial artist had left the school grounds with Ataru, was presently a student of Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu thanks to a private agreement between herself and Happoosai reached days before. On hearing that, Souun launched an immediate protest, one instantly shot down by Happoosai. Declaring the Saotome-ryuu dead with Genma, he then seized the Tendou doojou sign and shattered it. "When you decide to wake up to reality, Souun, THEN I'll consider giving you a new license," the aged grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu snarled before leaving the school grounds with Negako and Cologne. "Until then, the Tendou-ryuu is no more."

Poor Souun had to be dragged home, comatose over the fact that EVERYTHING he and Genma had tried to create had been destroyed so easily and so SWIFTLY. Genma dead, Souun's doojou wiped out, Ranma living with the Moroboshis . . .

The Moroboshis.

Akane shuddered as she remembered what Kasumi and Nabiki had just said concerning Ranma's and Ataru's other-selves. She then glanced at the Doogi. "Gomen, Dou-chan." She placed a hand on its shoulder. "Right now, I'm going to have to do some things on my own."

**(CAN I HELP?!**) the sentient battle uniform signed.

Akane shook her head. "No. Ranma doesn't like you, remember?" Seeing the Doogi tilt its blazer in a mimicked nod, she then sighed. "Atop that, who knows WHAT sort of feelings that cat-monster might actually have concerning all of us. Right now . . . " Her jaw tightened. "I have to find some way to convince Ranma to come home. If there is something connecting him to Moroboshi that allows that cat-monster to take control of him, separating Ranma from Moroboshi might get rid of that thing . . . "

(**YOU CAN'T FIGHT THOSE MONSTERS, AKANE),** the Doogi then frantically signed. (**EVEN WITH MY HELP, YOU'D LOSE. BADLY.**)

"Hai, true." She grimaced, fighting down a burst of anger at admitting the fact that Saotome Ranma -- much less Moroboshi Ataru! -- was worlds better than Tendou Akane in the martial arts. "But one way or another, Dou-chan, I'm bringing Ranma back home!" she then vowed.

A pause as the Doogi considered Akane's words. It then signed (**IF YOU NEED ME, I'LL BE RIGHT HERE FOR YOU, AKANE.**)

She beamed. "Thanks, Dou-chan."

* * *

In a secluded part of Tomobiki, someone rose. Stretching, Fujinami Ryuunosuke rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Glancing around the room she just spent the previous night in, a shiver quaked her as a sense of unfamiliarity seized her for a moment. Memory then clicked in as she saw Mister Big Screen, and then her eyes turned right and down to gaze on the peacefully dozing woman beside her. "Ran . . . " she whispered. 

Leaning down, she kissed the alien teen's cheek before sliding herself back under the covers. She took a moment to glance briefly on the nightstand. The chronometer sitting there had been adjusted to read local time. Seeing how early it was, Ryuunosuke closed her eyes. A couple more hours' sleep would do her some good, especially since she had no school to worry about. Given last week's shattering events, officials decided to keep Tomobiki High closed for another day before allowing the new school term to start.

"Good morning, Ryuu-chan."

Ryuunosuke's eyes opened, a smile crossing her face on seeing Ran gazing warmly at her. "'Morning." She leaned over to kiss the alien teen's lips before leaning back. "Didya sleep okay last night, Ran-chan?" she then asked.

"Hai." Ran's eyes then glowed. "Hmmm. Lum-chan and Shinobu-chan are still asleep in the guest room. Guess they needed it."

"What happened last night, anyway?"

Ran shook her head. "I'm not too sure. Lum-chan tried to reach out telepathically to Darling, but someone got in the way."

Ryuunosuke considered that, and then she shook her head. "It ain't gonna happen between them, Ran-chan. Is there some way to help Lum let him go?"

"I don't know," Ran admitted. "Right now, we can't worry about that."

"Why?" the tomboy asked before catching herself. "Right, I forgot!" She snapped her fingers. "The Men in Black're gonna be here later today to help you and Lum settle in." She nodded. "You want me to stick around, Ran-chan?"

"No. Jay and Kay get a little nervous when outsiders try to learn how the SCAA does business." Ran then chuckled, an inviting smile crossing her face. "Still, it shouldn't take us that long. Are you busy today?"

Ryuunosuke considered the invitation to a date lying unspoken in her bed mate's words. While she would not have really wanted to date a girl while her father was still alive -- except if (as what happened in Ryuunosuke's only previous date with Ran) the chance was there she could try to learn new things about being a girl -- Ryuunosuke couldn't deny that Ran really cared for her. Besides, if things happened, they happened. Much that it surprised her, she felt calm about this. "Not really." She shrugged. "Got somethin' in mind?"

"Oh, shopping, a long dinner, a movie . . . " Ran reached over to draw Ryuunosuke closer to her. "After that'll be up to us, I guess."

They kissed. "We're kinda moving fast, aren't we?" Ryuunosuke mused.

Ran frowned. "Who cares about how fast we go?"

The tomboy considered that before shrugging. "True."

* * *

"There! All done!" 

"Rinrin-chan, what are you doing up so early?"

Rinrin chuckled on seeing Shirayuki heading to the kitchen. "Oh, 'morning, Shirayuki-chan. Just doing some graphics work."

"What graphics?" The chef walked over to gaze on the screen of Rinrin's laptop. Recognizing what was being displayed, Shirayuki stared quizzically at the teen inventor. "Rinrin-chan, are you redesigning Nii-sama's room?"

Rinrin eagerly nodded. "Expanding it so Aniki and Aneki can live together. We can take the space from the divider between Aniki's and Karen-chan's room to the main doors. Let the room grow out five metres, which'd take up everything under the canopy, plus a bit. The storeroom doesn't need a window, so we can close it off. Toss in a kitchenette and make the other new space the main bedroom. They can use the old room as a living room. We can shift the closet so they can use the old closet space for a study area, too," she explained, indicating the changes she made.

"Sugoi desu no!" The chef whistled. "That'll be so nice!"

"You best add an upstairs atrium, Rinrin-chan."

Both turned as Chikage stepped up. "What do you mean?" Rinrin asked.

"Add a bedroom on the second floor level outside the girl's furo." The sorceress pointed to the area she was concerned with. "Slip in a ladder to the kitchenette. Design it so it doesn't obliterate more of Aria-chan's window view than necessary. If you want, stagger it to hang over the main doors. We don't need the extra window on the stairwell leading to the second floor, ne?"

Rinrin considered that before nodding. "Yeah, I can do that. But why would Aniki and Aneki need an extra bedroom, Chikage-chan? I doubt they're going to worry about having kids until long after they get married."

A knowing chuckle escaped Chikage. "You'll be surprised, Rinrin-chan."

She headed to the furo room for a morning soak. "There are days Hime thinks she'll NEVER understand Chikage-chan!" Shirayuki moaned.

Rinrin sighed. "You said it."

* * *

The lovely twenty-something in slacks and polo shirt stifled a yawn as she stepped aboard the Shinkan-sen. It was the first run of the day between Morioka and Tokyo. Glancing around, Feiya -- to those who knew her beyond the bounds of the Hotel Kiraboshi, she was Arima Fumiko -- tried not to smile too much as she took her seat by a window. Travelling at odd times of the day to avoid the crowds was an acquired art form in Japan. It is one Feiya/Fumiko had to master quickly. One need not look past her tapered ears, presently hidden under thick bangs of raven-black hair, to truly understand why. 

The doors whooshed shut. The train glided away from Fukushima station on its trip south into the Kantou plain. Barring unforeseen problems, it would arrive in Tokyo in less than two hours. Once in the capital, it would be a quick transfer to the Marunouchi subway line to Nakano-Sakaue, another transfer to the Toei Ooedo line which would take her to Nerima, and then yet another transfer onto the Seibu Ikebukuro line for Tomobiki. Tomobiki . . .

Fumiko's brown eyes closed as her mind shifted back in time a year . . .

* * *

_"THAT CAN'T BE TRUE!"_

_Ishi took a deep breath before facing the younger woman. "It is." The doctor, senior physician to the Church's observers in the Holy City, nodded. "The blood tests do not lie, especially in cases such as yourself, Feiya. You are . . . " He paused before hoarsely whispering the last word, "Avalonian."_

_Feiya stared at him, her body quaking slightly as the word echoed again and again and again in her mind. Avalonian? HER?! But . . .!_

_"How . . .?"_

_Was that her voice?_

_Ishi sighed. "It is a recent development, admittedly. Those of the Faithful on the Homeworld who lose a child due to some unforeseen accident often view the bioroid factory on Phentax Twelve as the perfect way to get their child 'back.' It's not illegal, though the . . . " -- his lips twisted into a scowl bleeding contempt -- " . . . potential outcome of such 'adoptions' have yet to really sink in with the ruling councils."_

_"What does that mean for me?"_

_The fear in her voice was noticeable. Feiya knew the rules, just as much as Ishi. NO Avalonian was to leave Niphentaxian sovereign territory, especially under her own free will. The leaders of the Church of Lum considered themselves very blessed to have the bioroid factory under their control. If news of its existence managed to become commonplace across the Galactic Federation, who knew WHAT could happen next. To ensure such did NOT happen, any Avalonian caught in places like Earth was to disappear. Literally._

_"You are one of the Faithful, Feiya. A blind man could understand that without being told. To . . . " He looked out the window of his office, located close to the Aisuru home. "Do something like THAT to one of the Faithful is wrong. But still . . . " He shrugged._

_"Sensei . . . " Feiya's eyes softened._

_Ishi closed his eyes before he nodded. "There is a way."_

* * *

Fumiko twitched slightly on sensing a hand glide up one of her thighs. _Chikan_, her mind automatically declared as her hand grabbed the twerp's wrist. Then, with a sharp snap-twist of her fingers, she sent him face-first into the seat ahead of him. The twerp in question, a middle-aged salaryman, grunted painfully as he felt the bones in his wrist shift into unnatural positions. Fumiko let go, and then grabbed she his hair to yank him back so she could glare intently into his eyes. "Get lost," she hissed. 

She contemptuously shoved him into the aisle with a well-placed foot. He collapsed onto his butt. Then, staring warily at the strange, raven-haired woman in the window seat for a moment, he staggered off. Fumiko paid him no further attention as she watched the countryside pass by.

"Another one," she whispered, her voice drowned out by the train. "Another one like me. How the hell did that happen? How . . .?"

* * *

"Oh, Panda-san, you didn't need to do this!" 

(**PLEASE, I INSIST!**) The sign went up before it twirled. (**BEING YOUR GUEST IS MUCH MORE PLEASING TO ME THAN STAYING IN A ZOO!**)

Sitting around a low coffee table, Ninomiya Hinako, Ono Toofuu, Cologne and Moroboshi Negako gazed on the beast as he sat between the teacher and the doctor. Toofuu and the Nujiézú elder chuckled. When she had awoke twenty minutes before, the metamorphic teacher discovered that her new guest had spent some time cleaning up her apartment. "He's more human than most humans!" Cologne declared, gazing in amusement at Toofuu.

"A pity we can't apply a Nanniichuan curse to him." Toofuu sighed before gazing on the entity that, in one sense of the term, had died well over two millennia ago to ultimately create the Jusenkyou pool known as Shonmaoniichuan. "If you want, I'll be happy to keep you in my employ as my grounds-keeper."

**(I ACCEPT YOUR GENEROUS OFFER WITH THANKS, SENSEI,**) the panda raised a sign. (**BUT PLEASE DON'T EXPECT ME TO ANSWER PHONES.**)

"We should think of a name for you," Hinako proposed, she currently an adult thanks to a special ki-boost from Negako. "I don't think you want to be called 'Panda-san' or any silly or 'cute' name like they apply to your brothers and sisters in zoos. What do you think?"

The panda crossed his arms in contemplation. Watching him, the others were quick to notice how much Genma had actually come to influence this being in the year and more since the Saotome patriarch fell into that particular spring. Finally, a sign went up. (**I WOULDN'T MIND THAT.**) It twirled around. (**I LEAVE THAT DECISION TO YOU SINCE I DIDN'T HAVE A NAME IN MY PAST LIFE.**) Another twirl. (**BUT PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU ALL, DON'T CALL ME 'GENMA.'**) Yet another twirl. (**I WISH NOT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT MAN ANYMORE!**)

"We'll spend time thinking about that," Toofuu assured the panda before turning to Hinako. "So school's cancelled today because of the window damage."

"Not to mention cleaning the debris from that tree Saotome-kun destroyed when he used the Fire Scythe." Hinako gazed on Negako. "It surprised me that your uncle's company was quick to offer to pay for repairs, Negako-san."

"It is of no concern," Negako admitted. "What happened last night was instigated by our family due to our desire to help Ranma. It would be only proper to see the matter resolved to the benefit of as many as possible."

"Good." Toofuu nodded, a knowing look crossing his face. "So what of Ranma-kun, Negako-san? What DID happen last night? When I stepped onto the school grounds before Genma was shot, I couldn't ignore what I sensed."

"What did you sense?" Hinako wondered.

"Death."

Silence fell. A clawed finger tapped the table. Eyes locked on the panda as he raised a sign. (**SENSEI, YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW!**)

"You know what happened?!" Hinako asked.

"He does."

As the others looked on her, Negako's face turned icily neutral. "What I am about to speak of, I would desire none of you repeat outside this room," she instructed. "What happened last night concerning Ranma's 'neko-self,' Ataru's Cyborg persona and Genma must be answered with emotional support, from you AND from those around her. She does NOT deserve condemnation for murder."

Toofuu and Hinako paled. Cologne grimly nodded.

* * *

"School's cancelled?" 

"Yeah." Nabiki replaced the telephone receiver into its cradle; her homeroom teacher had just called. "The damage to all the windows, plus that wrecked tree, has to get cleaned up before they'd allow classes to continue."

She sat by the table. Kasumi nodded. "I think Kunou-san and his friends will be disappointed they won't be able to play with Akane-chan today."

"Much that I care." Akane sneered, and then something came to her. "Hey! Why don't I go to school and wait for the Horde? When they don't show up, I declare Kunou's challenge null-and-void, then avoid them in the future!"

Kasumi blinked, and then she grinned. "It's a wonder why you never thought of doing something like that before, Akane-chan."

Akane stared at her plate. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" she noted, and then a nod twitched her head. "What the hell! I WILL do it! I'll get the girls in the class to come down so I can have witnesses to what I say, and then go from there. That should knock the wind out of Kunou's sails!"

"I'll call to make sure the Blue Blunder doesn't show up and spoil it," Nabiki then volunteered before heading to her bedroom.

Souun stepped in. Gazing on him, Kasumi and Akane winced on seeing the look on his face. "Do you want some tea, Father?" Kasumi asked as he sat.

He stared nowhere in particular for a moment. Then, realizing his child just asked him something, he nodded. "Yes, please."

Kasumi headed to the kitchen. Akane turned back to her breakfast. "Are you going to see Ranma-kun today, Akane?" Souun asked.

"I . . . " Akane paused before sighing. "Yes. Why?"

"You will tell him to come here as soon as he can."

Akane stared quizzically at him. "Why?"

"He has things to answer for." Souun grimaced. "What happened . . . "

"No, Father!"

He spun around, seeing Kasumi stare angrily at him. "Kasumi . . . "

"That is ENOUGH!" she snapped. Storming up to him, she glared into his eyes, her actions making him shrink on himself. "Why, Father?! Why are you pressing this madness, even after, ESPECIALLY after, all that's happened since the wedding?! Do you actually BLAME Ranma-kun for doing what was RIGHT, what was PROPER, when it came to that lazy fool you called a 'friend?!'"

Souun quaked. "He deliberately . . .!"

"What?! He deliberately led Genma to his death?! Is that what you were going to say?! No, he didn't! Ranma-kun simply reported what Genma did wrong to the proper authorities! And THEN the police stepped in to deal with the matter! And from what I saw last night, it wasn't Ranma-kun's fault that Genma actually used a KI blast on RIOT POLICE! What did you expect them to do?!"

"They had no right to involve themselves in private business . . .!"

"'Private' business?!" Kasumi shrilled, making Souun duck. "It stopped being private when Genma started selling his son off to every family that crossed his path! Did you know Ranma-kun found out about FIVE more fiancées Genma never bothered to tell him about?! Did you know the size of the food bill that lazy oaf would've eventually slouched off on Ranma-kun?! Well?!"

"Enough!" Souun snapped. "Ranma-kun will come here and . . .!"

"No, he will not!"

His eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"I said 'he will not,' Father," Kasumi snarled as she pointed at him. "You have no right to demand ANYTHING of Ranma-kun now . . .!"

She cried out as Souun's hand lashed at her face. Before it could strike, a pipe caught it, and then he was sent flying. Crashing into the koi pond, he surged up, and then he stopped on seeing Happoosai glaring at him from the porch. "I think you'd know better, Souun!" the grandmaster snarled.

"You stay out of this . . .!"

"SHUT UP!" Happoosai roared, making Souun wail as his master's battle aura seemed to consume the Tendou home. As soon as the Tendou patriarch had collapsed to his knees in the koi pond, a burble escaping his lips, Happoosai relaxed. "Like I told you last night, you blind fool!" he said, turning to head inside. "Wake up to something called 'Reality!' It's all you have left!"

The Tendou patriarch remained still, weeping. "No . . .!"

* * *

"Ye gods . . .!" 

"I can't believe that!"

Cologne nodded. "Believe it."

Toofuu and Hinako exchanged a look before the former turned to Negako. "Is there some way for Ranma-kun to be rid of that thing?"

The grandmaster shook her head. "Not without ultimately killing her -- and Ataru -- along the way. Yes, it is through Ranma's 'neko' self and Ataru's Cyborg persona that their personal psionic link is maintained. It has been that way since Ranma underwent the Neko-ken training. But those personas are deeply ingrained in the other elements of their minds. How it is that Neko-Ranma and the Cyborg are able to access their hosts' memories? How is it they know exactly who is what in their hosts' lives?"

The chiropractor and the teacher exchanged a stunned look. "And this part of Saotome-kun . . . " The latter turned back to Negako, the fear in her voice quite apparent. "Hates us all? Hates us to the point where it would kill us if it got the chance? Every one of us who might have hurt him in one way or another, regardless of reason, since he underwent that awful training?"

Negako nodded, a thin smile crossing her face. "Yes. Do you think she would forget the time you repeatedly absorbed her ki while you were a guest of the Tendous just so you could remain an adult to impress Souun, Hinako? Do you think, Kelun, she would forget you forcing her through the cat's tongue? Even a 'trivial' incident like what you did to Ranma to give her a 'favourable' impression of Akane would loom large in Neko-Ranma's eyes, Toofuu."

Silence fell as the others considered her words. Toofuu then took a deep breath before he shook his head. "We helped create a time-bomb. Thus we have the responsibility to help defuse it before it destroys Ranma-kun and all those she cares for. What's your plan, Negako-san?"

"Remove Ranma from Nerima, plus restrict if not outright block any attempt by Ranma's would-be paramours or rivals to force her to remain in a place where she should not be," Negako explained. "That has been, in effect, done. All marriage claims save Shanpú's were resolved when Ranma declared herself an orphan and was allowed to start her own branch of the Saotome Clan. Shanpú's claim will be resolved when Kelun's fellow councillors allow the Blood-Sibling Law to be invoked. At the same time -- we may arrange this today -- Ranma will be transferred from Fuurinkan High to Stargazer West College, then allowed to complete her high school education in peace."

"Though I am familiar with many aspects of Promised Island, I don't know too much about the school," Cologne mused. "Is it good?"

"Very good," Hinako replied. "It's one of the top 'ladder' schools in the country. Negako-san's family supports it with grants and scholarships. Saotome-kun . . . " She paused, and then she asked, "Is Ranma really a girl?"

Toofuu nodded. "Yes. I didn't get the chance to examine her in detail last night, but from what I could sense, Ranma-kun . . . " A chuckle escaped him. "I guess I can't call hi- . . .! -- Excuse me, _her!_ -- that anymore, can I?" A pause, and then he nodded. "I'd like to see her. Could you ask Sakuya-chan to bring her down sometime today?"

"Why not ask me to bring Ane-kun to see you, Toofuu-kun?"

Toofuu screamed, spinning around to see a smiling Chikage gazing amusedly at him. "CHIKAGE!" he wailed, waving her away.

As he launched into yet another bout of love-sickness, the others laughed. "I'd love to hear THIS story!" Cologne declared.

* * *

"Oh, darn! No school today?!" 

"I'm afraid not." Sakurambou Sakura was currently standing by the front gate of Tomobiki High. "We were warned by the Ministry that several students were transferring to our school, so I was made to stand guard here in case some of you didn't get the message ahead of time."

"Bummer." The rose-haired tomboy with the amber-brown eyes smirked before holding out her hand. "I'm Sawada Minako, from Maizuru."

"Metro Kyoto . . .?" Her eyes then widened before a pleased smile crossed her face. "I've heard of you! You're the reigning Kyoto Metro women's high school kendou champion! Welcome to Tomobiki, Sawada-san!"

"Hai, that's me! But PLEASE, don't blurt it out to everyone in sight, Sensei." Minako gave her hand a squeeze. "People back home, especially the girls, just became a pack of raving otaku when I won that!" She then perked on sensing someone approach her. "Ah . . . "

Sakura tensed. "What is it?"

"It's nothing. Just a couple of close friends," Minako explained. Sensing Sakura peering curiously at her, she added, "I'm telepathic and empathic. So are they. I figure that for Tomobiki, that's normal."

"Somewhat." Sakura then chuckled, surprising Minako with her candour. "How did you gain those powers? Is it a family thing . . .?"

"Pretty much so. My mother's not from Earth . . . "

"Minako, do you HAVE to spill it ALL to her on the first day?!"

"Tomomi!" Minako yelped as Yoshino Tomomi gave her a bear hug from behind. She quickly returned her embrace. "How are you?!"

"I missed you." Tomomi pecked Minako's cheek, and then she turned as a blue-haired girl with purple eyes approached. "So did she!"

"Stop flirting with her, Yoshino!" Ikusawa Kyooko snarled. Then, as Tomomi stepped away, she swamped Minako with her embrace. "Hi!"

"Hi, yourself!" Minako kissed her, and then she proceeded to introduce Sakura to her friends. Along the way, some more information as to the young Avalonians' origins was relayed to the school nurse/priestess.

"So all your mothers fled your home planet because the Niphentaxians wanted to keep your race in chains?" Sakura waved them to follow her onto school property. "What did they expect to do on Earth? This was years before we came into open contact with extraterrestrials."

"Our mothers' friends learned there was a Zephyrite missionary colony based somewhere in Japan," Kyooko explained as they stepped inside, heading directly to the nurse's office. "If they made contact with them . . . "

"The Zephyrites . . .?!" Sakura blinked confusedly before nodding. "Oh, you mean Moroboshi Ataru's grandmother Nagaiwakai! She lived up in Rishiri-tou before she died while the First Tag Race was being held. I see now." They stepped into the nurse's office, Sakura waving the newcomers to the chairs there. "What sidetracked your mothers?" she asked as she moved to prepare tea.

"Their meeting our fathers, then getting married and having us." Tomomi chuckled. "You can imagine it, can't you? Switching from being slaves in a society that went out of its way to ensure they stayed that way -- to being adopted parts of a 'free' society? It was pretty disorientating for them!"

Sakura considered that, and then she nodded. "Yes, I can see that." She smiled. "Do your fathers know of your mothers' origins?"

"Hai, they do. It was only fair." Minako giggled. "Especially given how long-lived Avalonians potentially can be."

"How long? Several hundred years?"

"Try eight hundred."

Sakura whistled. "Women on Earth would KILL to know that."

"That's why we do our best to keep our origins secret," Tomomi said. "Though I don't think it'd matter here too much."

"True, it wouldn't."

Tea was soon served. "So what brings you to Tomobiki?" Sakura asked.

"Simple," Minako replied. "The factory unit that created our mothers is in orbit as we speak. Directly over Tomobiki to be exact."

The nurse blinked, her eyes widening. "Why would it be here?"

"We don't know. Neither do our mothers since they lost their links to the factory," Kyooko replied. "And given how much the Niphentaxians would like to keep knowledge of the Avalonians secret, that it's HERE speaks volumes."

"There's another thing, too," Tomomi warned.

"Being?" Sakura asked.

"Phentax Twelve, the planet where the factory was placed. If the factory's here, the planet's most likely gone. Mom knew it was inhabited at the time she was activated." A pause. "If there were people there . . . "

"Don't think such awful things, Tomomi," Kyooko warned.

Sakura gazed on the three half-alien teens in her office before she set her cup aside. "You might be able to get some help, then."

Minako perked. "Oh? How so, Sensei?"

"Despite what the news reports may have said about the whole matter last week, Lum is alive and well. She came back to Earth on Saturday morning, along with her friend Ran." Sakura lightly smiled. "It was around that time that several people who knew Lum, myself included, learned of the Niphentaxians. You see, their latest 'church' is based on worshipping Lum herself."

The visitors blinked. "That's . . . " Minako paused. "Strange."

"Agreed, it is." Sakura shuddered. "From what I could sense when Lum spoke of that, she wants nothing to do with the Niphentaxians whatsoever. I don't blame her, especially after hearing about some of the things their leader -- Oogi, was his name? -- did on Lum's 'behalf.' And . . . " She paused on sensing something step into range, and then she looked out the window.

Kyooko tensed. "Is something wrong, Sensei?"

"Shinobu's here." Sakura stood. "Just a moment."

She stepped out. The new students exchanged looks before turning to their tea. Sakura returned, Shinobu behind her. "Hello!" The latter bowed to them, and then she gazed on Sakura. "They actually said they were Avalonians?"

Minako rose. "Half-Avalonians; our mothers are pure-born."

Introductions were made. Sakura prepared tea for Shinobu. Staring at Ataru's former girlfriend, Minako tried desperately not to blush as Shinobu's wholesome beauty began to do weird things to her mind's pleasure centre. Tomomi and Kyooko watched her, and then they exchanged a knowing look. _Don't be TOO obvious, Minako-chan!_ the former psi-linked to Minako by touching the latter's hand. _You want to scare her off?!_

_Eh?_ Minako perked, and then she made a dismissive wave. _Oh, no! No! I'm not interested in Shinobu-chan THAT way . . .!_

_Bullshit, Minako!_ Kyooko gave her friend a knowing look. _We could sense your hormones kicking in all the way over here!_

Minako flustered. She then started as Shinobu asked, the concern in her voice apparent, "Are you okay, Minako-san?!"

"Eh?!" Minako bolted up. After a few seconds' hysterics, she scratched the back of her head, laughing. "It's nothing! Nothing!"

Shinobu gave her a curious look. Tomomi and Kyooko tried not to fall on their butts howling. Watching this from nearby, Sakura shook her head. _And I actually wanted things to be boring for a change?_ she mused.

* * *

"Onee-sama, are you okay?" 

Ranma perked on hearing Sakuya. She then shook her head. "Not really." She turned to her French toast as everyone enjoyed breakfast in the living room. "That nightmare I had last night's still buggin' me."

"Was it a bad nightmare, Aneue-sama?" Marie asked.

"Pretty bad," Ranma replied. "It was me meeting a version of myself who hated everyone -- and I mean EVERYONE -- who did me wrong, no matter how big or little it was. And she had gone out and killed all those people. And . . . "

She shuddered. Mamoru grimaced. "That's pretty raw."

"Tell me about it."

Ataru gazed on Ranma, inwardly smiling at the latter's use of a dream metaphor to divert the sisters' curiosity away from what happened at Fuurinkan High last night. None save Chikage knew of what happened to Saotome Genma. Not that the others might really care, Ataru mused. While she was staying on the Island, Ranma had gone out of her way to draw as bad a picture of her father as she could to the sisters. But, especially for the young ones, harping too much on the theme of death wasn't the wisest thing.

The living room door opened, revealing Negako. "Tadaima."

Shirayuki smiled. "Oh, Nee-sama, there you are! Do you want some breakfast? Hime made her special French toast today."

"So I can scent." Negako took her place in the circle. "Please."

"Hai desu no."

Shirayuki headed into the kitchen. "Where were you?" Ataru asked.

"Meeting with Ono Toofuu, Kelun and Ninomiya Hinako," Negako replied as Karen poured her a cup of tea. "There is no school today at Fuurinkan due to a considerable amount of damage done to the windows and the front lawn."

Ranma perked before she nodded. "Well, that's good."

"Waaai!" Hinako then gushed. "That means Onii-tama and Onee-tama can spend the whole day with Hina and her sisters!"

Mamoru nodded. "Hey, that's right! Why don't we go swimming?!"

"Where, Mamoru?" Sakuya demanded. "It's February, remember?!"

"Baka! The indoor pool at the Tower in Tomobiki! It's the same size as the indoor pool at school! We can swim there!"

Ataru hummed as he considered the question. "Good point." A sly smile then crossed his face as he gazed on the eldest of his half-sisters. "And we can visit Esmerelda's to get Ranma a new swimsuit! Right, Sakuya-chan?"

"Oh, definitely!" Sakuya gushed.

Hearing that, Ranma's head slumped. "I'm dead."

"Why don't we make today 'Make Onee-chan A REAL Girl' Day?!" Karen proposed. "After all, she's GOT to be tired of wearing the same blah, unisex things day-in and day-out, even if she's used to living on the road."

Ranma glanced at her, and then she stared at her clothes. She was in her normal white tang and pants. "Well, yeah, you got a point, Karen-chan," she mused, scratching the back of her head. "But what'd be good for me?"

"For that, we best get to Esmerelda's early!" Sakuya proposed.

"I'll call the boys to get the road-train here," Rinrin called out.

She headed to her bag to dig out her phone. Ranma watched the others launch into chatter about the day's events, and then she stared concernedly at Ataru. "Hey, Ataru, I thought you wanted to keep them AWAY from Tomobiki!"

"I thought it'd be okay when we were just concerned with a swimsuit for you to wear," he lamented. "But for a whole WARDROBE . . .?!"

Ranma laughed. She then paused, a finger scratching her chin. "Hey, wait . . . " Her voice trailed off.

He blinked. "What is it?"

"You planning to go to Stargazer West next week when classes start?"

"Of course. Why . . .?" Ataru turned away as the possible gist of Ranma's train of thought sank in. "Do you want that?"

She shrugged. "What's the use going to Fuurinkan for four or five days when we could be starting a whole new school year next Monday on the Island?" A smile turned her lips. "Kinda redundant when you think about it, ne?"

"True. Besides, high school isn't mandatory in Japan. Thought I do hope you'd consider going all the way to graduation."

She nodded, and then she stared at her plate. "Of course I will. But I only realized pretty recently that I've got a lot to catch up on. I've missed so much being on the road with Oyaji and all that . . . "

He waved her down. "Oh, don't worry about it, Ranma."

"Worry about what, Onii-chan?"

They turned to see the sisters staring at them. "Oh, it's nothing, Karen-chan," Ranma assured her. She then turned to Negako as Shirayuki came out of the kitchen. "Um, I hate to ask, but can you ask the school to . . .?"

The ninjutsu grandmaster nodded. "I've already discussed the possibility with Hinako this morning. The staff will be in school today. It will be easily arranged regardless if Pauline tries to interfere or not."

A hang tugged Negako's sleeve. "Onee-tama, Hina's right here!" The youngest of the sisters pointed to herself with her free hand.

"I am speaking of Ranma's former homeroom teacher, Hinako, not you."

"Oh!"

Giggles wafted through the room. Everyone perked on hearing a knock at the front door. "I'll get it!" Haruka headed over to open the door. "Hai?"

The man flashing the police identification booklet smiled. "Sorry to bother you, but are Saotome Ranma and Moroboshi Ataru here?"

"Hai. Please." Haruka waved the policeman in, and then she looked at the dining room table. "Anigimi-sama? Anegimi-sama?"

Ranma rose, bowing. "You're here because of last night?"

"Hai." He nodded. "Okajima Keijou of the Nerima Precinct. I have to get both your statements about what happened at the school."

"Right, right." Ranma nodded before sensing Ataru standing behind her.

"Would you mind if we took this outside the house, Okajima-keibuho?" Ataru then whispered to the policeman, cupping a hand around his lips. "I don't want my sisters, especially the younger ones, to overhear some of this."

"Of course, Moroboshi-san." He smiled before heading out.

Ranma and Ataru moved to follow, the latter whispering into the former's ear, "Tell him the facts you know. That's all they need."

She nodded. "Right."

* * *

Near the Aisuru home in Tomobiki was a townhouse tucked behind two cherry blossom trees. The trees were large enough to distract the normal passer-by from wondering what might be happening beyond the living room windows. The small group of people living here preferred it that way for many reasons, chief of which was fear of discovery. Arima Fumiko paused at the front gate, gazing at what had once been her home away from her real home. Coming back here was harder than she first believed. She grimaced as she pushed open the gate. Seeing the familiar sights, smelling the familiar smells, hearing the familiar voices -- all of which had once been more sacred than anything in the universe to her -- nearly tore a scream of pained anguish from Fumiko's lips. 

Innocence lost . . .

Stopping at the door, she knocked once. It opened to reveal Ishi. "Sensei." Fumiko smiled, her eyes misting as she took in his weathered features. She then caught herself. "Is there . . .?" she then began to ask.

He shook his head, waving her inside with a smile. "All of them are out doing their morning observations," he reported. "They won't be back until well after lunchtime. Did Kaili make all the necessary arrangements?"

"Hai, all set." She glanced around the living room, a place that would make most of the boys at Tomobiki High drool with mad envy on seeing the many Lum artefacts there. "Is she the same situation as me, Sensei?" she asked.

"Hai." He walked to the stairs leading to the second floor, and then he called out, "Nari! Come down here now; Feiya's here!"

Footsteps heralded the descent of a young teen. She was thirteen or so in Terran terms, dressed in a shirt with ascot, pullover sweater and skirt. Her red-brown hair was cut at mid-neck, combed in draping bangs to cover her ears. Her chestnut eyes glittered with pain and anticipation. Gazing on her, Fumiko stared at Ishi. "How could someone this young get posted here, Sensei?"

"Her parents are . . . !" the doctor began, and then he caught himself. "Pardon me, WERE priests on Phentax Two. They were killed . . . "

He faltered. "They died in the Cataclysm, Onee-chan."

Fumiko stared at Nari. The younger Niphentaxian/Avalonian gazed on the floor, her eyes brimming with tears. Regardless of her origins, the love she held for her parents shone like a nova. "I see." Fumiko walked over to squeeze Nari's shoulders. "I grieve for you." To Ishi. "What else has been going on, Sensei? You told me about this 'cataclysm' but you didn't give details . . . "

"Nari can explain everything to you." He placed a hand on her shoulder as he nodded towards the door. "It's best you both leave the Holy City as soon as possible. Right now, none of the commanders have ANY idea as to what to do. What CAN we do with so many of our leaders back home dead?" A pause, then he added, "There's another thing, too. The bioroid factory has gone missing."

Fumiko's eyes widened. "MISSING?! How . . .?!"

Nari looked up, a hand clenching over her heart. "No one knows, Onee-chan. Phentax Twelve itself has been destroyed. But . . .!"

She shrugged. Fumiko took that in, and then she sighed. "Damn . . . "

"It's obvious that there were . . . " Ishi paused as he looked for the least wounding way to say this, and then he finished, "Casualties."

Fumiko stared at her friend, nodding understandingly. "You have all your belongings with you, Nari-chan?"

Nari nodded. "Hai, Onee-chan, they're upstairs."

"Let's go. We'll overnight in Tokyo, then head to my place tomorrow," Fumiko announced. As Nari headed upstairs to get her suitcases, the older Avalonian turned to Ishi. "You sure you're going to be alright?" she asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "If things're falling apart . . . "

Ishi nodded understandingly. "I'll stay with the others. You two'll have a better chance of living your own lives away from us."

They stared at each other. Fumiko nodded. Nari soon returned with two wheeled suitcases and a backpack. Fumiko took one in hand as they stepped out. Ishi remained at the doorway, a neutral expression on his face as he watched the Avalonians head to the nearest bus stop. "May the Goddess guide you both."

* * *

"Damn! I didn't think it was THAT bad . . . " 

Ataru, Ranma, Negako and the sisters gazed on Fuurinkan High as the road-train made its way to Tomobiki. The interview with Detective Okajima, finished moments before the road train arrived at the old shrine, went off without a hitch. No doubt, Ranma concluded, local law enforcement wanted to settle the whole matter concerning her late father and his many crimes as quickly as possible before pressing on with other business.

Repair crews from Inshin Engineering, one of the companies that formed part of Moroboshi Komeru's Inshin Group conglomerate, were hard at work replacing windows and clearing away what was left of the tree Ranma destroyed when she used the Fire Scythe on Genma. Also there, standing in the spot Kunou Tatewaki often occupied to carry out his challenges of the "foul sorcerer," was Akane. Dressed casually, she was surrounded by most of the other girls from hers and Ranma's old first-year class. The girls were busy chatting with each other. "What do you suppose your friends are doing, Onee-sama?" Sakuya asked.

"Search me, Sakuya-chan." Ranma shook her head, and then she called out to the driver, "Hey, stop this thing for a moment!"

"Hai, Young Mistress!"

The train chugged to a stop. Hearing the _toot!_ of its horn, the crowd gazed their way. "Ranma?!" Akane perked on seeing the redhead disembark, followed by Moroboshi Negako and Moroboshi Ataru, plus a crowd of young women. "Ranma, what are you doing?!" she asked as Ranma came up to her.

"Negako was coming here to speak to the staff about something concerning Ataru and me, Akane-san." Ranma indicated the ninjutsu grandmaster with a wave of her hand. "What are you doing here, anyway? There's no school on."

Akane tried not to frown on hearing Ranma address her so formally. "Something I should've done ages ago. What's the time?"

Tokoro Yuka gazed on her watch. "Eight-fifty."

Akane nodded, her jaw set with determination. "Long enough. Everyone, you are all aware of the proclamation Kunou Tatewaki made sometime ago, a proclamation he reaffirmed yesterday, concerning people wanting to date me?"

Her classmates nodded. "Hai!"

"Since I came here to school today and having found that none of the 'Horde o'Hentai' had come to challenge me as Kunou dictated, I hereby, with all of you acting as my witnesses, declare his proclamation NULL AND VOID!" Akane's voice picked up to emphasize her point. "From this day until I graduate, I swear, on the memory of my late mother, that I will not submit myself to anything he forces on me EVER AGAIN!" she then vowed.

A boisterous cheer exploded from her classmates. The sisters exchanged looks, wondering why something as silly and insignificant as THIS was bothering their big brother's new girlfriend. Negako remained impassive. Ranma stared curiously at Akane, nodding understandingly. "Pity I never considered doing something like that!" she then leaned over to whisper to Ataru. "That would've really knocked the wind out of ol' Blue Blunder's sails!"

"You were never allowed to think about it, remember?" Ataru noted.

"True."

"Ne, Ranma-kun, why are you wearing your hair loose?" Yuka then asked. "Don't you still have that problem with your hair growing long?"

"No, not anymore, Tokoro-san. I just decided on a little change of style when I'm a girl," Ranma assured her, ignoring Yuka's dropped jaw and wide eyes in response to the formal way Ranma just addressed her. "Besides, I'm frozen this way for the next while. Negako here's helping me deal with a couple of problems Genma heaped on me during the training trip." She glanced at the others. "To make it work better, I have to remain in one body for the treatment. Unfortunately, with my curse, I can only be frozen as a girl."

"The Neko-ken being the primary one," Ataru added.

Ranma shuddered, inwardly hoping that her acting skills were proficient enough to fool her former classmates concerning her mental state. The others noticed her reaction. They started on hearing a mad cackle echo from behind them. "ALOHA KAKAHIAKA, KEIKI!" the principal of Fuurinkan High School hailed as a shower of pineapples dropped down on them, fireworks exploding behind him.

Rinrin smirked. "Nice entrance."

A pineapple dropped into Aria's hands. Ranma panicked on sensing a build-up of ki in that piece of fruit. She batted it clear, sending it flying back at the Principal. The other girls quickly kicked and punched away the fruit that landed close to them. Just in time: As the pineapple Aria caught landed in the Principal's lap, it blew, showering his face and shirt with burnt cordite. The other fruit bombs exploded shortly after, they fortunately not hurting anyone. "That -- didn't hurt . . .!" the Principal moaned.

He passed out. Aria frowned. "Nee-ya."

Ranma gazed worriedly at the young Parisian. "You okay, Aria-chan?!"

"Aria is fine." Aria smiled, and then she scowled. "But Aria is glad that Nee-ya will come to Stargazer West College next Monday. At least there, Nee-ya wouldn't get hurt anymore by her stupid principal."

"Not to mention the other baka-bakas in this place who always try to hurt Onee-tama for some baka-baka reason," Hinako added.

Haruka drew out her gunsen to fan herself. "It's a good thing we purchased the right uniform for Anegimi-sama, isn't it?"

Yotsuba nodded. "Sure got that right . . . "

"_**YOU'RE LEAVING?!**_"

Ranma was blown over; every one of her old classmates had bellowed that. "Yes, Onee-sama is leaving this dump," Sakuya answered on Ranma's behalf as Mamoru helped her Anii's new friend up. "Now you won't have the chance to blame Onee-sama for all the troubles this place has experienced, just like the dorks in Tomobiki loved to blame Onii-sama for everything that happened there."

Everyone stared at Sakuya, and then they turned to Ranma. She brushed her slacks off, and then she turned to Ataru. "Yeah, it WOULD be nice to enjoy a day without worrying about the things that bothered me here. Eh, Ataru?"

He nodded. "I can certainly agree to that . . . "

"HOLD THE POI, KEIKI! THE BIG KAHUNA AIN'T FINISHED WITH YOU!"

Ranma then peered intently at the Principal. "And what exactly do you want, Kunou-koochou?" Her eyebrow arched contemptuously.

Out came the barber shears. "No keiki, especially no disrespectful keiki like youse, gonna leave the Big Kahuna's school without getting a partin' haircut!" the Hawai'i-crazed school administrator declared.

Ranma sighed. She then blinked on feeling Ataru squeeze her shoulder. "Well, since my hair is a little on the long side, I think I need a trim." He winked at her as he reached behind his neck to undo the jumper's cord tying his ponytail down. "Hold this please." He handed the cord to Ranma.

Ranma then blinked on seeing the Dragon's Whisker tied to the cord. A curious, heart-warming feeling surged through her. She then smirked as Ataru walks up to Kunou's father. Seeing him, the Principal shuddered on seeing the hair hanging off this keiki. "Well, at least we got ONE keiki willin' ta obey the Big Kahuna's rules!" He whipped out a stool. "Sit right there!"

Ataru took his place. "Hai! Hai!"

"Moroboshi-san, what are you DOING?!" Sayuri gasped, imagining what the former Tomobiki native might look like after the Principal got done.

The others tensed as the Principal raised his shears . . .

_BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRR! BZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRRWWW! BZZ!_

"Nii-ya . . .!" Aria shuddered on seeing the damage the Principal just wrought on her brother's hair. Her eyes then went wide. So did everyone else's on seeing a strange glow cover Ataru's head. The glow faded, revealing all his hair restored to the way it was before the shears even touched it.

"Waaaaa!" Hinako gushed. "Onii-tama has magical hair!"

"Huh?!" The Principal jolted, looking quizzically at Hinako. He then turned back before his jaw hit the ground on seeing Ataru once again with moustache, beard and mid-back length hair. "THAT AIN'T POSSIBLE!"

Ataru stared at him. "Care to try again?"

Growling, the Principal snapped up his shears.

_BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRR! BZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRRWWW! BZZ!_

Guess what happened?

"YOU STOP GROWIN' LIKE THAT!"

_BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRR! BZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRRWWW! BZZ!_

Guess what just happened again?

"THE BIG KAHUNA IS THE BIG KAHUNA HERE, NOT YOU!"

_BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRR! BZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRRWWW! BZZ!_

And again . . .

"YOU AIN'T LICKED THE BIG KAHUNA YET!"

_BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRR! BZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRRWWW! BZZ!_

And again . . .

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

_BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRR! BZZZZZZZZ! BRRRRRWWW! BZZ!_

And yet again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And still again for at least thirty-six -- yes, that's THIRTY-SIX! -- more tries before Ataru finally asked, "Give up, Koochou-san?"

Staring at the massive pile of cut hair encompassing Ataru's feet and chair, the Principal looked back to see his hair restored, not a lock of deep brown out of place. He then fainted. Ataru shrugged. "I guess so."

The others gaped at him, and then Yuka whooped, "Three cheers for Moroboshi Ataru, the first student ever to FULLY beat the Principal!"

The other Fuurinkan girls save Akane clapped and waved their hands in celebration. "BANZAI! BANZAI! BANZAI!"

Ataru chuckled, and then he nodded thanks as Ranma came up, the jumper's cord in hand. To his surprise, the Dragon's Whisker was still tied in place. He looked at her. She playfully winked back, mouthing, "Keep it."

He chuckled as he re-tied his hair into a ponytail. "How the heck did THAT happen?" Sayuri demanded, gazing on the shorn hair.

"Oh, quite simple, really." Ataru finished lacing his ponytail into place, and then he stood up. "When I visited a planet named Noukiios some time ago, a priest gave me some hair tonic that allowed me to grow my beard and moustache." He impishly shrugged. "Turns out I drank a little TOO much of the stuff. That's why I can't be bothered to shave or get my hair cut anymore. You see, on Noukiios, boys start growing beards when they enter puberty. It's seen as VERY un-classy to not grow a beard in that society."

Ranma snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's right! I remember seeing that."

Akane's eyes went wide as she spun on Ranma. "You went to another PLANET?!" she shrilled. "How did you wind up doing THAT?!"

Ranma turned away from her. "That's none of your business."

Akane remained rooted in place as she called back, "Of COURSE it's my business, baka! You could've been killed if you went there!"

Ranma glanced over her shoulder, her eyebrow arching in curiosity. "You mean you really care for me, Akane-san?"

The youngest Tendou daughter caught herself as an automatic denial surged up her throat. She then looked down. "Yes!" she hissed before she stared mistily at Ranma. "Yes, I care for you, Ranma! I love you, damn it!"

Ranma shook her head. "You hesitated before you said that. Further, you looked like you were about to say your usual 'Why should I care for a sex-changing pervert like you?' spiel! I'm sorry, Akane-san, but if you can't be honest with yourself, I can't accept what you just told me." She turned away. "Furthermore, even if you WERE honest with yourself, I wouldn't reciprocate."

Akane shuddered before screaming out, "WHY?!"

Ranma took a step, and then looked back. "Because I don't love you. And I never will love you because I love someone else."

"WHO?!"

"That ceased to be your business last Tuesday, Tendou-san. Sayonara."

Ranma moved to board the road train. Akane shuddered before screaming out "RANMA NO BAKA!" as she drew Mallet-sama . . .

"_**SHINZOU BAKUHATSU SHOKU!**_"

Ranma's fingertip slammed into Mallet-sama. A flash latter, the ki-mallet shattered, its fragments vanishing in a drum roll of _pops!_ Everyone watched as Akane was flung back by the backlash of Mallet-sama being wrecked by the Heart Blast Touch, her head slamming into the Principal's stool. Akane dropped into an unconscious heap on the ground. The onlookers then turned to Ranma. Glaring at her ex-fiancée, Ranma tried not to scream out. "Stupid tomboy!" she muttered as she turned around to storm back to the road train.

"Hey!" Sayuri moved to pursue. "Who the hell gave you . . .?!"

Her voice caught in her throat as Ranma spun on her, a ki ball in hand. "You have a problem, Asano-san?" the redhead coolly asked.

Sayuri shuddered as Ranma swung the ki ball around to hover inches from her face. She then staggered away. Several of Ataru's sisters glanced down to see tiny trickles of yellow-green seep down Sayuri's legs. "I didn't think so." Ranma straightened herself, an icy chill warping through her as she dispersed the ki ball. "Hey, Negako! Get our student records and get them over to the College ASAP! The less I have to do with these lifeless jerks . . . " She contemptuously thumbed the other Fuurinkan girls. "The better!"

She stormed back to the road train. "As you wish." Negako then looked at the still-dozing Principal. "Pauline, wake up."

No response. Negako gently shifted his body around with her foot. Chikage came up to give the Principal a detailed look-over. "I believe he is still in shock over his inability to deal with Ani-kun's hair, Ane-kun."

"So it seems." Negako then lightly smiled. "Kaho?"

The young cheerleader came up. "Hai, Onee-chama?"

The ninjutsu grandmaster pointed to the tiny tree on the Principal's head. "Would you like to add another tree to your collection?"

Kaho then gushed, clapping her hands together in anticipation. "Hai, Kaho DEFINITELY wants a new tree!" she replied.

That did it. "_**SAY WHAT?!**_" The Principal bolted up, scrambling over Ataru like Scooby-doo would over Shaggy on seeing the monster du jour. "_**WHO SAYS ANYTHIN' ABOUT SOME WAHINE TAKIN' THE BIG KAHUNA'S TREE AWAY?!**_"

Ataru shoved him away, thus allowing Negako to grab the Principal by the scalp. "Ask your secretary to fetch Ataru's and Ranma's records, Pauline." The grandmaster twisted his head so she could gaze into his eyes. "Now."

"B-but . . . "

"Excuse me, Moroboshi-sensei, but are you looking for these?"

Negako turned to see a secretary standing nearby, two thick folders in hand. "Excellent." She casually tossed the Principal aside to ensure he could not interfere, and then she took them. "Did Hinako speak to you of this?"

"Hai, Ninomiya-sensei called just now." The secretary bowed. Gazing amusedly at Ataru for a moment, she headed back to the building.

Negako examined the records, and then she nodded. "Good. Jinseiko!"

One black blur later, the leader of the Kuromoroboshi knelt beside Negako. "You summoned me, Grandmaster?" She bowed her head.

The records were handed over. "Take those to the College. Explain to the secretary that Ataru and Ranma are to be registered in Senior Class 3-A and Senior Class 2-C respectively as I discussed with the headmaster. Go now."

"Hai, it will be done!" Jinseiko bowed, and then she vanished.

The Fuurinkan girls blinked. Yuka walked up to Ataru. "Must be nice to have your own personal ninja troupe at your beck and call!"

"It's convenient." He then turned to his sisters. "Well, girls, shall we beat tracks to the Tower so we can go swimming?"

"Hai!" They nodded, turning to head to the road-train.

"_**HOLD THE POI HERE, KEIKI!**_"

Negako glared at the Principal. "What is your problem, Pauline?"

He balked on hearing her address him by his hated given name, and then he pointed his shears at Ranma. "While the Big Kahuna don't mind that girl-crazy keiki Moroboshi not comin' to the Big Kahuna's school, the Big Kahuna didn't say ANYTHIN' about Saotome there walking outta here scot-free!"

Negako shrugged. "Why, I would believe that you would be quite pleased to see Ranma depart from Fuurinkan, Pauline."

"Eh?! What you talkin' about?!"

"Your desire to properly discipline your students, of course," Negako replied. "After all, Pauline, you have spent the last year or so focusing your attention on dealing with Ranma specifically. There are over five hundred other students currently attending Fuurinkan High School, are there not? And I know for a fact that a considerable number of them are getting away with far worse than anything you might have attributed to Ranma. Have not Hinako and several others of your teachers warned you of the growing drug problem here? What of the five girls who became pregnant in the last six months alone? And the local branch of the Yakuza is certainly taking interest in Tendou Nabiki's operations here, obviously desiring to subvert such to their own control. Is THIS truly what you would desire your school to be known for, Pauline?"

The Principal blinked, and then he hummed, crossing his arms as he considered that. The Fuurinkan girls exchanged looks, and then they gazed as one on Negako, all of them wondering where the hell she acquired all THAT information. Ataru remained silent; the sisters had by then boarded the road train. Akane was starting to recover, she being helped by Sayuri and Yuka.

Finally, the Principal nodded. "You're right!" He pointed to Negako, and then he gazed heavenward, the sun reflecting off his glasses. "The Big Kahuna's been makin' himself too busy with Saotome ta think about the REAL discipline problems! Fine! Saotome's the problem of whatever school you're gonna send him to! The Big Kahuna's got bigger fish to fry!"

"A reasonable solution." Negako nodded. "Ataru?"

Ataru nodded. "Hai, Onee-chan."

The Moroboshi siblings headed to the road train. The others watched them. Akane then burst through the crowd to place herself before Ataru, her arms spread wide. "WAIT!" she snapped, her actions causing Ataru and Negako to stop, and then she ran up to the road train. "Ranma! Why are you leaving?! This is your home, for heaven's sake!" She waved to the school, and then to the houses around them. "You don't have to go anywhere else! Please . . .!"

No response came her way for a moment. Ranma turned to stare on her former fiancée. Akane jolted, feeling an icy chill warp through her on seeing the emotionless look on Ranma's face. Finally, Ranma stepped off the road train. The sisters watched her, many stunned that their brother's girlfriend was even acknowledging Akane. "Anee, you don't have to listen to what this bitch says!" Mamoru snapped as she waved at the youngest Tendou.

"Hey!" Akane spun on the athlete. "You mind your own . . .!"

A fist exploded in her gut, sending her to her knees. Akane cried out in shock as air was forced from her. As her arms automatically wrapped around her abdomen, she looked up in stunned disbelief. Ranma stared dispassionately at her. Gasps from the crowd echoed the surprise of many on seeing Ranma actually HIT her ex-fiancée. "Ranma . . . " Akane gargled, and then she coughed several times as nausea overwhelmed her, she trying desperately not to throw up.

"'Home,' you say . . .?"

Akane blinked, looking back up to see Ranma staring at her, the latter's eyes misting over. "You actually believe I look on this garbage dump . . . " She waved around her to indicate Nerima. "As my HOME?!" she hissed.

"B-but, Ranma . . . " Akane whispered, reaching for her.

Ranma's foot smashed that aside, nearly knocking Akane over. Several girls gasped, they moving to help Akane to her feet. Before they could get within three metres of the youngest Tendou, a ki blast knocked them off their feet! Akane screamed, and then she stared wide-eyed on Ranma. "Uh-uh!" The redhead wagged her finger in a "no-no" gesture. "Not this time, Tendou-san. You're going to listen for once in your life and you're not going to get a chance to hide behind your pathetic friends to avoid the truth!"

Akane quaked. "R-r-Ranma . . . wh-why . . .?!"

"'Why?'" Ranma snorted. "You got a brain! Figure it out! Or did that cowardly pimp you call a father brainwash YOU too much into thinking the whole world'd bow to Tendou Akane, self-proclaimed 'greatest martial artist in all of Nerima?!'" A disgusted sneer twisted her lips. "Forget it! I've shielded you ungrateful bastards for WAY too long! I'm tired of doing something for nothin', not even a 'thank you,' for dealing with all the crap that lunatic . . . " She pointed to the Principal. "His son, his daughter, that ki-vamp Ninomiya and all the rest of those bastards've been willing to heap over you!"

Yuka covered her mouth. "Ranma-kun . . . "

Ranma turned to the other girls. "I want you all to think about this. With me gone, there's NO ONE who'll stop Happoosai from copping feels from any of you, stealing your personal property or doing anything else to any of you! With me gone, there is NO ONE who'll stop Pantyhose Tarou from tearing this place apart as he tries to make Jijii change his name! With me gone, the chances of all of you getting bowl cuts and buzz cuts from the Principal skyrocket! After all, all he has to do is expel Kuonji-san and Tendou-san here and those who can stop him dwindle to no one!" A wry grin crossed her face. "I'm sure he's got loads of ways of dealing with ol' Bokken-for-brains. And with me gone, the next time some hotshot comes by to seek a challenge'll have a much easier time of it!" She then glanced at Akane. "Not to mention what might happen when a Doojou Destroyer decides to pay you a visit, ne?!"

Akane blinked. "Ranma . . . "

"Hey, Ataru! Negako! Let's go!"

She hopped onto the road train, followed by Ataru and Negako. As soon as they were in place, the driver guided the machine away from Fuurinkan High. "Ranma, WAIT!" Akane screamed as she staggered to her feet, moving to pursue.

She then howled as yet ANOTHER ki blast rocketed at her to explode at her feet, knocking her down. Akane cried out as the air was once again forced from her lungs. She then staggered onto her elbows as Yuka and Sayuri moved to help her back up. "Akane-chan, are you alright?!" the latter gasped as they helped her stumble to her feet, they all glancing where the road train had driven off.

Akane's mouth opened. Then the strength in her body vanished as pained sobs stole her voice. Sayuri moved to comfort her as several others gathered around them. Before anyone could say anything more, a cackle echoed from inside the school walls. "Well! Well! Well! Ain't THIS nice?!" The Principal grinned, his barber shears at the ready. "Now that keiki's outta the way, it's time for the Big Kahuna to make all the other keiki at the Big Kahuna's school obey ALL the rules!" he then proclaimed.

Panicked screamed echoed from the girls as the Hawai'i-crazed administrator closed on them, his intent plain. A bell then made the Principal look up -- just as the tire of Shampoo's delivery bicycle slammed into his face! "Nihao!" the warrior-maiden cheerily called out as she drove the Principal into the dirt. She then looked at the girls. "You're lucky that this one saw Palm-Tree Man try to cut your hair . . . " Her voice then trailed off on seeing the teary-eyed Akane kneeling on the ground nearby. "Aiyah! What happened to you, Akane?!" Shampoo dismounted her machine, walking over to kneel beside her former rival. "Did you get into a fight with someone?!"

"What do you think?!" Sayuri snarled as she glared to where the road train vanished. "Damn that bastard Saotome! How could he DO that to her?!"

A hand grabbed her by the throat. Sayuri found herself looking right at a scowling Shampoo. "Why are you calling Airen names?!" the warrior-maiden demanded in a low, dangerous voice, the look in her eyes promising a lot of pain if Sayuri didn't quickly retract what she had just said.

* * *

"Hey, you okay?" 

Ranma didn't look at Ataru, though she didn't resist his squeezing her hand. "What do you think?" she hissed, leaning into his side as her free hand brushed away the tears flowing down her cheeks.

Staring at them, the sisters remained respectfully silent.

* * *

"Okay, shrimp! You know what we want, don'tcha?" 

Gosunkugi Hikaru sweated. It was the usual position for the would-be voodoo sorcerer: Backed into a cul-de-sac, no escape possible, three VERY big young men ready to pound him into paste in case he didn't cough up what money he had. What was worse, there was no sign of anyone who could help him get away. And if the masks they wore spoke the truth about their real identities, these guys were ones Hikaru himself had encountered sometime ago. They would remember his previous attempt at using voodoo against them.

"Excuse me, but why are you picking on that man?"

Hikaru's eyes widened as the toughs spun around, gazing on the woman in the slacks and flower-print shirt standing three metres away. Though her face was darkened by shadow, her hair and shape spoke volumes. "Akane-san . . .!" he gasped as delirious dizziness suddenly overcame him.

What happens next was a hazy, confusing blur to the frail lad. The toughs charged. In a storm of fists to the jaw and foot strikes _there_, the three were reduced to piles of whimpering flesh in seconds. Confirming they no longer presented a threat, the woman approached Hikaru. His eyes focused on the concern etched on her face, that being enough to snap the rest of his brain clear of its passion-induced fog. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Hikaru blinked. Yes, this person looked exactly like Akane, but the difference in her speech pattern, not to mention different movements in the body, automatically told him something different. "You're not Akane-san!"

The woman chuckled as she helped him to his feet. She seems to freeze for a moment, and then she relaxed. "No, I'm not. My name is Tendou Kimiko. My body . . . " She pointed to her heart. "Was cloned from Akane-sama's."

"Cloned . . .?" Hikaru stood, staring intently at Kimiko. "How?!"

"I can't answer that. The person who provided this body for me hasn't told me how she gained it." Kimiko smiled, an expression that, for all its honesty, was as different from Akane's as night was from day. "I hope I didn't confuse you, Hikaru-sama. I didn't mean to do that."

He began to sway. _Sh-she called me 'Hikaru-SAMA?!'_

"Hikaru-sama! Are you alright?!" She grabbed him, and then she yelped as a blast of warmth, akin to the heat of a gas burner, danced over her hands. Pulling her hands away, she stared at her palms in shocked confusion. He stared wide-eyed at her, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to say something yet couldn't make his larynx voice his thoughts. _Oh!_ Kimiko blinked. _He's attracted to me!_ Her cheeks flamed. _Very attracted . . . _

He remained rooted in place as Kimiko leaned into him, drawing her arms around his waist. His heartbeat thundered in his ears as his nose picked up the lovely scent of her shampoo. His cheeks then reddened on feeling a rather natural response to being in such close proximity to a woman. She stiffened for a second, and then she relaxed, turning her face to gaze on him. He stared at her, a million questions thundering through his mind. Then -- for what reason, he had NO idea -- he firmly grasped her shoulders.

Kimiko remained in place as Hikaru's lips caressed hers. She warmed to the contact. Images bombarded her mind. Mostly focusing on Akane, accompanied by overwhelming passion, desire -- and frustration. Brief images of Ranma then appeared, accompanied by feelings of irritation, envy and jealousy. There were fleeting images of others, but Akane's images were the strongest.

They then reluctantly pulled apart. Kimiko tried not to smile as she asked, "You've always desired her, haven't you?"

"Yes." Hikaru nodded, stunned that the surge of strength flooding his muscles hadn't abated. "Why did you get cloned from her?"

"It's . . . a long story. It was Ranma-sama who made this possible, Hikaru-sam- . . .!" -- _Wait! Wait! Too formal!_ she mentally railed -- "Er, Hikaru-kun!" She pulled away, covering her mouth in polite laughter.

Hikaru tried not to scream for joy. _She called me 'Hikaru-KUN?!'_ He shuddered with delight, and then he blinked as he remembered something else Kimiko just said. "Wait! You said SAOTOME made this possible for you?!"

"Hai! I . . . " She blushed again. "Would you like to go to a coffee shop so we can talk more, Hikaru-kun?" She waves out of the cull-de-sac. "I mean, I'd hardly call this a proper place to start a relationship."

He stared nonplussed at her before he nodded. "Um, s-s-s-sure th-thing, Kimiko-sa- . . .!" He flustered. "Um, Kimiko-chan."

She beamed, slipping her arm around his. He did his best not to become a babbling wreck. Walking past the downed bullies, they headed out and turned down the street. Unfortunately for them, they had not taken ten steps before an imperious voice bellowed from behind, "HOLD!"

Hikaru jolted. "Damn! HE would have to show up!"

And there he was: Kunou Tatewaki. "What foulness is THIS?!" The kendou team captain pointed at him with his bokken. "You, Gosunkugi! How DARE you force Tendou Akane to cling to YOUR unworthy arm?! Do you not know the Blue Thunder's proclamation?! NONE may date the fair Akane without defeating her in battle! Release her from your foul clutches this INSTANT or . . .!"

"Or what?"

That question cut Kunou short. He then focused on "Akane." In a flash, he was directly in front of her, a hand reaching for hers . . .

With a toss, she sent him flying to the Shakujii River! Hikaru watched the Blue Thunder vanish into the morning sky, and then he sighed. "That, Kunou-_sempai_, you had coming to you," he muttered under his breath.

Kimiko relaxed before smiling at him. "Shall we go, Hikaru-kun?"

He nodded. "Um, h-h-hai!"

They headed off.

* * *

"Nodoka." 

Nodoka's eyes fluttered. Sitting up in her hospital bed, she looked confusedly around the room. Yes, there was Hisayo in the bed next to her. Nishiki Maya had arranged for the sisters to convalesce here; sometime later that day or first thing the next, they would be discharged from Nerima General. As she finished her scan of the room, she quickly noticed the lone man standing by the door. "Father!" she breathed out on recognising him.

Asagaya Isao was in his late sixties. Very slim, his head was bald save for a band of grey hair around his ears, not to mention a moustache and a goatee; he always carried himself with an imperious air. If a daimyou of the Tokugawa era could be transported to the start of the twenty-first century, then clothed in modern fashion, he would most likely turn out to be someone like Isao. If there was anyone in Nodoka's life who served as her ultimate role model when it came to personal etiquette, it was her father.

"Genma is no more," he calmly stated.

Nodoka blinked, and then she nodded, moving to sit up. A glance at Hisayo revealed her to be still asleep. Isao waved his daughter down. "Yes, Father. The police informed me of that last night. How did you get in here?"

"I have ways," he replied. "What of the Saotome honour sword?"

"It was destroyed," Nodoka said. Did Isao know what happened at Fuurinkan High? If so, why was he asking her? If not, why wasn't he concerning himself more over this, given his desire to bring Ranma into the Asagaya family? "Genma foolishly tried to use it against Ranma last night. According to the police, it was destroyed during the fight."

"Good." He nodded as a thoughtful look crossed his face. "With all of Genma's actions, the blade had lost all true significance. A family without the barest semblance of honour has no right to possess such a sword. Agreed?"

"Agreed." She sighed. "Father, there is a problem with Ranma . . . "

Isao's eyes narrowed. "I am aware of that, Nodoka. In fact, there are several problems my would-be grandson has thrown up before us. The primary one being this: Why has Ranma declared himself an orphan?"

Nodoka stared wide-eyed at Isao, her heart thumping in her chest as his question whirled through her mind. "Orphan . . .?" she gasped.

"An orphan, Nodoka." Isao gazed absently at her. That look sent a chill through her body. It didn't take her much to realize how displeased her father had become over this sudden development. "That he continues to hold the same name as that fool Genma is one thing. That he has gone so far as to create his own branch of the Saotome family, with no acknowledged relations to either Genma or yourself, is another. Why has this happened, Nodoka? Did you not make it clear enough to your son what was being offered to him?"

"I . . . " She paused before nodding. "Yes, Father, I did. But . . . " A lump formed in her throat. Oh dear, how was she going to explain this? "There were those who cast a lot of suspicion on what you were trying to do."

"Then I suggest you make it VERY clear to him when you see him next," Isao sternly instructed before he turned to leave.

Nodoka watched him go, and then she sank back in her bed. "Ranma . . . "

"I don't think Ranma's going to listen to you, No-chan."

She glanced over. Hisayo was slowly sitting up. "Onee-chan . . . " Nodoka whispered before she closed her eyes. "Did you hear it all?"

Hisayo nodded. "Yep." While Nodoka still held onto some faint hope of restoring a proper relationship with Isao, Hisayo was firmly convinced that the sooner the old fool was finally ashes in his family tomb, the better for all concerned. "He doesn't really care a damned bit for either you or Ranma, No-chan. The sooner you come to realize that, the better for you both."

Nodoka gazed on the ceiling, nodding.

* * *

Many light-years from Earth, beyond Uru and Benten's home planet of Fukunokami, it shrouded in a rose-shaped planet-wide defence field, lay the planet Elle. Home to one of the most technologically advanced civilizations in this part of the galaxy, the Ellsian Kingdom was one of the founding states of the Galactic Federation. An alliance of interplanetary kingdoms, republics and confederations, the Federation, atop the aforementioned Uru, Fukunokami and Elle, also included Oyuki's home planet of Triton, Kurama's home planet of Karasutengu, Rupa's home planet of Yaminokuni, Lupica's home planet of Tofunokoibito, the two unions of the Phentax tri-star system . . . 

And the Dominion of Noukiios.

Though that last might not be part of the Federation before long.

And if that was so . . .?

"My Queen?"

The present ruler of the Kingdom, the sixty-fourth in a line unbroken for almost a millennium from the days of the Great Rose Emperor Adam, looked up and over her shoulder to see one of her aides standing nearby. "Yes?"

The aide bowed. "Agent Rose is here with her report, Your Majesty."

"Send her in. This is a private meeting."

"By your command, my Queen."

The aide withdrew. A moment later, a tall, well-built, brown-haired woman marched in. Like most women of this world, Rose de Hausenbach -- her nom de guerre was "Seven Bake Rose" -- wore a single-piece, form-fitting swimsuit done in a shiny black material akin to what Terrans called leather. A waist-length cape, also black, was draped over her shoulders. Reaching a point three metres from Queen Elle, the mercenary stopped, and then she bowed. "Your Majesty, I have the report on the Noukiios-Uru conflict."

"Was Honey involved?" Elle wondered.

"Yes, ma'am. Quite heavily, in fact. Here."

Rose drew out a datapadd to hand it over. Elle took it, and then she tapped controls to call up the subject files. Scanning the information there, her eyes narrowed. "His grandmother was a Righteous Gentile?" she gasped.

"Protestant Reformist Church of Zephyrus," Rose elaborated. "Lady Nagaiwakai was involved in that famine that struck Jiyuu, Magairu and a few other colony worlds about forty years ago. When the whole matter with the Urusians started up, she devised a plan by which, in case her grandson lost the first Tag Race, the Urusians would've been dealt with."

"And the Onis decided to eliminate her just in case," Elle mused, lowering the datapadd. "This is very disturbing."

Rose nodded. The Holy Republic of Zephyrus was power unto itself in this part of the galaxy. That sense of invincibility had been deftly used by the Zephyrites to ensure the states bordering her did not step too far out of line. That was understandable, Elle knew. A planet-state's ruler -- be she queen, president, prime minister or holy mother -- had to look out for her people first. Yet because of that overbearing threat of all-out force the Holy Republic could swing to bear on anyone, those neighbouring states had come to assume that behind-the-scenes machinations were beyond the Zephyrites' capabilities because of the simple fact that they weren't needed.

That assumption was now dust.

"There're more details about Mr. Groom's family on the padd, Your Majesty," Rose respectfully offered. "You might want to read that."

Elle gazed on the mercenary. She then tapped controls to call up more files. On the screen, a computer copy of a Noukiite family registry flashed. Gazing on the information there, her jaw dropped. "Sisters . . .?!"

She stared on Rose. "Fourteen," Rose said. "When he was helping the Noukiites and the Inquisition hunt his grandmother's murderers down, Mr. Groom was given honorary citizenship in the Dominion. He was then able to expand that to include the other members of his family."

Elle gazed on the datapadd. "His parents are not listed here."

"Mr. Groom renounced them, Your Majesty. According to what I was able to discover, Mr. Groom's mother was the primary factor in the separation between himself and Lady Nagaiwakai. There were other circumstances. I couldn't get any more details." She bowed her head apologetically.

"I see . . . " The queen nodded, taking a deep breath. "Do you believe you can make your way to Earth without being detected, Rose?"

The mercenary nodded. "Easy enough."

* * *

Some distance from where Kamekichi Tampopo once held court, there was a large ladies boutique called Esmerelda's. The proprietor of this place, a forty-something East End Londoner named Esmerelda Stevens, had migrated to Tomobiki after the First Tag Race. Soon, almost EVERY girl of high school age in Tomobiki came to view Esmerelda's as THE "in" shop. Whatever trends in fashion that burst across the pop scene always got first airing here. You could get ANYTHING, from day wear to kimonos, from sports gear to lingerie and swim wear, even school uniforms, coming to Esmerelda's. 

Ataru's sisters, currently racing through the various departments as they scrambled to give Ranma a true woman's wardrobe worthy of the name, were presently besieging the boutique. Despite his fears about how a potential conflict between himself and other Tomobiki natives might ultimately reflect on his immediate family, the sisters had insisted on coming here to get Ranma new clothes. "If they bother us because you're our brother, we'll show those dorkheads a thing or two about respect, Onii-sama," Sakuya assured him.

Esmerelda, a slender woman with greying hair, looking like an atypical private school headmistress, coordinated everything by the change rooms. Ataru sat nearby; he was the fashion judge. Ranma was trying on a chemise. Sakuya was with her in the change room. "Okay, Onii-sama! Here she comes!"

Ranma stepped out. Esmerelda nodded. "Oh, that's nice."

"Wow!"

That was Ataru, by the way.

"What exactly is that, Stevens-san?" Karen asked.

"Wow!"

"Part of the Canterbury Collection, my dear." The Englishwoman gazed amusedly on Karen. "It just came out this year."

"Wow!"

Ranma turned to a full-length mirror. She had on what was normally called a "poet chemise," a knee-length, loose white dress with lace and ribbon trimming, buttons going down the front. The cotton of the dress was thin enough so that you could still make out her figure underneath if the light was right. "Do you like that, Onee-chan? It looks good on you," Karen asked.

"Wow!"

Ranma turned slightly. "Yeah, it does, doesn't it?"

"Wow!"

Mamoru patted Ataru's shoulder. "Well, Anii sure likes it!"

Ranma stared curiously at him. "Wow!" Ataru sank into his chair.

"How many was that?" Sakuya asked.

"I counted six," Karen reported.

Ranma stared at the eldest sister. "That good?"

"Definitely." Sakuya winked, and then she called, "Who's got swimwear?!"

"Found it!" Rinrin called out as she came up with a black opaque one-piece on a rack hangar. "I think this'll be great for Aneki!"

Ranma stared at it. She then headed into the change room, Sakuya following her. Mamoru pinched Ataru awake. "Eh?!" He looked around, and then he sighed. "Oh, man! I'll be more than glad when this is over with!"

"You're not the only one, Ataru," Ranma called out.

Laughter filled the boutique. Ranma soon emerged, wearing a crochet one-piece composed of nude power mesh done in spandex, which was underlined with opaque nylon to obscure details. The only skin it revealed was a keyhole opening in the back; the suit went all the way to her neck. "Well?" She turned to the mirror to give herself an once-over, and then she turned to Ataru. "Is this okay . . .?" she asked.

"Wow . . .!" he drawled before passing out.

Ranma then frowned. "Oh, bummer . . . "

"No! No! No!" Mamoru shook her head, wagging her finger. "If that suit did THAT to Anii, it's perfect for you, Anee!"

Ranma took that in, and then she blushed. "I don't want to end up killing the guy 'cause I'm wearing something like THIS, Mamoru!"

Esmerelda winked, holding up an objecting finger. "I believe it will not only ensure their brother remains loyal to you, my dear, but it'll make him quite ready to defend you from the groping hands of unwanted chikan artists."

Ranma blinked. "Well, if you say so, ma'am . . . "

More laughter filled the shop.

* * *

"_**HE HIT YOU?!**_" 

It was lunchtime at the Tendou doojou. Souun was now a hair's breadth away from unleashing a Demon Head, though the true target of his anger was nowhere in Nerima. "Hai, he did," Akane grunted, a hand rubbing her abdomen. Sayuri and Yuka sat to either side of her. "Ranma told me he's in love with someone else. I demanded to know who she was and he brushed me off, the jerk! So I tried to smack him into place and he . . .!"

Akane's voice trailed off. "Ranma-kun hit her mallet with something he called the 'heart blast touch,'" Yuka finished as Sayuri squeezed Akane's shoulder in sympathy. "It destroyed the mallet and knocked Akane-chan out."

Nabiki perked. "The Heart Blast Touch?!" She then winced. "Ouch! You're lucky it was only the mallet he hit, Akane!"

"What does THAT mean?!" Akane snapped.

"Negako-san told me the Shinzou Bakuhatsu Shoku is one of the two main killing manoeuvres in Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu," Nabiki explained. "Unlike the rock-breaking technique Ryouga-kun knows, the Heart Blast Touch is VERY effective against humans. One strike . . .!" -- she pointed to a spot under her breast -- "Here and your heart'll literally explode." The middle Tendou daughter ignored the horrified looks on the younger girls' faces. "Strikes against the major nerve clusters in the shoulders and hips would forever deny you use of your arms or legs. Aim at the back of the spine and you could cripple someone. Aim for the head and . . . " She shuddered. "Nasty!"

Sayuri nearly choked on her bile. "Saotome knows THAT?!"

"Yep. Matter of fact, Negako-san told me earlier today that Ranma-kun mastered that particular move in less than an hour. And, believe it or not . . . " She held up a finger, smiling. "It was ATARU who taught him that."

Sayuri gaped. "Moroboshi?!"

"Could you imagine what the people of Tomobiki might think if they knew something like THAT?!" Yuka wondered aloud.

"They probably already know." Nabiki turned back to her tea to take a sip before she continued, "After all, how could Ataru-kun've dug those people out of the wreckage of his old school last Monday as quickly as he did?"

Yuka considered that, and then she nodded. "True."

"What else happened, Yuka-chan?" Kasumi asked.

"Well, after Akane-chan was knocked out, Ataru-kun's sister Negako forced the principal to turn over his and Ranma-kun's school records so they could be sent to some college. They didn't say which college it was . . . wait!"

She perked, humming. Sayuri snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's right! One of those girls mentioned something about a 'Stargazer West College' . . .!"

Nabiki perked. "What younger girls?!"

"There were about ten or twelve of them," Sayuri explained. "It was kinda funny. They all called Moroboshi-san 'big brother' . . . "

Kasumi's and Nabiki's eyes widened. "Oh, those must've been Ataru-kun's younger sisters." The former then smiled, humming thoughtfully. "Then the college they mentioned must be the one the sisters attend."

"I can check that out," the latter confirmed.

"Yes, Nabiki, do so!"

Eyes locked on Souun. Akane blinked. "Dad . . .?"

"Ranma won't be allowed to escape his obligations!" he ordained, ignoring the annoyed looks appearing on Kasumi and Nabiki's faces. "He'll be brought back to Nerima immediately . . . " He crossed his arms. "So he can marry Akane and unite the schools as Saotome-kun and I planned!"

Tired moaned escape his elder daughters, earning them a stern look from Souun. Sayuri and Yuka kept their peace. Akane shuddered, unsure of what to say or think in spite of the fact that, thirty-six hours before, she had gladly declared to both her father and Genma that she loved Ranma. Suddenly, Kasumi perked. "Ah, we have a guest!" She rose, heading to the front gate.

"Dad, don't you think . . .?!" Nabiki began.

"NO!" Souun slammed his fist into the table. "Ranma will marry Akane-chan and that is FINAL! Your continued, selfish, pointless interference in this matter will no longer be tolerated! You have already interfered enough in their lives and my plans for them, Nabiki! You WILL ensure that Ranma comes back to this house as soon as possible or else you will . . .!"

A fist smashed into his nose, sending Souun flying into a wall. As he collapsed into a heap on the floor, Nabiki straightened herself, her fists clenching and unclenching as her battle aura flared. "Onee-chan . . .!" Akane gasped as she, Sayuri and Yuka stared wide-eyed at Nabiki.

"How soon we forget who actually PAYS the bills around this place!" the middle daughter growled. "You try to throw me out, Dad, and I promise you that your life will become a living HELL! Don't you DARE preach to me what was proper and what wasn't when it came to Akane and Ranma!" She pointed at him. "After all that time you spent SITTING there on the porch, doing NOTHING to help keep our home, you've got some gall to speak to me like THAT after all the things I've done to keep this place over our heads!"

"Indeed, Father, Nabiki-chan is correct," Kasumi announced as she stepped back inside. "You have no right to judge any of us for what we did or didn't do in these last few years when you've done NOTHING to help keep our home intact!" She drew out a thick envelope from behind her. "Furthermore, we can no longer bother Ranma-kun where he has chosen to live. Read."

She tossed the package onto the table. Nabiki immediately scooped it up and opened it, drawing out a covering letter. Scanning it, she whistled. "Well, guess that settles that," she announced.

"What does that say, Onee-chan?" Akane wondered.

"This is from the Court of Special Appeals." Nabiki held up the letter to show to everyone else in the room. "This confirms a court injunction issued against our family concerning Ranma-kun and the idiot's agreement Dad made with that panda Ranma-kun once had to call a father . . . "

"_**'COURT INJUNCTION?!'**_"

Souun was on his feet. "Yep," Nabiki said. "As of six o'clock last evening, by special edict of the senior judge of the Court of Special Appeals, acting on behalf of the Imperial Palace Agency, an injunction was issued against all parties who desire to forge a marriage bond with Saotome Ranma, once-child of Saotome Genma and Saotome Nodoka of Nerima-ku, Tokyo-to; now head of the Saotome family of Oomure-chou, Odawara-shi in Kanagawa-ken." She paused as she scanned the letter's contents. "Simple enough."

"What does it say, Nabiki-chan?" Kasumi asked.

"It says here that if any one of us continues to harass Ranma-kun concerning what Dad here tried to set up with the panda, then we'll be investigated for all confirmed or suspected illegal activities which might have affected Ranma-kun. Then, if warranted, charges would be laid against us." Nabiki slipped the paper back into the envelope, and then she moved to head upstairs. "I guess that takes care of that."

"WAIT!" Souun wailed. "There must be . . .!"

"Forget it, Dad." She glanced at him. "It's over. If you want to keep chasing after Ranma-kun, you're on your own. Don't expect any help from me."

She turned to head upstairs. "Tendou Nabiki, you will help bring Ranma home or you will no longer be allowed to live in this house!" Souun threatened.

"DAD!" Akane cried out.

Nabiki blinked, visibly not disturbed by his words. "Fine. I'm sure Negako-san'll let me live at her place while I finish school and move on to university." She then glared at her father. "And while I go forth and destroy everything you have left in this world, _Father_. Your legacy, your doojou, your place as head of this household, EVERYTHING you once called your own will be taken away from you. If you're so intent on living inside that little fantasy world of yours, I'll be DAMNED if you drag all of us down with you!"

She stormed upstairs. "Nabiki!" Souun cried, collapsing to his knees.

"Father."

Shuddering, he stared into Kasumi's face. "Father, if you force Nabiki-chan to leave, then I too will leave." She crossed her arms. "Nabiki-chan is correct. Your continued refusal to see what is truly going on with those you state you care for has brought such disharmony to this household that I find I can no longer live here anymore. I'm sure Toofuu-sensei will be more than happy to let me live with him as I proceed to university myself." She headed to the kitchen. "Ranma-kun was right all along. I've sacrificed far too much of my life because of your laziness. And I refuse to keep placing my life and my dreams on hold because you refuse to stop being lazy!"

The door slammed shut behind her. "Kasumi!" Souun tearfully screamed, and then he jolted as Akane stood, moving to head upstairs. Sayuri and Yuka headed up ahead of her, both of them moving to allow her to speak to her father alone. "Akane . . .?" He turned to her. When she refused to look at him, he bowed his head. "Do you still love him?"

Silence fell. Then a weak "Yes" escaped her. "Then bring him home! You have to!" Souun pleaded. "If you let him go, everything we've tried to make is wasted! You'll let Ranma-kun fall into the grasp of Nodoka's relatives! If that happens, you'll never have a chance to let your heart's dream come true! You can understand that, can't you, Akane-chan?! Bring him home!"

Akane shuddered, tears spilling down her cheeks as she tried to find the right words. Finally, she gazed heavenward. "He said to me this morning . . . " She sniffed. "That he no longer considers this place his home."

She headed upstairs at a run. "Akane-chan . . . " Souun burbled before collapsing on himself, pained sobs escaping him.

* * *

"How could you say that to your own father, Nabiki?!" 

Nabiki stared at Sayuri. "Look, I know you don't like Ranma-kun . . . "

"You're damn right I don't!" Sayuri snarled. "Ever since that bastard first showed up, Akane-chan's been treated like dirt by almost everyone who knows her! She gets no respect for what she can do, even when she WANTS to learn how to stand on her own two feet! Oh, NO! That's not right since, because she's engaged, she has to depend TOTALLY on a jerk like Saotome! And Akane-chan got no support when she tries something new! Why? Because no one wanted to be bothered to make her look better than her 'iinazuke,' even when he was forced to act like a girl! You want to know how much it HURT her when Saotome proved he was a better _girl_ than she?! How much it HURT her every time she tried to cook something and NO ONE, even her SISTERS . . . " She glared at Nabiki. "Would help her out, much less encourage her to do better?!"

Nabiki gazed evenly at Akane's friend, crossing her arms. "So when did YOU ever try any of Akane's cooking, Sayuri?" she coyly asked.

Sayuri jolted before she flustered. "W-w-well . . . "

Nabiki nodded knowingly. "Uh-huh!"

"What about my cooking?!"

Akane stepped into the room. Nothing was said as the youngest daughter sat on Nabiki's bed. Nabiki remained silent, gazing absently at her computer. Sayuri and Yuka exchanged a look, and then they gazed on their friend, unsure as to what they could say in a situation like this, much less if they should say anything at all. Finally, Akane asked, "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" Nabiki wondered.

"What you threatened to do to Dad?"

"If I have to."

"Why?"

"Because it's time for Dad to start acting his age, Akane." She glanced on her sister. "It's time for him to start realizing how much pain he's been unleashing ever since that panda showed up. On you, on me, on Onee-chan, on Ranma and everyone else." Shaking her head, she rose, heading to the window to gaze on the townscape beyond. "Now I can understand where Ranma-kun's coming from when he said he didn't want anything to do with us. We USED him, Akane-chan. You, me, Dad and everyone else. And ESPECIALLY the panda, may that selfish bastard rot in Hell for all he's done!" She closed her eyes, tears brimming in her lashes. "We've been HIDING behind Ranma-kun, Akane. Whenever something weird hit town, we shoved him into dealing with it without giving him any sort of REAL encouragement. Hell, whenever he got into trouble, what did everyone do? Shouted insults at him, told him to deal with matter . . .!"

"All he really wanted was thanks."

Eyes locked on Yuka. "Yuka-chan," Sayuri whispered.

"That's what he said at school, Sayuri-chan." Yuka sighed. "Don't you remember? How he said that he was tired of doing something for nothing, not even a 'thank you,' for dealing with the garbage that hits town every once in a while. And remember what else he said? About what'll happen now that he's gone off with Moroboshi-san and his sisters? Who the hell stops Happoosai from stealing all our clothes? Who stops people like that Tarou guy? Who stops the Principal? Hell, who's going to stop Kunou from pressing the whole fight for Akane-chan if he decides that what Akane-chan said today doesn't count?! Who the hell stops the next hotshot coming into town looking for a good fight? Hell, who'll save the doojou next time a Doojou Destroyer comes along . . .?"

"IF Ojii-san doesn't give Dad a new training license," Nabiki muttered.

"True." Yuka shakily nodded before turning to Sayuri. "Akane couldn't stand up to the last one; Ranma-kun had to deal with him! And Nabiki's only NOW getting back into shape . . . " She shrugged before leaning on the bed.

Sayuri snorted. "It's all Saotome's fault, anyway!"

Nabiki smirked. "You know, Sayuri-chan, hanging onto that attitude isn't going to help." Her grin turned savage as she glanced on Akane's friend. "Matter of fact, it's that attitude that helped drive Ranma-kun away."

Sayuri shook her head. "Oh, no, you don't!" She pointed at Nabiki. "You're not going to peg this on me! Uh-uh! And I won't let you get away with heaping it all over your sister, either!" She pointed to Akane. "Akane-chan was right all along about that bastard! And there's nothing you can say or do that'll make me change my mind!" She stormed out of the room.

Nabiki watched her leave, and then she turned to look out the window. Sayuri walked onto the courtyard, heading out the front gate for home. Sensing the silence from the other people, the middle Tendou daughter gazed on Yuka. "You're awfully quiet, Yuka-chan. Aren't you going to say something?"

Yuka shrugged. "What can I say? Ranma-kun's gone and there's obviously no hope of bringing him back. I . . . " She gazed on Akane before placing a supportive hand on her friend's shoulder. "Maybe instead of trying to force the whole engagement thing on him, you should just try to be Ranma-kun's friend. That's all he seems to want now, Akane-chan."

"Then who is she?"

"Akane-chan?"

Akane stared at Nabiki. "Who is it? Is it Ukyou? Is it Shampoo? Kodachi, maybe? Or is it one of Moroboshi's sisters? Who IS IT, Onee-chan?!"

"What are you talking about?" Nabiki demanded, staring at her sister.

"You damn well KNOW what I'm talking about!" Akane snapped, bolting to her feet. "Ranma said he wouldn't reciprocate my feelings for him because he loves someone else! Who is she, Onee-chan?! Damn it all, you HAVE to know!"

Nabiki blinked, and then she gazed out the window, shaking her head. "Much that you might not want to believe this, but I don't know everything about Ranma-kun. And I think after all we've been through these last few weeks, what I do know about Ranma-kun may not apply . . . "

"Damn it, I don't CARE about that!" Akane railed. "WHO IS SHE?!"

Silence fell as Nabiki continued to look out the window. She then asked, "Why do you want to know this? You going to try to fight whomever it is to get Ranma-kun back? You remember what he said to you last night about that . . .!"

"Onee-chan, he's fought enough for me!" Akane cut her off before she sank onto the bed. "But . . .!" Tears brimmed her eyelashes as she clenched her fists. "I just can't let it end like THIS! Please, who is she?! Tell me!"

Nabiki gazed on her sister, and then she sighed. "It's not a girl."

Akane jolted before her eyes widened. "Negako-san . . .?"

"Akane . . . "

"Of course!" Akane leapt to her feet. "It makes PERFECT sense! Negako-san's got all that experience and knowledge in the Art! Ranma would automatically be attracted to her! And she's nothing at all like Cologne or Happoosai, so why wouldn't he . . .?!"

"AKANE!"

Akane yelped, staring at Nabiki. "It's not Negako." The middle Tendou daughter shook her head, a knowing grin crossing her face.

Akane blinked. "Not Negako . . .?" Her forehead furrowed as she sank back onto the bed. She then froze, her eyes widening as she remembered what Nabiki and Kasumi spoke of earlier. "No . . . " she whispered. "No . . .! You can't be serious . . .! Not . . .?"

"Who?!" Yuka demanded. "You mean . . .? Moroboshi-san?!"

Nabiki left them hanging for a moment, and then she walked over to the folder on her desk. Opening it, she leafed through the pages contained within. She then drew out a sheet to hand it to her sister. "Read."

Akane scanned it, her eyes widening. "This is a listing from the National Family Registrar!" She looked up at Nabiki.

"'Saotome family of Oomure district, city of Odawara, Kanagawa . . . '" Yuka read, scanning the names. "Saotome Ranma. Saotome Toshiko. Saotome Kumiko . . . " Her voice trailed as she noticed one particular kanji used three times in the same column. "All . . .!"

Akane looked, blinking as a roar of disbelief and denial surged up from her heart. But the printed characters on the sheet before her did not change. "All listed as girls . . . " she whispered. "Ranma . . .! No, this . . .!"

Nabiki nodded. "It's true. It's also legal and binding. The only practical way of someone to declare that he or she is of the other gender outside of moving to a country where it'd be easier legally to make that switch is . . . " She took a breath. "To literally start from scratch. Just as Ranma, Toshiko and Kumiko did yesterday. If I have to, I can hack into the Registrar's records and confirm it. But . . .!" She shrugged. "It's hard to tell whether or not Ranma did this just as a way of ensuring he didn't have to worry about the engagements anymore or if . . . "

"It's something deeper," Yuka finished.

"Exactly."

"What if this was something Moroboshi did?!" Akane demanded.

Nabiki shrugged. "Hard to say. Personally, I'd say Ataru-kun had nothing to do with it. Yes, he always had an eye for pretty girls. As a girl, Ranma is quite the looker. No doubt about that. But we have to keep in mind that Ranma's always been pretty paranoid when it comes to gender questions. How many times've we heard him yell, 'I'm a boy?!' He was so paranoid about that, I really doubt that even someone like Ataru-kun -- IF Ataru-kun was still of that state of mind -- could make Ranma change so easily."

She snapped her fingers. Akane considered that before reluctantly nodding. "There's only one person we could ask about this, isn't there?"

Nabiki nodded. "Right."

* * *

"Hey, you okay?" 

"Huh?" Ranma perked as she floated in the deep end of the pool, and then she glanced up at him. "Did you say something, Ataru?"

Located on the sixth floor of the Toranoseishin Finances Tower, the indoor pool was enclosed with glass windows offering a panoramic view of Tomobiki and the surrounding municipalities. Change rooms were poised by the elevator shafts, they lining one side of the pool space. Many of the sisters were frolicking in the shallow end. Negako had returned to Nerima shortly before everyone raided Esmerelda's. Mamoru swam laps by one side of the pool. Aria and Hinako reclined on float tubes, a parasol perched over the former. Ataru sat on one of the diving boards close to where Ranma was relaxing.

"I asked if you were okay," he repeated.

She smiled assuredly at him before gazing on the ceiling. "I'm still a little bugged over what happened last night."

"Do you remember much of it?"

"Bits and pieces, plus that nightmare I had," she admitted, closing her eyes. "To believe I'm capable of something like _that_ . . .!"

"Frightening, huh?"

"Yeah." Ranma then shrugged. "Then again, why should I be shocked? After all, I went way past the envelope when I fought Saffron. Do you think that part of me had something to do with that?"

Ataru shook his head. "Don't ask me, Ranma. That sort of deep theory, I leave to the real experts like Onee-chan."

She looked on him. "It scares you, doesn't it?"

He considered her question, and then he nodded. "Hai, it does."

"Why?"

Ataru took a deep breath. "When I first started on this road, I wanted to keep as many options open to me as I could." He gazed out the window at his old hometown. "Try to keep or reform as many friendships as I could in Tomobiki, stay with my family, be . . . " He shrugged. "Well, be _normal_, I guess! But . . . " He closed his eyes, his head swaying to and fro. "As time went on, it seemed as if everything I tried to hang onto was closed off to me. I . . . " A pause. "If I lost all links to my sisters, I wouldn't know WHAT to do, Ranma. They're all I've really got left. Lum's gone, Shinobu left my life long ago, I never really deserved to be with anyone else . . . "

"Lum's not gone, Ataru. She's here in town."

"No! No! You don't understand." He shook his head. "Ranma, that person on Ran's ship is, IN PART, Lum. There's a whole new side of her being. That's how the Crossing Over works. Didn't Nokoko-oneechan tell you about that?" Seeing Ranma nod, he sighed. "And even Ran is gone, Ranma. She's in the same position as the being born from Lum."

"You can try to stay friends with her."

"Should I do that?" he wondered. "Ranma, the future's wide open for her. For them both. I have no right to impose myself on them anymore. Do you feel you've got the right to impose yourself on Akane or Ukyou?"

"No!" She shook her head, and then she smiled. "Still . . . "

"What?"

Grinning, Ranma somersaulted in the water, snaring Ataru by the leg. "I've got you!" she growled as she yanked him in.

Ataru screamed before being submerged. Ranma dove in after him. They met at the bottom, drawing their arms around each other as she pressed her lips against his. Floating back to the surface, they kept their pose even though the sisters could see them. Even the flashes of Yotsuba's camera didn't break their lip-to-lip conversation. "Ani-chama's and Ane-chama's kiss checky!"

They pulled apart, a sly look appearing on his face. Ranma grinned. They then leapt out of the pool to dog pile the young detective. "_**ULTIMATE TICKLE-TORTURE CHECKY!**_" they screamed together as Yotsuba's laughter-filled pleas for mercy filled the pool area.

The other sisters watched, many trying desperately not to fall over laughing on seeing the English-born girl so quickly brought down. "Well, I'd say it's about damn time they did that to her!" Sakuya spoke for them all.

* * *

"Darling, how can you think something like THAT . . .?" 

The dark-haired, brown-eyed girl sat in the guest room of Ran's scoutship, gazing in the general direction of the Toranoseishin Tower. With a little telepathy, she could sense everything Ataru had said to Saotome Ranma. Oddly enough, she could not probe directly into his mind even if she desired to. For some unknown reason, Ataru's mind was closed off to her. How was that possible? Nendo-kata could virtually sense next to anything living. So what was blocking her from probing into Ataru's mind, much less Ranma's?

Was it those things they could become . . .?

She quaked, her hand turning the identification card in her hand. Her eyes quickly locked on the name printed there.

Izumo Seiko.

To the surprise of even his partner Kay, Jay was a history buff. Since he had been assigned to help watch over the aliens resident in Japan, the young SCAA agent had taken time to brush up on local history. It was he who chose the names the beings formed in part from Lum and Ran would use. "Izumo" was taken from a famous Kabuki actress who performed in the days when Japan's legendary theatre allowed women to take roles. The given names the Urusians-turned-Nendo-kata/Terrans would use hailed from an earlier period of Japanese history. "Seiko" was derived from a famous Heian-jidai poet, Sei Shoonagon, author of _Makura no Sooshi_. "Sakiko," the name given to the person once known as Aruka Ran, got her name from a rival of Sei's, Murasaki Shikubu, author of _The Tale of Genji_. Hearing the origins of their new names, Seiko and Sakiko could only exchange a knowing look. How ironic, indeed . . .

"Sei-chan?"

Seiko perked, and then she gazed on Sakiko, who was leaning against the doorframe. A hairstylist brought in by Kay and Jay had done miracles with the rose hair Ran/Sakiko called her own. Now it was hued to a more natural reddish-brown shade, styled in a bushy, close-cropped mass that nearly obscured her eyes and curled in at her collars. It looked downright sexy on her, Seiko mused to herself as she held out a hand. Sakiko grinned as she walked to the bed, allowing herself to sink into Seiko's embrace. "You okay?"

"Not really," Seiko admitted before she kissed Sakiko's forehead. "So when do we have to finally move the ship out of town?"

"I'll do it tonight," Sakiko replied. "I'll talk to Ryuu-chan about leaving it on her island. It should escape attention there."

"With some help."

"Hai, with help." The SCAA would no doubt want to ensure things were squared away before moving to allow the Izumo sisters a chance to live their own lives without oversight from New York. "Are you angry?" she then asked.

"No, Sakiko-chan, not at you." Seiko gazed into the other woman's eyes before she gazed to the deckhead. "We know the sacrifices demanded of us when the Crossing Over is invoked. And Ryuunosuke needs you. She's been as much a Wanderer as we've been, even long before her father was killed."

"True." Sakiko nodded before she peered towards the Toranoseishin Tower. A shudder raced through her as her empathic senses picked up the strong aura of LOVE emanating from the sixth floor. "Blessed Mother, they love him so much."

Seiko nodded. "And her, too. I envy Darling . . . "

"Maybe you shouldn't call him that anymore."

"He'll always be 'Darling' to me. It's too soon. I . . . " She paused, allowing her face to be buried in her sister's hair. "Even with the Crossing Over, I haven't had as much time to mourn what's been lost than he . . . "

"I know. I think he knows it, too," Sakiko mused. She then perked, her eyes glowing as she glanced toward the gangway. "Company."

"Who?" Seiko scanned herself before she smiled. "Ryuunosuke."

"Excuse me." Sakiko stood, moving to head out.

"Don't seduce her on the first date, Sakiko-chan!"

"But she's so much of a TEMPTATION, Seiko-chan!"

Laughter filled the ship as Sakiko headed down to receive their friend. Seiko watched her go, and then she turned back to the Toranoseishin Tower as she allowed her powers to reach out once more to her Darling and his family.

* * *

Karen perked as a funny warmth surged through her. She then found herself gazing out the window. What was that? Standing, she poised herself next to the safety glass, trying to pick out details. She knew where some of the more important locations in Tomobiki were. Before they met Ataru, the sisters were walked through a detailed model of the town by Negako. Yes, there was Tomobiki High. The large expanse of green and asphalt black/grey interspersed with European-style buildings and military-like structures was the Mendou estate. Off to the far north was a sea of trees around a traditional mansion: The Mizunokooji estate. There was the shrine where Sakura lived. The house Onii-chan lived in. The Miyake home. The empty building Tampopo-san once used. Other schools: Sanrinbou, Shakkou, Taian, Butsumetsu, Butsumetsu Girls . . . 

Wait!

Karen focused on a small dot of pink a few blocks away from Onii-chan's old home. Oh, yes. Ran's scoutship. Remembering that woman, Karen scowled before she chased away the dark thoughts thundering through her mind. Even if Ran and her late boyfriend held many ill thoughts towards her Onii-chan, that wouldn't remain as it was these days. Rei was dead after all. And while Karen didn't know the full story behind Ran's and Lum's surprising return to Earth, from what she sensed from Onii-chan and Negako-oneechan's words, neither of them were in any real position to hurt Onii-chan again . . .

* * *

"Is that what you all think of me . . .?" Seiko whispered, eyes sparkling with hurt tears. "Just as someone who hurt your brother . . .?" 

Shuddering, she pulled her legs close to her as she leaned her head on her closed knees. No! Oh, Sweet Mother, NO! It just wasn't FAIR! Even if she wouldn't do what she had once done to Ataru before she was sent home weeks ago, to learn that all of Ataru's sisters HATED her was like a hot knife to her heart. Then . . .! Then again . . .

Seiko sniffed. Should she be so surprised? If Sakuya, Chikage and Haruka's actions provided any clue, Darling's sisters had forged ironclad viewpoints when it came to Lum. And those verdicts had come down AGAINST her. That was an attitude Lum hadn't encountered before. Yes, there was Shinobu and her attempts at hanging onto Ataru in the weeks right after the First Tag Race. Seiko now doubted that Ataru's late 'parents,' especially Kinshou, ever DID really care for Lum in the long term, seeing the Oni instead as the perfect ticket to help steal what was rightfully Darling's.

But this . . .

This . . .

"I'm sorry."

* * *

Karen blinked as a twinge of pain touched her. She sat on a lawn chair, looking nowhere. Why was she suddenly feeling sad for someone like Lum, for Heaven's sake? After all the things she instigated, she didn't deserve . . . 

No.

Karen closed her eyes. That wasn't true. If Lum deserved anything, it WAS mercy. She was here on Earth, most likely never to see her home planet ever again. Did Karen have a right to judge Lum? Especially after all . . .?

"Karen-chan, are you okay?"

Karen spun around to see Hinako standing there, a concerned look on her face. "You scared me!" she breathed out. "Is there something wrong?"

"Shirayuki-chan was gonna make hot dogs." Hinako pointed to the other side of the pool, where the chef was working. "Don't you want some?"

"I . . . "

Karen blushed as a growl echoed from her stomach. Hearing that, Hinako giggled before she took her hand and pulled her to where the others were.

* * *

"You were being a little too aggressive, Seiko." 

Seiko screamed, spinning around to see someone standing by the door. "Chikage!" she gasped, feeling her heart. "How . . .?"

The sorceress, draped in a solid black version of Ranma's new swimsuit, turned to step out of the room. "Karen is especially sensitive to empathic probing. If you are so determined to become life-mates with one of my family, I suggest you learn something called 'patience.' That was part of the reason you did not ultimately succeed in your pursuit of Ani-kun."

Seiko blinked confusedly as Chikage left.

* * *

"There's nothing you can do for them?" 

Negako shook her head. She and Chigaiko sat with Nabiki, Akane and Yuka around the living room table in the old shrine, they having just enjoyed tea. "The core personalities of both Ataru and Ranma would be destroyed if their link was severed. When that happens, all that would be left would be the Cyborg and Neko-Ranma. And I believe you understand what could happen if that part of Ranma's personality was let loose. Do you not?"

The visitors were pale. The ninjutsu grandmaster had just explained to them about the "hidden" part of last evening's events at Fuurinkan. "H-he . . .?" Akane gulped. "No . . .! Th-this can't be true . . .! It can't . . .!"

A fist smashed into the table, causing Nabiki, Akane, Yuka and Chigaiko to leap back in shock. The look on Negako's face as she glared the youngest Tendou down sent icy chills down the others' backs. "Are you so determined to warp Reality Itself to your selfish desires that you would allow people to DIE before you finally allowed yourself to see the truth?!" she demanded, the rage in her voice making Akane wish she could sink into the floor, get as far away from this scary monster as she could. "People have suffered enough because of your selfishness! Ranma most of all! What I have told you is the TRUTH, Akane! Accept it!" She sat back, her eyes still locked on Akane. "I will not modify the truth to better benefit your sensibilities. Too many have done that to you to date, much to your detriment. If you truly wish to be the martial artist you see yourself as, you have to move away from that pathetic attitude you have maintained concerning your total skill level and 'ranking' among your peers. If you cannot make yourself move past that, then you are wasting my time and patience. And that is something I will not tolerate from anyone."

Akane shuddered, and then her shoulders slumped as pained sobs stole her voice. Yuka moved to comfort. Chigaiko gazed sympathetically at the sobbing girl, though she did spare glances from time to time at Negako. The ninjutsu grandmaster's impassiveness was understandable, the Tomobiki native mused. Unlike more sedate situations, Akane's inability to accept her shortcomings had actually come close to permanently crippling someone she deeply cared for. And it wasn't just Ranma who would have been affected had that insanity continued. Chigaiko grimaced. A man Chigaiko herself dearly loved was presently involved. Much that she would desire there be an easier way to do this, Chigaiko knew the time had come for lines to be drawn in the sand.

Lines that could not and WOULD not be crossed.

Also watching Negako was Nabiki. While she did ache on seeing her sister hurt, the middle Tendou daughter knew the time had come for Akane to wake up and see the world as it was. _And you helped maintain her illusions too. Not to mention milked certain problems Akane-chan had for everything they were worth, even if it WAS to keep the house over our heads_, a voice inside her chided. _If you're part of the problem, you have to be part of the solution._

Finally, Akane's sobs faded into sniffles as she wiped her eyes clean. She then stared pleadingly at Negako. "Is there any way to change this?" she asked. "I'm sure you don't want your own brother to live like this."

Negako shook her head. "To my current level of knowledge when it comes to psionic bonds like this, there is no way to safely sever what exists between Ataru and Ranma, Akane. Yes, the ideal situation would be for no bond to exist at all. But this situation, as all would agree, is nowhere close to 'ideal.'"

"What are their attitudes towards this, Sensei?" Yuka then asked. "I assume Moroboshi-san and Ranma-kun both know what's going on."

"Do not call me 'Sensei,' Yuka," Negako stated, causing Yuka to duck the annoyed stare fired her way. The grandmaster then relaxed. "Ranma is willing to allow matters between herself and Ataru to remain until such time as more information can be obtained concerning the person who bonded her to Ataru. But since said person is not native to Earth -- thus leading us to question whether or not she, he or it is still alive and can be called on to assist -- the potential answers such a person might provide may never come at all."

"It's weird, though," Yuka mused. "I mean, who'd bond two boys together, at THAT young of an age? And why would they do it?!"

"I think that's about as 'alien' as you can get." Nabiki shook her head. "What about Ranma-ku- . . .!" She stopped herself before sighing. "What about Ranma-chan's attitudes towards everyone here in Nerima?"

Akane fired Nabiki a hurt look on hearing the latter address Ranma with a more "feminine" term. "For the most part . . . " Negako's voice turned her attention back to the ninjutsu grandmaster. "'Good riddance to bad rubbish.'"

The Tendou sisters winced. Chigaiko gave Negako an annoyed glance. Yuka gazed sympathetically at Akane. Negako took a breath before she continued, "There are certain people whom Ranma might entertain reforming friendships with. She has already begun doing so with Ryouga. Ukyou is another candidate. Kelun and Happy, she views as her teachers. She does acknowledge Toofuu and Kasumi as her friends, her ONLY friends here in Nerima . . . "

"What about Hiroshi and Daisuke?!" Akane demanded.

Negako shook her head. "They are ultimately not relevant. Hiroshi and Daisuke have consistently made one grave mistake when it comes to how they look upon Ranma. They assumed subconsciously from the beginning that Ranma experienced the same social upbringing they themselves experienced. That, as you are aware, is nowhere NEAR the truth." A pause. "Do you realize that Ranma's first sexual experience came from a magically-induced dream Chikage crafted for her last Wednesday evening on Promised Island?"

"That can't be true!" Akane blurted out. "What about all the times he sneaked into my room or the change room at school . . .?!"

"AKANE!" Negako snapped, making the youngest Tendou duck.

Silence fell as they considered what Negako had said. Yuka then sighed. "Surely, Ranma's not gay . . .?" she stuttered, and then she moaned, slapping her head. "Oh, gods! And with what you just said Jusenkyou did to him . . . "

"That added to a deliberate veil Genma forced over Ranma to ensure she could concentrate SOLELY on the martial arts, that augmented with Akane's attitudes when it comes to inter-gender relations, plus Shanpú's more blatant approach to the question AND the mixed signals those such as Daisuke and Hiroshi have given Ranma . . . " Negako's voice trailed off, a smile crossing her face. "Akane, do you truly believe Genma could have been responsible enough to give Ranma the 'Talk' during their journey? Especially given how adamant Genma was about uniting his school with your father's via a marriage between Ranma and either yourself, Nabiki or Kasumi?"

Akane moved to reply. She paused, looking at the table as she considered what Negako just asked. Finally, she shook her head. "No."

"Do you believe Nodoka would have done that?"

That question earned a snorted laugh from Nabiki. "Mrs. 'You Have To Be A Man-Above-Men Or Else Commit Seppuku?!' Not likely!"

Yuka stared quizzically at Nabiki. Akane nodded in agreement. "Has ANYONE given Ranma-san the 'Talk,' Negako-san?" Chigaiko asked.

"Sakuya did. On Wednesday evening before Chikage got to her."

Silence.

"I never realized . . . " Akane whispered.

"Both by accident and deliberate action, you were not allowed to realize that," Negako stated. "By 'deliberate action,' I mean those who fed into your own assumptions and delusions concerning your life and those who interact with you. Take what Tatewaki has tried to do with you. He tried to force you into doing something you did not desire. Then, when he galvanized most of the boys at your school to participate in the 'Fight for Akane's Heart,' he made you believe boys were, without exception, 'perverted.' No one tried to correct your assumption. When Ranma came, your assumption -- added to her embarrassment, confusion and shame over her condition, not to mention her inability to perceive of any way of resolving this outside the circle of a martial arts battle -- started a process that could have easily led to an eternity of hatred and mistrust. That process being constantly fed by two men who had no idea what they were doing, not to mention one sister who blatantly ignored what was happening to her family, not to mention another . . . " She glanced at Nabiki. "Who was so determined to keep her family safe and secure, she was willing to do anything, regardless of legality, to see that happen."

Nabiki bowed her eyes ashamedly. Akane's fists squeezed together, fresh tears streaking down her cheeks. Yuka and Chigaiko shook their heads in mute sympathy. "I never thought it was THAT bad," Akane's friend whispered.

Negako gazed on her. "You were not permitted to perceive the truth. And even if you could have determined that, you would not have been permitted to change things, especially when it came to Ranma's independence. Souun and Genma would not have tolerated ANY such interference to their overall plans. Look how badly they reacted when Ranma began to associate with my family?"

Nabiki grimaced. "You have a point. The instant Dad learned about that court injunction against our family, he was ready to keep on charging ahead . . . " She made a dismissive wave with her hand. "Stupid fool!"

Negako nodded. "Nabiki, you may tell Kasumi that if Souun continues on his current path, arrangements can be made to see him stripped of his position as head of your household, thus transferring legal leadership of your family to Kasumi. If you feel it necessary to carry out such, you may contact me at any time." A pause. "And I must warn you both now." She glanced at Akane, and then at Nabiki. "I believe Souun is ready to carry out yet another of his schemes to force Ranma to conform to his will. You both best be on your guard."

The Tendou sisters nodded.

* * *

"No . . . this can't be true . . .!" 

Souun quaked as he scanned the papers spread across Nabiki's desk. The one in his hand, the copy of the records printed out from the Family Registrar's master database, was under serious threat of being shredded. "A girl . . .?" Souun hissed, his eyes narrow as he focused on the "onna" kanji beside Saotome Ranma's name. "That fool boy actually tricked them into thinking he was a girl . . .?! How DARE he . . .?! HOW DARE HE?!"

Catching himself, Souun placed the sheet on the desk. He leaned back on Nabiki's chair as his mind rolled through what he just read. In a way, he could admire Ranma's strategy. Regardless of how attitudes were becoming more liberal in certain sectors of society -- though he personally felt it offensive that some in Japan were advocating greater liberties for homosexuals, not to mention Japan's sizable Korean community and even . . .! _Ugh!_ Burakumin?! -- it was still illegal for two girls to marry. If Ranma wanted to avoid his "engagements," having himself legally declared a girl WAS the right way to go.

And doing such would be choice revenge on both Genma and Nodoka. For so long, both had relentlessly pressured Ranma down a narrow-minded path in hopes of making him the "perfect" man. TOO narrow-minded, Souun often felt, though he hadn't said anything to Ranma's parents about it. Indeed, the poor boy did lack much in the way of knowledge that would have made an eventual marriage to one of Souun's daughters work much better. But the threat of seppuku if Ranma failed to be a "man above men" had kept his tongue still. It wasn't necessary anymore. Genma was dead -- _May the gods look after him now_, Souun tearfully lamented -- and Nodoka had been, in all effect, shoved out of the way. After all, in the wake of over a decade of hoping to see her child become a "man above men," learning that Ranma was presently supposedly shifting himself to become a girl wouldn't sit well with Nodoka. No, indeed it wouldn't . . .

That didn't change Souun's priorities. Ranma WOULD marry one of his children. There was no changing that. Regardless of whatever interference the Moroboshis could throw up, Ranma WOULD marry one of Souun's children. The future of the schools WOULD be ensured regardless of what Ranma, much less Kasumi, Nabiki or Akane, said or believed. And there was just NO WAY that Souun was going to let all the lies and half-truths in the papers spread before him stop that from happening. Oh, no! Not after all this time . . .

A smile crossed his face as he stepped out of Nabiki's room. Descending to the main floor, he peeked into the kitchen. Good. Kasumi was gone. No doubt, she was speaking to Ono Toofuu about pressing on with her post-secondary education. While Souun didn't want to make any decisions for or against what Kasumi might desire, he certainly didn't approve of her standing against him when it came to the future of the family, much less the union of the schools. He would have to put her in her place very soon. The same very much applied to Nabiki, Souun grimaced as he stepped out of the house. The very fact that she had just THREATENED to come after HIM, to strip HIM of all that was rightfully his, just to make him conform to what Ranma might ultimately desire . . .?! A growl escaped him as he turned, heading for the doors leading to the cellar under the main house. No! That would not do. That would certainly NOT do. HE was the head of this household, not Nabiki and certainly not Kasumi.

At least Akane understood that . . .!

Opening the cellar -- Souun always kept the keys to this part of the house in his personal possession; not even Kasumi was allowed into this place -- he crawled inside, making his way to a dark corner. "There you are." He chuckled as he drew back an old blanket to reveal a certain cask that had arrived at the doojou some weeks back. "All safe and sound."

Souun guided the cask out of the cellar. Once the doors were secured again, he hefted it into his bedroom. Much that he did respect his friend, Souun knew Genma a little TOO well. The instant the existence of the cask of Nanniichuan was made public, Souun knew that Genma -- not to mention the Hibiki boy and that China boy -- would have made a grab for it. Well, lucky for him that he got hold of another cask filled with ordinary spring water to ensure that the true prize would remain under his control.

Placing the cask in his linen closet, Souun walked over to the small memorial to his late wife. Opening a shelf under the butsudan, he drew out a folded sheet of paper. Opening that, he scanned the note written there, nodding. Well, even if the Jusenkyou guide didn't speak Japanese very well, he could write legibly. And the instructions on that piece of paper were simple enough for Souun to understand. "It can only work for one," Souun whispered as he folded and slipped the sheer into the shelf. "Which one, though?"

* * *

The remainder of the day progressed quietly for Ataru, Ranma and the sisters. Much to Ranma's surprise, none of the sisters had made any open comment about the healed bullet wound on Ataru's right shoulder. She did note the looks of concern from Hinako and Kaho. And Ranma definitely heard a "Kusun!" from Aria when the young Parisian stared intently at Ataru one time. It went no farther than that. No doubt, the sisters believed that since Ataru didn't seem bothered by it, they shouldn't panic about it either. 

Chikage had rejoined them all around mid-afternoon bearing an invitation from Ono Toofuu for Ranma to come by the clinic before the end of business hours. As to what the sorceress had been doing, no one had an idea. To Ranma's surprise, no one pressed her for details.

After a quick visit to the Tomobiki Pizza Emporium, the most popular eatery in town with Tampopo's having moved away, for some take-out -- yes, even Shirayuki liked the idea of taking a break from the kitchen -- the gang made their way into Nerima. Sitting beside Ataru as they watch the scenery, Ranma could only smile. Another day was coming to an end, one where she didn't have to deal with insane challenges, jealous fiancées -- save for that incident earlier with Akane at Fuurinkan High -- clueless rivals or anything else. Considering that, she shuddered as a tinge of disquiet touched her. She then sensed Ataru gazing at her. They looked at each other, and then she kissed his cheek. "I'm okay," she whispered, leaning against him as they held hands.

He smirked. "You were an adrenaline junkie when we met, Ranma. Something tells me you're starting to go through withdrawal."

Ranma considered that before she sighed. "It's necessary."

"Afraid you're going to make things worse?"

"Pretty much so," she admitted. "I mean, if I get challenged, I'll take the challenge. Got to keep myself in shape and all that . . . "

"Maybe you should consider only accepting the decent challenges, Anegimi-sama," Haruka, sitting across from them, noted.

"How would you define something like that, Haruka-chan?"

"Martial arts are a never-ending evolution." She sighed. "My stepfather told me that it was right for martial artists, especially those starting their own disciplines, to test themselves against compatible opponents. I've done that from time to time. I'm sure Negako-anegimisama did it too when she was wandering around the planet after being freed of Anigimi-sama's mind."

Rinrin started to laugh. "Like that one guy who came by wanting to try his so-called 'baka-ken' on you?" she then asked.

Haruka blanched. "Rinrin-chan, PLEASE! Don't remind me of him!"

"'Idiot fist?!'" Ataru and Ranma chorused.

"Hai." Haruka shook her head as she tried not to look nauseous. "Please, Anigimi-sama, Anegimi-sama, I beg you, don't ASK me what that insanity was all about! The sooner I forget that fool, the better!"

"He stands a fair chance of succeeding in his quest."

"Chikage-chan!"

More laughter. Sakuya smirked. "The one I really liked was the fellow who wanted to base his form on using snack food as weapons!"

Ranma's eyebrow twitched. "Snack food?!"

"I don't remember you telling me about that one," Ataru noted.

Haruka's cheeks flamed as she drew her gunsen to fan herself despite it being quite cool this day. "Well, that particular challenge was difficult." She flustered. "I confess he was a talented opponent . . . "

"Oh?" Yotsuba smirked. "Yotsuba remembers Haruka-chan thought that guy was -- and Yotsuba is quoting here -- 'Very handsome!'"

Haruka's cheeks heated up more. "Yeah, he was a real hottie!" Sakuya quivered excitedly before she gazed apologetically on Ataru. "Not that any man would ever hold up a candle to someone like you, Onii-sama."

"Oh, of course!" Haruka quickly recovered, clearing her throat. "One simply cannot compare any man to our own Anigimi-sama."

The other sisters nodded. ATARU blushed. "Don't you just hate it when they butter you up like that?" Ranma whispered to him.

He chuckled. "Well . . . "

Laughter filled the road train as it entered Nerima. Within minutes, it came to a halt in front of Ono Toofuu's clinic. The chiropractor stepped out on hearing the road train's horn sound off. He then smiled on seeing the first person emerge. "Ranma, there you are!" He laughed as Ranma walked over to embrace him. "How are you?!" he then asked.

"Pretty okay, Doc!" Ranma pulled away, giving Toofuu a detailed look-over. "Sorry I didn't stick around too much last night."

"It's alright! Everyone, c'mon in." Toofuu waved them in, and then he noticed the pizza carried by Shirayuki. "Oh, Shirayuki . . . "

The chef smiled. "Hime wasn't in the mood to cook tonight, but Hime made sure that Toofuu-sensei wouldn't go without supper."

"I gladly accept such a gift from you with thanks." Toofuu bowed as he took the pizza from Shirayuki. He then blinked on feeling something tap his shoulder. "Eh?" He turned to see Betty standing behind him, dancing and gyrating. "Betty!" he then yelped in shock.

"Waaaaai! Chikage-chan's making Betty-chan dance!" Hinako cheered.

Hearing her name, Toofuu gulped as his glasses fogged over. Realizing the imminent danger to the pizza they had bought for him, Ranma snared the box from the chiropractor's twitching fingers before heading inside. "Betty, what are you doing dancing like that?!" Toofuu demanded. "This isn't a karaoke bar! I . . .! Betty!" he gasped as the skeleton took him by the hands and whirled him into the clinic to the pace of a very fast waltz.

Ataru gazed on Chikage. "Chikage, MUST you?!"

"As I've always said about Toofuu-kun, Ani-kun, he makes me laugh." The sorceress tittered delightedly as she headed inside.

Already there, Ranma shook her head as she watched Toofuu and Betty swing around the room. "Note to self: NEVER get Chikage angry at me," she muttered. She then blinked as a clawed finger tapped her shoulder. "Hey! How're you doing?!" She turned to see the panda that had freed the previous night thanks to her and the Fire Scythe of Death, he holding a broom.

(**SURVIVING. HOW ABOUT YOU? NO AFTEREFFECTS FROM LAST NIGHT?**)

"Other than the whopper of a nightmare I had this morning about what happened, not much," Ranma admitted as several of the sisters moved toward her. "So where're you staying right now? Here or with Hinako-sensei?"

(**HINAKO. SHE'S NICE. SENSEI'S ALLOWING ME TO KEEP GENMA'S OLD JOB.**)

"That's cool. Are they going to find some way to make you human?"

(**RANMA, I WAS BORN A PANDA, REMEMBER?**)

A chuckle. "Right, I forgot! Sorry about that!"

(**S'AWRIGHT.**)

"Onii-sama, isn't this your father?!"

Ranma jolted, spinning around to see the sisters gazing quizzically at her and the panda. Realizing that, save for Chikage, none knew of Genma's ultimate fate, she sighed. "It's something of a REAL long story, Sakuya-chan."

* * *

"Tadaima!" 

"Oh, welcome back, Kasumi." Souun looked up from his newspaper as Kasumi slipped off her shoes. "How are things with Ono-sensei?"

Kasumi curtly nodded. "He's alright, Father. It's very late right now. Would you prefer to have some takeout sent in?"

Souun considered that, and then he nodded. "Yes, that sounds very nice. But PLEASE don't call the Nekohanten!"

"I wasn't in the mood for Chinese," Kasumi lamented. "There is a new restaurant in Kasuga-chou that we could get take out from."

"Kasuga-chou? That's some distance away."

"True, but the proprietor is willing to make deliveries anywhere in Nerima if she has to," Kasumi noted. "I'll call her now."

"You know her?" Souun asked as Kasumi headed to the phone.

"Hai. Her name's Kamekichi Tampopo. She just moved to Nerima after running an establishment in Tomobiki for a couple of years. Ranma-kun and Ataru-kun both know her. Her cooking's said to be excellent."

"I see," Souun's voice trilled into a knowing hum.

Kasumi stopped, sighing. "Father, you can't hope to keep pressing this whole matter with Ranma-kun forward."

"It will happen, Kasumi," he evenly declared.

"It can't possibly happen. It's too late," she warned with a shake of her head. She then sighed, moving to moderate. "Father, honouring your friend's memory is one thing. I know how much you care for Uncle and what he tried to do. And I know how important this is for you . . . "

"Then you understand why I have to do this." He lowered his newspaper. "Kasumi, it's not just because of what Saotome-kun and I agreed to do. It's the future of MANY people's dreams. The Master's, mine, Saotome-kun's, Nabiki's, Akane's . . .! And yes, Ranma-kun's. I know how much Ranma-kun's suffered because of what his father failed to teach him. I know that! But . . . " He looked at the table. "I . . . I know that I haven't been the best father, especially after your mother passed away. But I still want all of you to be happy, to have a good life to look forward to. Is that so wrong?"

"No, Father, it's not wrong at all." Kasumi shook her head again as she sat beside him. "Father, if you really want to have Ranma-kun come back, to actually see this place AS his home, you HAVE to give him some space now! That's all he really needs. He . . . " She paused. "Ranma-kun hasn't had any real chance to make sense out of his life ever since he came here with his father. He's been deluged by all the challenges, all the fiancées, all the stupid, weird things that've happened here . . . " She gazed knowingly at him. "And he hasn't received any real emotional support from ANY of us, Father. Not one bit. We've never even ONCE thanked him for the times he stood up for us, especially when we had to deal with the Chardins or that Doojou Destroyer, not to mention the times Akane was kidnapped by whomever came along! And ESPECIALLY when Akane was nearly killed by Saffron! Is it any wonder that he's so mad at all of us? That he's now willing to beat us back with everything he has to make us leave him be? He's TIRED, Father! Very tired!"

Souun gazed at her. "But he's survived to date . . . "

"Life is more than just survival, Father! Life needs to GROW, too! And Ranma-kun's never had a chance TO grow, not until he met Tampopo-san, then Ataru-kun, Negako-san and their sisters! Why do you think Ranma-kun's willing to stay with them? It's because they're ALLOWING him to be what he chooses to be! They're not pigeonholing him into a role like we did! WE FAILED HIM, Father!" She gazed into his eyes. "You, Nabiki, Akane and yes, myself too! If we're to bring Ranma-kun back here, we HAVE to acknowledge what we did wrong, then move to reconcile with him using the TRUTH! No more lies! No more assumptions! No more wild fantasies! Ranma-kun doesn't want that! He doesn't deserve it! And if we continue as we did before, we dishonour ourselves!"

Silence fell as Souun considered that. He then slowly nodded before gazing on the ceiling. "It is hard to accept, Kasumi-chan . . . "

"I know, Father." She squeezed his shoulder. "I think what we have to do is fulfill what Ranma-kun charged us to do last night."

He stared wide-eyed at her. "To create a martial artist of equal calibre to him? That could take YEARS, Kasumi-chan!" he protested.

"Unless we accept Ojii-san's and Negako-san's help. Look how fast Ataru-kun was able to learn his Art?! Granted, he had the advantage of having Negako-san actually be PART of him for six years, but he learned quickly when he gained the chance. Surely we could get Ojii-san to ask Negako-san to do the same for Akane-chan or Nabiki-chan. Or perhaps both of them at once . . . "

Souun's eyes narrowed. "Yes. But after this morning . . . "

"I know." Kasumi nodded. "That's why I really, REALLY hope you would just leave Ranma-kun be for the next while. It doesn't have to be forever, Father. He's too young to get married! And that's not to mention all the things he has to catch up on because he was gone from society for so long! Please, just leave him alone. I'm sure that in time, Ranma-kun'll want to come back. Is it really so much that I ask?"

He stared at her. "I . . . " He stopped as he considered what to say. "I'm afraid that if I do that, Kasumi-chan, we'll lose Ranma-kun forever!"

"If you DON'T do that, you'll drive him away," Kasumi insisted. "And he's now got many allies who would be willing to help him in an instant. And this time, I don't think our teaming with Ukyou, the Amazons and everyone here will help. Ranma-kun's gone out of his way to ensure everyone has gained some restitution. It's not like it was before the wedding, Father." A pause as she considered what to say next. "If we try to force Ranma-kun back here without understanding his point of view . . . " She stopped, looking at the table. "All his friends now could turn around and destroy us all, Father. And what's worse, Ranma-kun wouldn't lift a finger to stop that. I don't want that! Yes, I want to live my life, do things I've wanted to do but had to put on hold because of Mother's death. I don't want to see my family ripped apart because we refused to bend when it comes to Ranma-kun. Is that what you want?!"

"Of course not! But still . . . " He stopped, shuddering for a moment, and then he relaxed. "Alright. I'll back away. Perhaps if I can do something to make Akane-chan or Nabiki-chan more attractive to him . . . " He glanced her way. "Unless you want to . . .?"

Kasumi shook her head. "No, Father. Much that I do love Ranma-kun, I would prefer to have him as a brother-in-law, not a husband."

Souun considered that, and then he nodded understandingly. "Alright."

Kasumi moved to make a call to Kamekichi Tampopo's establishment. _Hopefully after hearing that, Father'll leave enough alone for the time Ranma-chan needs to solidify things with Ataru-kun_. She grimaced, remembering what Toofuu told her in his office earlier that day. _Not to mention give all of us the chance to make Father see how wrong he's been . . ._

As his daughter made contact with the proprietor of Nerima's newest eatery, Souun's eyes narrowed. Yes, he knew what to do.

_**To be continued . . .**_


	12. 6th Part A: Reality Checky!

"Is this true?!"

Nabiki gazed at Souun. It was sometime after dinner. Kasumi had gone to Tampopo's to return what dishes were left behind from the evening's take-out. Akane had gone to Tokoro Yuka's house to spend the night. To save time, she had taken all her belongings with her for classes the next morning. Sitting on the low table between them was the paper containing pertinent information on the Saotome family of Promised Island. Despite her understandable annoyance at her father's violation of her private space, the middle Tendou daughter kept her temper in check. Perhaps with THIS, she could finally talk Souun out of trying to press on with forcing a marriage between any of his daughters and his late friend's son-turned-daughter. "Yes, it is," she evenly replied.

"Do you know WHY Ranma-kun is doing this?!" Souun demanded.

"She has no choice now," Nabiki announced, waving to the paper. "This isn't just cosmetic, Dad. This is as real as it gets."

Silence fell as the Tendou patriarch considered that. He gazed intently at Nabiki. Despite his daughter's questionable reputation, Souun knew that when Nabiki did give out information of this nature, it was always the truth. "But how?" he wondered, crossing his arms. "Save for that one time when Ranma-kun suffered that head injury that made him think like a girl . . . "

"Two things," Nabiki cut in. "Jusenkyou and the Neko-ken."

"Explain!" he bid.

She did. It took twenty minutes. Souun remained impassive as Nabiki detailed everything she just learned from Negako concerning how Jusenkyou had come to affect Ranma. Finally, Nabiki shrugged. "So there it is, Dad. No matter how much you or your friend could've conceived of this happening, sooner or later, something would've come to upset it. It could've been Ranma's desire to finally deal with the Neko-ken. It could've been Ataru-kun coming along to find the person he was bonded to when he was a baby. It . . . "

She turned her hands in a "who knows" gesture. Souun gazed intently at her, and then he sighed. "I see. Does Akane know of this?"

"She was told the same time I was."

"And her reaction?"

"Verbal denial, which Negako-san didn't let her get away with. Deep down, I think she realizes _this_ time, she isn't going to win," Nabiki mused. "That'll hurt her. As much as I personally don't want to see Akane-chan hurt, it's long since time she learned the world won't always bow to her wishes. We've coddled her for too long, Dad." Her eyes narrowed. "When we should've been forcing Akane-chan to see the mistakes she was making, we let it pass -- or, especially after she came into our lives, we dumped it all on Ranma, making everything out to always be her fault so we didn't have to deal directly with Akane-chan!" A pause. "That's part of the reason Ranma doesn't want anything to do with us anymore, Dad. She won't let us hide from the truth."

Souun quaked as her words pierced the barriers he had erected to blind him to his family's shortcomings. He jerkily nodded. "That's true, isn't it? And with what happened this morning between Ranma-kun and Akane . . . "

Nabiki gazed knowingly at him. "It's all over, Dad."

"Surely you must have some feelings for Ranma-kun."

She considered that. "Hai, I do. But for a long time, all I could bring myself to see of him was the chief source of pain, discord and disruption in our lives. I . . . " She paused, a guilty smile crossing her face. "I admit I did take joy in making his life more miserable since, at the time, it seemed to me he just didn't care for all the shit he was allowing to drop onto our heads." Nabiki closed her eyes. "Of course, that was before we all found out what Genma had done to stop Ranma from fully learning from all his mistakes, from trying to think of some other way than fighting to deal with whatever problem needed to be dealt with. Of course, by the time we learned that, Ranma was on the road to discovering the truth about HERself. Not to mention forging pretty strong bonds with a family that was welcoming her with open arms."

"If you had a chance to do it again -- and if Ranma-kun was not so affected by Jusenkyou, of course -- would you have pursued him?"

"Knowing what I know now? Sure I would." She nodded, not sensing the possible real meaning behind Souun's question. "I think I could've done a lot to make his life a lot easier, especially when it came to dealing with the other fiancées. Heaven knows, I sure knew enough to make his life even more miserable. But . . . " She shrugged. "No use in wishing for what might have been. Things didn't turn out that way, Dad."

"True, but one could still dream," he lamented before he stared intently at her. "Do you think Akane would feel the same way? Much less Kasumi?"

Nabiki considered that before she shook her head. "Kasumi-oneechan, no. She always looked on Ranma as a little brother . . . " She stopped for a second, and then she smirked. "Well, now 'little sister,' I guess. As for Akane . . .?" She gazed out the door of the sitting room. "It's like I said, Dad: We coddled her too much. Hell, we practically HANDED her the engagement. She didn't have to work for it at all. That probably helped create a lot of the problems between them. Deep down, Akane assumed Ranma was hers to do with as she damn hell pleased. And you have to admit this, Dad: You and Genma didn't do much to change her opinions about that. Neither did Nodoka."

Souun nodded. "Hai, that is true, admittedly."

"Yep. There, Ukyou and Shampoo both had an advantage and a disadvantage. They had to _work_ to be Ranma's friend before they could hope to press their own claims. That forced them to give him some leeway, something Akane didn't feel she had to do. The results . . .?" She shrugged. "Akane learned that the hard way last Tuesday and this morning. Now that there's no official engagement hanging over them, Ranma doesn't feel she has to defer to Akane anymore. And with her able to see things a lot more clearly . . . "

Souun closed his eyes. "Yes, we did hurt Akane-chan's chances, didn't we?" he whispered, staring out the doorway. "But still . . . "

"I know, Dad." Nabiki rose, taking the notes with her. "But she'll be a better person because of this. Besides, she needs a break from the pressure, just like Ranma. We all do, even you. Anyhow, I'm going to bed. 'Night."

"Good night."

Souun remained in place as Nabiki headed upstairs. He then closed his eyes as a slow nod shook his head. Yes, he knew what to do.

* * *

_**Lonely Souls  
**_By Fred Herriot  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

* * *

**THE SIXTH PART, "A" SIDE - REALITY CHECKY!**

Miree . . .

_The ragged form in the torn, soiled robe drifted slowly downward in a universe of nothingness. Her body showed the ravages both of advanced age and forced starvation, her punishment for not accepting the "one truth faith" that, not a half-decade before, had spread across her home planet and her colonies like a firestorm. A faith whose rapid promulgation ultimately heralded its own collapse in the fiery, anger-fuelled apocalypse many on Phentax Two and other worlds across the local cluster called the "Cataclysm."_

Miree . . .

_Her deep turquoise eyes fluttered open as she felt herself "land" on something like a waterbed. Grunting as the relentless pull of gravity fully overcame her, she struggled to prop herself onto her elbows. Reaching up with one bony hand, she pulled back the hood to reveal a face pulled taunt against her skull, her fiery red-brown hair shot through with grey. Under normal circumstances, she wore oval-framed glasses; the last living chief priestess of the Church of Hollywood was allergic to most cures for astigmatism._

_Such wouldn't be needed at this time, however._

_"Hey, kid. Over here."_

_Miree's eyes went wide as she recognized that rough voice. Turning right, she saw a coffee shop from 1950s America hovering before her, that having just appeared out of nowhere. Seated around the counter were several people, all gazing warmly on the Niphentaxian. Recognizing them, Miree tried not to make a total fool of herself as she staggered to her feet and made her way to the counter. "Oh, dear!" a platinum-blonde woman in a sleeveless dress mused. "She looks like I did after the coroner got to me."_

_"Yeah, she does look like something the Krauts dragged in, eh?" the one who first spoke to Miree noted, and then he turned to the slicked young man behind the counter. "Here, kid, give her something to drink."_

_"No problem," the younger fellow replied with a nod, his voice flavoured with the tones of north Mississippi or southwest Tennessee. He then prepared a cup of coffee. Soon enough, it was before Miree. "Here you go, ma'am."_

_Miree gazed on the cup, and then on the man who just served her, the unreality of the moment sinking in. Watching her, the others tried not to smirk. Finally, a corpulent man in top hat and tails moved to stand behind the priestess. "Before you ask, my dear, no, you are not dead. Not yet." He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as the person seated beside Miree, a roguish man in jeans and jean jacket, vacated the spot. "Granted, you did give up_ all _your life force through the Staff of Gihan to save your children's lives. But Those Powers above us . . . " He paused as an amused twinkle glistened in his eyes. "Gave us the chance to help you remain in the mortal world." Another pause. "Your life's task, my dear, is not yet done."_

_Miree gazed on him, and then she turned to the offered coffee cup. "I see . . . " she whispered, taking the cup in hand. With a nod of thanks to the man behind the counter, she drank. Instantly, new strength flooded her body as a strange glow covered her. That glow soon faded, revealing Miree as she would be in her early twenties, her clothing morphed into a button shirt, slacks and a grey blazer. Gazing on the changes, she put the cup down on the counter, and then looked at her hands. "How . . .?" she whispered._

_"A little gift from all of us, kid, to our most passionate fan from your home planet," the first man to speak to Miree declared, casually adjusting the collar of his trench coat. "Unless you feel it IS your time . . . " he added._

_Miree jolted as if someone zapped her with a taser. She shook her head. "No! No! No!" She waved her hand, a chuckle fluttering through her lips. "I . . .!" She paused, and then closed a hand over her heart. "Forgive me! This is so overwhelming! To . . . " She looked around. "Actually stand in the presence of Those who gave my life meaning since I was a small girl . . .!"_

_"Maybe you could appreciate our position," the man behind the counter explained as he moved to give Miree a refill. "Take me. There I was, in my bathroom at Graceland, dying from those pills . . . " He made an exploding motion with his hands. "Then I find myself reborn, merged with the union of the belief of so many on a planet we never even HEARD of . . . "_

_"Discovering new fans was always a delight for any of us." The blonde seated to Miree's left smiled. "But I have to confess -- and I believe I'm speaking for everyone here -- that the way your people do it . . .! Well . . . " A shrug. "It took us by surprise," she then admitted._

_Miree considered that. "Lady, it has been our way for so long," she admitted. "From one Great Awakening to another . . . "_

_"We know," the man in the trench coat admitted. "That's become a problem, especially with what just happened to your 'successors.'"_

_The others in the cafe grimly nodded. Miree gazed on them, and then she noticed her coffee cup was full. "I don't understand . . . "_

_"Quite understandable, my dear." The stout man to her right sighed. "Please humour us for a bit, though, then we hope you can see things as we do. Three billion of your country-people, those who worshipped that young Urusian girl, are dead thanks to the Staff of Gihan. Now, you know how the Staff came to be programmed to do what it did. Add to that the fact that the person who accidentally triggered the Staff's 'doomsday' commands was the 'great evil' in the eyes of the Church of Lum. Given time and luck, what do you think would happen if your people -- especially those who can perceive the truth of relations between your rescuer and the 'image' the Lumites forced on him -- are allowed to interpret what happened without any potential outside influence?"_

_Miree blinked as his words echoed in her mind. She then looked up. "They could trigger another Great Awakening! This time with . . . "_

_"With Ataru Moroboshi as the central 'deity,'" the man in the trench coat finished. "And his half-sisters as the 'holy circle.'"_

_"Which, as you know, isn't what he wants," the blonde woman added._

_Miree gazed on her, and then she drank her coffee. "Yes, that's true. He . . . " Her eyes then closed as the fiery images of that day in Lumukyou flashed through her mind. "Oh Spirits . . . that thing he became . . . "_

_The man in the trench coat nodded. "We know. Thing you don't know about that thing is that it's a modern representation of a divine force from another planet. A very_ dark _divine force, kid . . . " he added with a raised finger._

_Miree looked at him. "Which means?"_

_"It means, my dear, that if those on Phentax Two create a . . . well, a 'Church of Ataru' . . . " A chuckle escaped the man to her right before he sobered. "Well, it could lead to the destruction of EVERYONE on your planet."_

_Miree paled. "Everyone . . .?"_

_"Everyone," several around her echoed in emphasis._

_The priestess took that in, and then she moved to finish her coffee. To her surprise, her hands didn't shake in response to the Revelation that has been dropped on her. Placing that on the counter, she asked, "What must I do?"_

_"The answer lies on the ship your daughters -- and soon yourself, my dear -- got their new bodies from," the man to Miree's right explained. "If your people had taken true advantage of what that ship could have given you the day you discovered it, none of the pain and misery that followed the day the Church of Lum replaced your own church and the other churches would have followed."_

_"Free the babies. Let them live with those who fathered them," the blonde added as she squeezed Miree's hand. "Doing that, your people won't just survive. They'll evolve. Isn't that what you've long hoped might happen?"_

_"How did . . .?"_

_Miree stopped herself. Yes, she, along with the more forward thinking of her brother and sister clerics, did try to initiate specific genetic research into breaking the Niphentaxians' long-bred habit of mimicking other races' social and cultural patterns. And ironically, it was that desire, the chief priestess soberly remembered, which the Lumites hung over her head when she was sentenced a year before to starve. No, not just the Lumites, Miree's eyes narrowed as her hands clenched into fists. The Guardians, the very people who turned a doomsday weapon like the Staff of Gihan into the perfect vehicle to express their mad desires, also had a share of the blame. Then again, it did make sense, didn't it? If her people DID evolve from their present state, became fully self-thinking AND self-creating, that which had ruled the natives of Phentax Two for so long would be no more. Yes, in that, the Guardians' prophecy WAS correct. If profound change did come, society on Phentax Two WOULD be destroyed. But from the ashes of that would arise a NEW Phentax Two._

_If her people did NOT evolve, though . . .!_

_Miree gazed on her hosts. She then stood, heading to the "door" of this ghostly cafe. "Thank you," she said on stopping at the threshold, bowing before she gazed on the Spirits that made her faith real. "For everything."_

_The man in the trench coat winked. "Here's looking at you, kid."_

* * *

"Mother . . .?"

Miree moaned, feeling a solid body attached to her soul. Her eyes then fluttered. Bright light made her squint. Then, as her eyes quickly adjusted to the increased luminescence, she glanced about. "The factory . . .?"

"Mother!"

Two girls, about fifteen, appeared in her vision. The one to Miree's left, Jonna, was a girl with purplish eyes and stringy blonde hair in a high ponytail. She reminded the priestess of her late husband Evis; Lumite inquisitors had killed him three years ago. The other, Orin, had her mother's fiery hair and eyes, though she allowed her hair to grow to her waist; Miree cut hers short. Staring at her beloved children, who were dressed in white turtleneck sweaters and jeans, Miree lightly smiled as she reached up to draw them into an embrace. Feeling their mother's touch, the girls boosted Miree into a sitting position, and then allowed her to draw them close.

"Mother . . . " they burbled as tears began to flow. Jonna then gazed into Miree's eyes. "We thought we lost you! What happened . . .?"

"A Revelation happened to me, precious one." Miree leaned up to gently kiss Jonna's forehead. "A Revelation unlike any other."

Orin quaked. "Mother?"

A reassuring kiss calmed her. "Enough, dearest life." Miree patted Orin's back, and then she guided the girls away from her so she could stand. A quick glance around revealed they were in one of the nearly uncountable bioroid gestation rooms aboard the Avalon factory ship. There were five gestation chambers here, two still containing the albino-skinned female-like bodies of non-templated bioroids. "We've a very important Crusade ahead of us." She gazed once more on her children. "One that, if it's successful, will rescue our race from eventual extinction. Where's the . . .?" Miree looked at Jonna, noting she had the Staff of Gihan. "Good! We'll need that most of all."

"Where are we going, Mother?" Orin asked.

Miree blinked as she considered possible options, and then she sighed. "To stay with Ataru Moroboshi and his family for the time being, Orin. We'll need his help, not to mention the Earth Angel's." A scowl turned her lips as she added, "And if the dai-Zkuhsbagh is, even after so many died back on the Homeworld, still bent on 'avenging' himself on the 'great evil,' we'll have to ensure Ataru's sisters remain free from harm."

Jonna and Orin nodded. "Mother, while we were waiting for your body to be gestated, the Staff told me something," the former warned.

"What?"

The Staff's focusing crystal flared to life. Two bolts of energy lanced out to coalesce on the deck. They watched as the energy morphed into living flesh. The young women appearing there were clad in the dark blue seifuku of Tomobiki High School. Miree's eyes widened in shock, and then she walked around Orin to gaze intently on the newcomers. "Who . . .?"

"Two 'casualties' from last week's bombing of Tomobiki High," Jonna said. "Himiko Kawamura and Mikiko Serizawa. Somehow, the dai-Zkuhsbagh was able to capture their essences, then he created new bodies for them to inhabit."

Miree considered that before a hand reached out to touch the side of Himiko's face. She concentrated as non-corporeal gateways between her mind and that of the Terran-turned-Avalonian's opened, and then she drew her hand back. "They haven't even been properly woken," she said. "Where did you find them?"

"Gestation Unit 29," Jonna reported. "It appears the dai-Zkuhsbagh was trying to convert them into assassins, most likely to target either Ataru-sama or the Earth Angel Negako. Given the dai-Zkuhsbagh's problems . . . " A smirk crossed her face as she exchanged a knowing look with her sister. "I don't think he'll learn of their removal from the factory anytime soon."

"Most likely, he's trying to determine some way to resurrect his 'holy apostles' so he can maintain control over his creation," Miree mused, standing. "Have the Staff sweep their minds clean of anything the dai-Zkuhsbagh put in them, then we'll head to Earth. The Staff should be able to lock in on Ataru."

The sisters nodded as the Staff's focusing crystal flared.

* * *

"Visiting a hot spring?!"

"Why not?" Ataru shrugged as everyone relaxed in the living room of the old shrine. They were enjoying hot chocolate after coming back from a day of shopping and swimming. "Now that the whole matter with schooling's been dealt with, we've got a whole week to ourselves. Let's take advantage of it!"

The sisters considered his words before nodding. "Yay! Hot spring! Hot spring! Hot spring!" Hinako cheered, waving her hands.

The others laughed as Karen reached over to draw Hinako back onto her floor mat. "Why not?!" Rinrin asked with a smile. "It'll give the construction crews on the Island a chance to finish up with your room, Aniki!"

Ataru acked. "What are you doing with my room?!" he demanded.

The teen inventor winked. "Oh, just making it easier for you and Aneki to live together when we get back to the Island."

Ataru and Ranma exchanged wary looks before breathing out together. "Well, if she DOES insist!" the latter mused, and then she gazed heavenward. "Let's just hope this trip'll be a lot more quiet than the last one I was on."

Mamoru perked. "That's the one where you met Kimiko-chan, right?"

"Hai." Ranma then glanced worriedly at Ataru. "Where're we going, anyway? Not some backwater spring house, I hope . . . "

"Relax! I was thinking of the Hotel Kiraboshi in Onogawa." He waved her down. "It's not that far from where Uncle Komeru lives. We could stay there to the weekend, then go back to the Island and get ready for school."

Ranma considered that before she nodded. "I guess it's a plan, then!"

Karen looked around the room. "Speaking of Kimiko-chan, where is she? I haven't seen her since early this morning . . . "

And speak of the devil, the front door opened. "Tadaima!"

"Okaeri ne!" several of the sisters chimed back as Kimiko stepped in.

Ataru quickly noticed the giddy smile on the doll-turned-woman's face, not to mention the spring in her stride and the wildly altering ki patterns around her. "And what have you been up to this very fine day, Tendou-san?"

Instantly, Yotsuba stood before Kimiko, spyglass in hand as she gave her a look-over. "Oh, BIG checky today!" the would-be detective declared, and then she gazed on her sisters. "Yotsuba thinks Kimiko-chan has a boyfriend!"

"EH?!" the others gasped.

"Kimiko-chan, is this true?!" Sakuya instantly appeared at Kimiko's side, a knowing look crossing her face as she leaned over to gaze knowingly into the bioroid's large eyes. "Details, girl! Details!" she urged.

"I . . .!" Kimiko's cheeks flamed, and then she clapped her cheeks in embarrassment. "W-well, y-yes, I am interested in him . . .!"

"Eh?!" Yotsuba gasped. "Kimiko-chan DOES have a boyfriend!"

"Let's hope he's a well-mannered fellow!" Haruka drew her gunsen to fan herself. "One simply CAN'T tell these days about people!"

"What's his name, Kimiko?" Ranma prompted.

Silence fells as the others awaited the doll-turned-woman's answer. Kimiko took a deep breath. "Gosunkugi Hikaru."

Ranma's jaw hit the floor. "GOSUNKUGI?!"

"You know this person, Aneue-sama?" Marie asked.

"Yeah, I do!" Ranma pinched the bridge of her nose to fight back a surge of nausea. "He's a creepy guy in my old class who's had this crush on Akane for a long time! He's into voodoo magic, too! I think Chikage-chan might like this guy. But . . . " She smirked. "Geez, who'd figure something like that?! _Gosunkugi_ of all people actually winning the heart of a replica of Akane!"

"Hikaru-kun is a nice man," Kimiko explained. "I know he doesn't like you, Ranma-sama, though he is grateful that you helped me acquire this form." She indicated herself. "Atop that, he isn't a strong person, not physically. And there's this boor named Kunou that Hikaru-kun knows, who . . . " She stopped on hearing Ranma groan. "Ranma-sama, is there something wrong?!"

Ranma slapped her forehead. "Oh, damn! I totally forgot about Kunou!"

"That's the dork who couldn't accept your curse, right?" Mamoru asked.

"The same." Ranma gazed sympathetically at Kimiko. "You better be REALLY careful when it comes to dealing with the ol' Blue Blunder, Kimiko-chan. Instant he learns you're a different person than Akane, he'll think you'll be a hell of a lot easier to 'win over' and he'll be on your tail as much as he was on mine when I was going to that place!"

Kimiko paled. "But what if he attacks Hikaru-kun, Ranma-sama?! I have to defend him! He isn't able to defend himself . . .!"

"There is a way around him."

Eyes locked on Ataru. "What sort of way, Nii-sama?" Shirayuki asked.

Ataru winked at Kimiko. "Just twist his words around to make the real meaning of his so-called 'challenge' so fuddled, he won't be able to talk his way back to the point where he'll feel confident enough to challenge either Kimiko-chan or Gosunkugi head-on. Make him look like a total fool in public and he'll never be able to live it down. Do this right and you could have him run around in circles for the whole school year. By the time Gosunkugi moves into the third year, Kunou'll be on his way to college . . . "

"If he doesn't flunk his entrance exam, of course," Rinrin warned.

"Hai, true! True!" Ataru nodded. "Besides, he'll still have Akane to chase around with once school starts tomorrow."

Ranma snorted. "That's true."

* * *

"Oh, man . . . where'm I . . .?"

"Mother, she's awake!"

Crystal blue eyes fluttered, and then they widened suddenly on seeing a very unfamiliar ceiling far higher -- in her point of view -- than what should be 'normal.' "Where . . .?" she muttered, a hand reaching for her forehead.

She jolted as a younger girl with pony-tailed blonde hair and dark eyes loomed in her line of sight. "Konban wa, Kawamura-san," she greeted her in accented Japanese, a warm smile crossing her face. "How do you feel?"

"I . . .!" Himiko blinked, and then her eyes focused on one arresting detail her questioner possessed: Her ears. "You're an alien!"

The younger girl looked nonplussed. "Well, to me, YOU'RE the alien, Kawamura-san. How do you feel?" she asked again.

Himiko sat up, her hand rubbing the back of her skull. "Headache . . . " she muttered. "What happened? Where the hell am . . .?" She looked around, her voice trailing as her eyes took in the details. "I?" she squeaked.

"You're aboard the Avalon bioroid factory-ship, Kawamura-san." A more mature woman's voice made Himiko spin around to see a woman in her mid-twenties walk up. Like the one who had first talked to the swimmer, this woman had tapered ears, they barely visible under a head of ragged, short red-brown hair. Much to Himiko's surprise, she had reading glasses over her blue-green eyes.

"What's that?" Himiko asked, noting there was another girl standing close to the person who just identified her location, one who definitely appeared to be either a younger sister or daughter of the speaker.

"A craft created to literally create another race out of nothingness," the older woman explained as she knelt beside the swimmer. "It's a long story, but I assure you, you'll get a chance to better understand your situation soon enough. In the meantime, let's see to your friend . . . "

"Eh?!" Himiko spun around before she gasped, "Mikiko-chan!"

The prone form laying next to Himiko jolted as a hand snapped up to cover her ears -- not that a near-ocean of green-tinged dark hair didn't do enough to cover Serizawa Mikiko's ears. "Ouch!" she gasped, squeezing her dark blue eyes shut. "Do you have to shout so much, Himiko?!" she demanded, her body quaking for a moment, and then her eyes opened as she looked around. "What the . . .?"

The red-haired younger alien knelt beside Mikiko, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright, Serizawa-san?"

Mikiko paused, gazing intently at the alien for a moment, and then she slowly nodded. "H-hai." She sat up as the alien let her go, and then she looked at Himiko. "What's going on, Himiko-chan?! Where are we?! Last thing I remember was that quake hitting the school . . .!"

"'S funny! That's the last thing I remember, too," Himiko muttered, reaching up to rub her shaggy, neck-length, sky-blue hair. She then looked at the three alien women with them. "Hey, who are you, anyway?!"

The eldest alien chuckled. "Forgive me. We should've introduced ourselves." She placed a hand over her heart. "My name is Miree ot'ndai-Bohgar. I hail from Phentax Two, in the constellation you know of as Cancer, about fifty light-years from Earth. These are my daughters, Jonna dai-Bohgar . . . " She indicated the blonde girl, and then the younger redhead. "And Orin dai-Bohgar. We're very pleased to meet you."

Jonna grinned. "Promoting yourself a little too early, Mother?"

Miree glared her down. "Daughter!"

Orin laughed. "Never heard of your planet," Himiko admitted as she stood up, and then she helped Mikiko to her feet. "So how the heck did we get aboard this -- factory-ship, you called it? -- anyway?!" she then asked.

Miree sighed. "In effect, Kawamura-san, you and Serizawa-san died to get up here." Ignoring their widening eyes and paling faces as her words sank in, the Hollywoodite chief priestess added, "That was no earthquake you experienced in Tomobiki High School. That was a terrorist bomb detonated by a fanatic from your planet's Islamic sect in hopes of killing all those who supported Lum."

"A terrorist . . .?" Mikiko gasped.

"W-we d-DIED . . .?!" Himiko stammered.

"Physically, yes, you died." Miree reached out to hold their hands in reassurance. "Fortunately, this ship was able to snare your spirits before they slipped from this life into the next life. Then, when the chance came, new bodies were constructed for you to inhabit."

The Tomobiki High sophomores took her words in before Mikiko raised her hand to give it a close inspection. On noting no physical difference between what she had and what she was used to, she turned back to Miree. "These bodies were cloned from us, right?" she asked, her voice hushed.

"The same idea." Miree nodded, indicating herself and her children. "We, like you, experienced something similar not so long ago. Be assured, before I got this body, I hadn't looked _this_ good in a VERY long time."

She pointed to her face. "It d-doesn't bug y-you?" Himiko stammered.

Sensing a tidal wave of paranoia about to swamp the swimmer, Miree gazed on her, reaching down to hold Himiko's hands. "I'm alive, Kawamura-san. Regardless of what else happened, I'm still alive. That counts for much, ne?"

Himiko gazed into the priestess' eyes, and then she shakily nodded, her own eyes tearing. Immediately, Miree's arms wrapped around her, whispered words of reassurance echoing in the swimmer's ears. Himiko began to sob, her arms clinging desperately to Miree as the full weight of what just happened to her -- not to mention the ugly realization of what MIGHT have ultimately happened to her! -- sank in. Standing beside her, Mikiko hugged herself, her eyes misting. Hands fell on her shoulders. She turned to see Jonna and Orin gazing her. Mikiko tried to smile. "I'm okay . . . "

It didn't work. As Mikiko's own sobs quaked her body, Miree flashed a knowing look to Jonna. The latter nodded, using her free hand to hold the Staff of Gihan over their heads. In a flash of light, they were gone.

* * *

"So you want to stay here to stay close to Gosunkugi, right?"

"Hai." Kimiko nodded as she lays out her bedroll. The doll-turned-woman was making use of the second spare bedroom in the Moroboshi home. "I don't think that I'll be able to go into school, not without spending a lot of time catching up on things you take so much for granted. Besides, if things between Hikaru-kun and I work out in the long term . . . "

"Well, if you don't mind becoming like Kasumi, all the world to you." Ranma smirked as she drew out some blankets. "But you should try to keep your options open, Kimiko-chan. Study when you get the chance to. There're loads of catch-up courses you can take if you want," she noted, spreading the blankets over the futon. "And if the chance comes, you can take a high school equivalency exam, then get yourself into university as an adult student and go on from there. Don't let things overwhelm you, Kimiko-chan."

"I'll try not to." Kimiko smiled, and then her face blanked out for a second as her eyes turned towards the front door. "Eh . . .?"

"What?" Ranma perked. She then tensed on sensing a massive surge of ki warp past her from the direction of the front lawn. "What's that . . .?!"

She turned to race out of the room to see what was going on. In the living room, the sisters were preparing for bed. Michael was at the main doorway, whining impatiently as he pawed the door. "Michael, is there something wrong . . .?" Marie wondered, and then she gasped as Ataru stepped around her, heading to the door. "Aniue-sama!" she gasped.

Ataru shushed her with a finger. Nudging Marie's dog aside, he opened the door to look outside. One look was enough to send his jaw to the patio deck. "Jonna?! Orin?!" he cried out in shock. "What the hell are . . .?!"

"Ataru-sama!" A pair of very excited girls' voices heralded two typhoons of alien teenager slamming into him like a phalanx of NFL linebackers moving after the ball was snapped, the impact sending him falling flat onto his back.

The sisters cried out in shock on seeing Jonna and Orin just as Ranma stormed in. "Hey, Ataru, there's . . . HUH?!" She stopped on seeing him being hugged by a pair of girls Karen's age, their pointed ears speaking volumes.

"Onii-chan! Who are these girls?!" Karen demanded.

"Cut it out! I need to breathe!" Ataru groaned as Jonna and Orin seemed to turn on the glomp. "Cut it out, for heaven's sake!"

"Girls, let him up!" another woman's voice echoed from outside.

Eyes turned to the doorway, where an older woman with glasses was presently standing, she framed by two teenagers dressed in dark blue seifuku. Seeing them, Sakuya paled in shocked horror. "Hey! Those're . . .?!" She shakily pointed at Kawamura Himiko and Serizawa Mikiko.

"Two people who should be dead, but are not," Chikage cut in as she walked past Sakuya. Then, on noticing Ataru trying to force Jonna and Orin away from him, she sighed. Reaching down, the sorceress firmly tapped the alien teens' foreheads. The effects were instantaneous; Jonna and Orin dropped into unconscious heaps to either side of Ataru. "Are you alright, Ani-kun?"

Ataru staggered to his feet before peering intently at the eldest of the newcomers at the doorway. "Miree . . .?" He blinked in stunned disbelief. "But how did you . . .?" He stopped himself, and then he sighed. "The Staff?"

"Hai." The Hollywoodite chief priestess nodded as she gently guided Himiko and Mikiko inside the old shrine. "As for your former schoolmates here, you can thank the dai-Zkuhsbagh and the bioroid factory for restoring them."

Silence fell as Ataru considered what Miree just said. His eyes then widened. "The factory's HERE?! In orbit over Earth?!"

"Yes." Miree gravely nodded. "And yes, the dai-Zkuhsbagh survived what happened in Lumukyou. Barely. That still hasn't . . . "

She shrugged. Ataru blinked, and then his head drooped. "Oh, terrific."

* * *

"Your people worshipped Lum as a GOD?!"

Everyone sat in a circle in the living room. Hinako and Aria were presently asleep in Jonna and Orin's laps respectively. Himiko and Mikiko sat to either side of Miree. Ranma remained close to Ataru, Kimiko seated beside Negako. "Not exactly, Sakuya-san," Miree replied. "About ninety percent of my race, on both the Homeworld and all our colonies, accepted the 'Church of Lum' to one extent or another. Of that, seventy percent were hard-core members, those who followed the dai-Zkuhsbagh's line of thinking."

"And that line of thinking says that Anii's supposedly some sort of devil 'cause he didn't kowtow to Lum like everyone else in Tomobiki did, right?" Mamoru asked, she sparing the odd glance toward her big brother.

"Exactly. The first seeds of the Church of Lum were laid a decade ago when Lum rescued Oogi dai-Zkuhsbagh, the son of a trading magnate, from the horrors of Uru's Terrible Swamps. By the time he returned to the Homeworld, the tenets of the Church he envisioned were set. Once that happened, it was just a matter of time before he convinced enough people to launch a Great Awakening. Over the next five years, the Church expanded its influence to where it became the First Church of the Homeworld. And then . . . "

"Then?" Karen prompted.

"Then is when the leaders of the Church of Lum decided to drive matters to the point where their creation would become the 'One True Faith.'" Miree sighed. "Those of other faiths who were willing to convert, did. Those who didn't, such as myself . . . " Her voice trailed off.

Mamoru winced. "Geez!"

Kaho looked nauseous. "That's horrible!"

"That's not the end of it, Kaho-chan," Ataru warned.

Miree grimly nodded. "Indeed, Ataru is correct. Things went from bad to worse in the weeks after the First Tag Race, ladies. As I'm sure you're all aware, as soon as Lum took up residence in Tomobiki, many of the people living there became quite infatuated with her. The leaders of the Church of Lum took that as a sign that the 'perfect faith' had been found. Thus they began a massive evangelizing program designed to win over as many converts as possible. I tried to stop them, but . . . " She closed her eyes. "I was arrested for my 'heresy.' And my daughters and I would have suffered for it hadn't your brother come to save us sometime ago on Phentax Two."

She gazed thankfully on Ataru. Ataru had the courtesy to look sheepish. "Is this what you didn't want to tell us, Anigimi-sama?" Haruka gently asked.

"It's part of it," he admitted.

"You desired to kill Oogi to ensure the Niphentaxians couldn't come to the Urusians' aid in their war against the Noukiites."

Eyes locked on Chikage, and then they turned back to Ataru. "Anii . . . " Mamoru's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Wh-why . . .?"

Ataru blinked. "There was no choice, Mamoru-chan. It . . . " He bit his lip, and then he breathed out as he stared on his sisters. "Look at it this way. You know how bad some people can be when it comes to warping truth around to fit their own worldview. Ranma's 'friend' Kunou is like that. Well . . . " He shrugged. "Oogi is millions of times worse, Mamoru-chan. Even more, he was, at the time, the PRESIDENT of Phentax Two atop being the senior leader of his faith. There was no one, NO ONE around to force him into seeing the truth about what he was doing, especially to his own people. And no one in the Galactic Federation wanted to do anything to stop him. And . . . "

He squeezed his eyes shut. "Onii-chan . . .?" Karen whispered.

"I didn't want him to hurt you girls."

"Does this creep know about us?" Yotsuba wondered.

He shook his head. "Can't say."

Marie shuddered. "He really wouldn't . . .!"

"He WOULD, Marie-san," Miree cut in. "Ataru is right about the dai-Zkuhsbagh's level of fanaticism. It is beyond any hope of redemption. While most in Tomobiki would, I suspect, give you girls leeway even if they knew of your relationship to Ataru, the dai-Zkuhsbagh wouldn't. To him, you would automatically become . . . " She paused as she considered possible names the Lumite leader would use. "The 'Great Evil's Wicked Sisters' or something like that. Condemned from the start with no hope of redemption."

The sisters save Chikage paled. "But this Oogi fellow doesn't know us . . . " Shirayuki's eyes glistened with frightened tears.

"It doesn't matter." Miree shook her head. "That you are Ataru's blood-relations is more than enough in the dai-Zkuhsbagh's eyes."

Silence fell. The chief priestess was quick to sense the growing fear in many of the sisters concerning what lurked literally over their very heads.

"Kaho isn't evil . . . "

Sniffles escaped the cheerleader as she shuffled over to sink in Ataru's embrace. He shushed her, gently kneading Kaho's hair as she wept. "What can we do now?" Karen asked as she looked around the room.

"The answer is quite elementary, Karen."

Eyes turned to Negako. An icy smile cut across the ninjutsu grandmaster's face. "What's that, Onee-sama?" Sakuya demanded.

"Destroy Oogi, Sakuya. Finish what Ataru started on Phentax Two."

Ranma gazed on the grandmaster. "Can we do it now?"

Negako hummed as her eyes turned heavenward, her ki senses reaching into space to touch the cloaked factory. A minute later, she relaxed. "Onee-chan . . .?" Karen asked, she gazing concernedly at the ninjutsu grandmaster.

"No, Ranma, not now," Negako reported. "But very soon. Further, we cannot do a direct force-on-force attack against Oogi."

"What CAN we do?" Yotsuba demanded.

"Go on vacation."

Everyone jolted. "Onee-sama, this isn't the least bit funny!" Sakuya snapped, surprised by the supposed flippancy of Negako's reply.

"I do not derive any enjoyment from this, Sakuya." Negako gazed on her. "However, there are many factors which require to be taken into consideration before a plan to deal with Oogi can be drafted, much less implemented. I will remain in Nerima analysing this matter while you are off to Onogawa. Given the problems that beset your initial coming together with Ataru on the Island, you need a chance to truly grow together as a family. Doing that will serve to forge another wall against Oogi. Other precautions will be taken. I believe Miree and her children will be of benefit towards that end. In the meantime, it is best you all get as much sleep as you can. You clearly need it now."

She rose, heading to her bedroom.

* * *

"There you go. All asleep . . . "

It was shortly after midnight. Souun nodded as he emotionlessly stared on Nabiki, she draped in a towel. Kasumi had come back from Tampopo's an hour ago, heading right to bed. Souun did nothing to stop her save remain in the sitting room, enjoying late night tea and reading a newspaper. Once he felt it was safe enough to initiate his plan, he made his way into his oldest child's room and, with a quick shiatsu strike, ensured Kasumi wouldn't interfere with what he planned for his other daughter . . .

Soon to be his son.

Having ensured Nabiki could not resist, Souun scooped her into his arms to carry her into the bathroom. The furo was filling with water, it well below the temperature Genma or Ranma needed to reverse their curses. With the shiatsu point he just used on Nabiki -- Kasumi would be quite stunned to learn that she wasn't the only person who read the many books which had wound their way to the Tendou home from Ono Toofuu's clinic -- Souun knew his soon-to-be "son" wouldn't wake up when her skin touched cold water. He lowered her into the furo, allowing the water to soak her. Positioning her arms to ensure she wouldn't slump in and drown, Souun scampered out of the room. A minute later, he returned, a familiar cask in hand. Setting that on the floor beside the furo, he wiped his forehead, and then waited until the water got to the level of Nabiki's breasts before he uncorked the cask to empty it into the furo.

The change was instantaneous.

Souun's eyes widened as the sensual curves of Nabiki's body morphed into the sharper, stronger lines of a lean yet well-muscled man in his late teens. Her/his hair darkened to raven black, it becoming shaggier. A gentle moan escaped him, his head drooping back to lean against the edge of the furo. Souun moved to keep him in place, and then he relaxed on seeing that his transformed child was much taller, about Kunou Tatewaki's height. Well, that would be all right, the Tendou patriarch smirked. Not only would his son be able to force Ranma back where she truthfully belonged, he could also step in and finally deal with that insane rich blowhard and his family.

All he had to do at this time was to wait ten minutes.

* * *

"Ataru-sama?"

Ataru looked over his shoulder, smiling. "Are they asleep?"

"Hai." Jonna nodded as she and Orin stepped into Ataru's bedroom. Ranma was currently in the furo enjoying a late night soak. "Ataru-sama, we . . . " The elder of the Niphentaxian/Avalonian sisters blushed, bowing her head.

"We're sorry that we embarrassed you in front of your sisters and your friends," Orin completed, her cheeks flaming. "But you did . . . "

Ataru then grinned. "Oh, c'mere!" He held out his hands.

The sisters slid into his embrace. "We owe you our very lives, Ataru-sama," Jonna whispered as she kissed his cheek. "Without you, we . . . " She then stiffened as she tried to force the words out. "We might've . . . "

"I know." He nodded, kissing Jonna's forehead, and then Orin's. "It's alright. I understand. I'm glad you're alright now."

They remained as they were. The bedroom door then opened, revealing Ranma draped in a towel, drying her hair. She stopped on seeing the younger women tightly clutching Ataru. Ranma shuddered as a surge of jealousy thundered up her spine, and then a grin crossed her face. "Hey, girls, I hope you realize that's MY boyfriend you're hogging now," she then coyly warned.

Ataru blinked, gazing at her in bewilderment. "Ranma . . .?"

They looked at her, and then approached Ranma. Before she could understand what was happening, they swamped her with embraces. "Ranma-sama, you're so LUCKY!" Jonna yipped. "Winning Ataru-sama's love all by yourself!"

"You're the luckiest girl in the whole universe, Ranma-sama!" Orin added. "Oh, I'd give anything to be in your shoes right now!"

Ranma's cheeks flamed. Ataru laughed. "Somehow, I think you really DON'T want to be in Ranma's shoes." He scratched his head before turning to them. "In the meantime, I've got a favour I have to ask," he declared.

"What sort of favour, Ataru-sama?" Jonna wondered as she and Orin pulled away from Ranma, allowing her to finish drying herself.

"It concerns Hinako-chan and Aria-chan." Ataru sighed. "I was hoping if both of you would stay close to them for the next while."

Orin nodded. "Of course we could, Ataru-sama! But why . . .?"

"Let's just say that despite their being my sisters, I haven't been much of a big brother to them. Hell, to ANY of them to be honest," he said. "And with you girls here and Oogi right now hanging over all our heads, the full story behind what went down in Lumukyou is going to come out soon. I don't think Hinako and Aria're going to be able to deal with that. Understand?"

Jonna and Orin exchanged a look. "We understand, Ataru-sama," the former affirmed, a shrug rolling her shoulders. "Besides, it'll be nice to deal with children without having to hear them calling you 'heretics' or 'infidels.'"

Ranma rubbed her hair with the towel. "What does that mean?"

"When we were incarcerated, we were allowed to baby-sit children of other prisoners, Ranma-sama," Orin explained. "Of course, we didn't bother to attempt to convert them or do anything that would've brought even more trouble onto us. Even with that, though . . . "

She looked down. Jonna sadly nodded. "They even put _babies_ in jail?!" Ranma wondered, she staring at Ataru in shocked disbelief.

"They did," he replied, closing his eyes. "When I was there, I found several kids in cryo-suspension tubes. I was able to see them reunited with their parents; those . . . " His eyes closed. "Who survived what their jailers put them through. Don't ask me why it happened . . . "

Jonna grimaced. "Most likely, their parents had angered their jailors to the point where those bastards decided to punish them by hurting their children. That's the way those monsters were like, Ranma-sama."

"Shit!" Ranma hissed.

"Agreed." Ataru nodded, turning back to Jonna and Orin. "So can I count on you two to remain close to Hinako-chan and Aria-chan?"

Jonna grimaced. "Of course. Excuse us, please."

She and Orin departed. Ranma watched them go. She then blinked as Ataru gazed her way, a grin crossing his face. "So what's this about me being your boyfriend, Ranma-chan?" he asked, sliding over to gaze into her eyes.

Ranma paled, and then she stopped, confusion crossing her face for a moment before a light smile curled her lips. "What do YOU think, Ataru-kun?" she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck as she drew him close.

* * *

"Let me see if I get this straight." Himiko held up a finger. "Ranma-san was born a boy, but because he fell into this magic spring in China, he's now a girl here . . . " She pointed to her heart, and then her head. "And here. And because somebody bonded Ranma-san to your brother when they were kids, there was no way Lum could've won Ataru-kun's heart in the long term?"

Sakuya nodded. "That's the way it is." The two survivors of the attack on Tomobiki High were relaxing with several of Ataru's older sisters and Inu Chigaiko in the living room. "And it's a good thing, too," the eldest of the sisters added before sipping her tea. "Given the way that girl abused and assumed so much about Onii-sama, I don't think any marriage could've worked out between them in the long term. Not without a LOT of help!"

Mikiko giggled. "You're lucky Megane's dead, Sakuya-san. If he heard you say that, he wouldn't have let you hear the end of it."

"Amen to that!" Chigaiko ruefully shook her head before she gazed at her teacup, a scowl twisting her lips. "Pity Mendou survived. If he'd have been pushed out of the way, Ataru-kun would have no more worries."

Himiko and Mikiko gaped as they stared at her. Hearing something like THAT concerning the rich scion of the Mendou fortune, especially from a girl who had been in Mendou's very own CLASS, was utterly unheard of in Tomobiki! "Chigaiko-san, you can't wish that about Mendou-san!" Mikiko gasped.

Chigaiko gave her former schoolmate a baleful look that made Mikiko wilt. "I'm not like some of the people at that place when it comes to that snob," she replied before drinking the rest of her tea. "I knew what the jerk was like from day one." She rose, turning to head to her bedroom. "There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind on that subject. 'Night, everyone."

"Good night, Chigaiko-san," Haruka replied as she headed off.

"Boy, Chigaiko-san really doesn't like that guy, ne?" Yotsuba mused as soon as Chigaiko had stepped into her bedroom.

"You blame her, Yotsuba-chan?" Karen wondered. "After all, Onii-chan was the only one in the whole school who remembered Chigaiko-san's name."

The would-be detective nodded. "Checky!"

"I guess that'd be hard," Himiko agreed before a sly smile crossed her face. "Still, when it comes to Mendou-san, one can dream."

Mikiko grinned. "Hai!"

"About what?" Haruka asked, one of her eyebrows arching. "Yes, he is handsome and all that, but he takes gross advantage of his many assets to string along every girl who has the ill-fortune to cross his path. And his own overblown pride does not allow him to accept things when a girl actually REJECTS him, as Lum-san and Chigaiko-san have done. Knowing that, is it any wonder that Mendou would find himself at odds with Anigimi-sama?"

"Well, it won't matter after this coming weekend," Sakuya mused.

"Why do you say that, Sakuya-chan?" Karen asked.

"Oh, Reigi-kun told me this when we were at the Tower swimming." The eldest of the sisters smiled, winking conspiratorially. "Mendou's parents and the Mizunokoojis have decided that the time's finally come for the fellow to fulfill his obligation to his family. In other words . . . " She sipped her tea. "He and Mizunokooji Asuka are going to tie the knot come Saturday."

"WHAT?!" Himiko and Mikiko shrieked together.

Sakuya nodded, a devilish smirk crossing her face. "Hai. And, to ensure that there can be no interference, Mendou'll be withdrawn from Tomobiki High tomorrow. The actual announcement of the coming nuptials won't be made until late Saturday morning. Even more, it'll be a private ceremony."

Yotsuba rolled her eyes, a sly giggle escaping her. "Oooh, the girls at Tomobiki High are NOT gonna check that!"

"B-b-but . . .!" Mikiko stuttered.

"Mikiko-san, there's nothing you, much less anyone else from Tomobiki, can do to stop it from happening," Haruka warned. "This is a matter of giri. If Mendou refuses, he dishonours himself for life."

"But marrying ASUKA?!" Mikiko demanded. "She's androphobic, Haruka-san! There's no way that sort of marriage'll last, you know!"

"Oh?" Karen said. "From what Onii-chan told us, Asuka-san is actually quite comfortable being in Mendou-san's company."

Sakuya giggled. "It was one of the things Onii-sama couldn't stand. The girls he chased actually being cared for by other guys!"

"Much less those very same girls caring for other men in return." Haruka politely covered her mouth as an amused chuckle shook her. "At least with us, Anigimi-sama will have a moral excuse since we are his kin. Ne, Sakuya-chan?"

Sakuya nodded. "True, true."

Himiko and Mikiko blinked. "You know about the crap Ataru-kun pulled when he was in Tomobiki and you ACCEPT that?" the former asked.

"Well, no, we wouldn't like it if Onii-chan started acting like that again," Karen mused, a shrug rolling her shoulder. "But it doesn't mean we don't love Onii-chan. We do love him. He's our brother."

"We're not gonna fall into the trap most folks in Tomobiki do and check everything from one viewpoint," Yotsuba added as she held up her spyglass. "After all, according to Yotsuba's investigations, Ani-chama wasn't the least bit responsible for well over HALF of all the weird occurrences that hit Tomobiki from the day he became 'engaged' to Lum to the day Lum left."

The Tomobiki High sophomores blinked, their eyes widening in shocked disbelief. "That can't be true," Mikiko blurted out.

"Yotsuba checked it out with Negako-anechama. It's all checky!"

"Besides, when Anigimi-sama finally departed Tomobiki, he was stating he wasn't going to be forced into the position where people would blame him for everything under the sun," Haruka added. "And since he has turned away from allowing such behaviour to dominate his life, he deserves a chance." She drew her gunsen and fanned herself. "I'm sure, ladies, you'll both agree that he wouldn't get such in Tomobiki. Ne?"

Himiko and Mikiko exchanged a look, and then they sighed. "True."

"Well, it doesn't really matter now," Karen mused. "It's all in the past and we're together with Onii-chan. That matters more."

Sakuya nodded. "True, true."

"You seem to have accepted him pretty easily," Mikiko mused.

Karen shrugged, a content smile on her face. "Why not? We may not have our mothers and stepfathers, but we have each other and Onii-chan and Negako-oneechan. We're a family. Yes, we all have our problems, but if we don't allow those problems to overcome us, we'll be fine."

"And there's no way in hell that we'll allow anyone to try to break us apart," Sakuya added. "We like things the way they are now and there's no way that we're going to allow it to change without our consent. And if people in Tomobiki or Nerima or this Oogi creep have got a problem with that because they don't like Onii-sama or Ranma-oneesama, that's just too damn bad."

Himiko nodded, her gaze turning inward for a moment. "I guess you guys are pretty lucky. I mean, to the rest of the world, I'm dead. What happens to me -- to us . . .?!" She indicated Mikiko, sighing. "What happens to us now?"

"That is a concern," Haruka agreed with a nod. "We should make an effort to contact your parents and tell them the news."

"Are they going to accept that, Haruka-chan?" Marie wondered. "After all, they had bodies to bury. They've gone through the funerals and the memorial ceremonies. How could Himiko-san's and Mikiko-san's parents ultimately accept them back as their children after THAT?!"

"If they can't, all we have to do is adopt them into our family and let them keep their current names," Rinrin proposed.

"They should still be told, Rinrin-chan," Shirayuki lamented. "Himiko-san and Mikiko-san deserve to have their families back."

Haruka nodded. "Agreed."

"We'll worry about that in the morning." Sakuya checked her watch. "It's getting pretty late. We need to get some sleep."

"True," Marie agreed with a yawn as people moved to head to bed.

* * *

"Son?"

The man on the bed moaned, eyes fluttering as a hand jostled him. "Wh-where . . .?" he grunted, looking left to see Souun gazing concernedly at him. "D-dad . . .?" He slid into a sitting position, glancing around the bedroom. "What's going on here . . .?" he muttered.

"Indeed, Souun, what IS going on here?"

Both screamed as Souun spun around, his face paling on seeing Negako standing cross-armed by the window. A narrow-eyed Happoosai was perched on the grandmaster's shoulder. "So you subbed that Nanniichuan casket meant for Ranma-chan with some ordinary spring water, eh?" The grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu sneered. "Souun, I actually thought you were a hell of a lot smarter than Genma when it came to moronic, hair-brained schemes like this, but . . . " He shook his head, his disappointment all too apparent.

Souun sputtered, and then he spun around as the door to Nabiki's bedroom opened, revealing a weary-eyed Kasumi beside a younger dark-haired girl draped in a black cape. "Father, we seem to have some guests . . . " the eldest Tendou daughter began before her voice screeched to a halt, her eyes going wide on seeing a ragged-haired, slender young MAN lying on Nabiki's bed. "Oh, MY!"

He blinked. Then, on sensing that he had no clothes on outside a towel covering his loins, he panicked. "Geez, Onee-chan!" He quickly moved to make himself decent before scrambling to the closet. "Can't a guy get dressed for . . .?" He opened the door, looking in before he stuttered on seeing GIRL'S clothing. "H-heaven's s-s-sake . . .?"

His hand pulled away from the towel, allowing gravity to drag it to his ankles. Seeing the full monty, Kasumi covered her eyes as she spun away, a gulped "Oh, my!" her only response. Negako sighed. "Chikage."

Chikage whispered a spell. Light showered the young man, draping him in a T-shirt and jeans. "Oh, thanks!" he breathed out before spinning on Souun. "Dad, what's going on?! What are GIRL'S clothes doing in MY closet?!"

"Well, you see, son . . . " Souun moved to stammer out an explanation.

He was then sent flying into a wall by a Happou-daikarin! "That's enough from you, idiot!" Happoosai snarled, and then he looked doe-eyed at Chikage. "Chikage-chan, dear, do you have a magic mirror with you now?"

"Hai." The sorceress drew a mirror from under her cape, positioning herself to allow the young man's image to reflect from it.

Negako, Kasumi and Happoosai shifted themselves to stare at the image. What they saw was Nabiki, presently dressed the same as her male counterpart. "Huh?! Onee-chan?! Ojii-chan?! Negako-san?!" Nabiki blinked as her eyes locked on her "brother." "What the hell . . .?"

Kasumi covered her mouth. "Oh, my!"

"WHO THE HELL'S HE?!" Nabiki shrieked as she pointed at him. "WHAT'S HE DOING WITH MY BODY?! HOW'D I GET TURNED INTO A GUY?!"

"Calm yourself, Nabiki." Negako gently squeezed the young man's shoulder in reassurance. "There is an explanation for this."

"Nabiki . . .?"

Eyes locked on the young man as he walked up to gaze at the image in Chikage's mirror. Despite the differences in looks and size between himself and Nabiki, the latter's image accurately reflected his movements. The overwhelming nature of the moment blocked the middle Tendou daughter from screaming out in fright as her hands replicated his movements. "I . . . " He lowered his arm. "I was created from you . . . "

Nabiki blinked. "Negako-san, please tell me what's going on here!"

Happoosai shifted himself onto the young man's shoulder. "You remember that Nanniichuan cask I drank at the wedding, child?"

Nabiki took that in, and then her eyes widened. "Dad pulled a switch?!"

He nodded. "Yep. What I drank was normal spring water. Souun hid the real cask. No doubt, he intended to bribe Ranma-chan into marrying Akane-chan with it, but when he found out the truth about what happened to her . . . "

"He exposed me to it to make me . . .!" Nabiki's voice trailed off, her eyes widening more. "To make me into . . .?! Into . . .!"

"Into me," the young man in control of her body finished before he turned to Negako. "So what the heck went wrong, Negako-san? Ranma-chan's personality was transformed fully by Jusenkyou! Why didn't it . . .?!"

He indicated the image in Chikage's mirror. "It is because you were exposed to the Nánniquán magic AWAY from Zhòuquán-xiang," Negako explained. "This has never happened before, so not even the guide there could have foretold this. Being so far from the springs, there was no 'support' to effect the psychological transformation that befell Ranma. To that end, it created a modified personality -- you . . . " She pointed to him. "But it could not be fully grafted onto the personality already existing in the body you have now."

She indicated Nabiki. "Can they be separated, Negako-san?" Kasumi asked.

"No. To attempt something like that, given the way your brother here was created, would kill them both. In cases like Ranma's, Zhòuquán-xiang provides a magical 'support base' which would allow her essence to live on in her new body should she and her birth-form be separated. Because this was done away from Jusenkyou, no such support base exists for Nabiki and her twin."

"Then there is only one thing . . .!"

Eyes locked on Souun. The Tendou patriarch was picking himself off the floor. "And what, _Father_ . . . " -- Kasumi's voice was flooded with scorn as she spoke that word, crossing her arms -- "Would _you_ propose to do?"

Souun glared at her. "To see the process completed, as it was done to Ranma." He shakily pointed to his magically created son.

"That is impossible," Negako replied. "And I do not think your family will support you moving to destroy Nabiki's soul just so you can have a son to carry on your family line, much less attempt to marry off to Ranma." She then grinned sarcastically as she added, "Who, by the way, has no desire to marry into your family and, if what I sense of her now is true, is about to consummate her relationship with Ataru this very evening."

Souun paled before he screamed out, "WHAT?! I FORBID . . .!"

A fist slammed into his cheek. Souun grunted as he shook his head clear, and then he looked up to see who just struck him. "Son . . .?"

The look on the younger man's face sent a chill down Souun's back. "Who the HELL do you think you are?! Killing your own daughter, who worked her ass off to keep this house over your head, just to make that fuckin' stupid pact with Saotome come true?! No way, _Father!_ It's NOT going to happen! Much that I like Ranma-chan, I'm not going to force her into doing something she doesn't want! 'Sides . . . " He glanced at Kasumi. "You have to admit Ranma and Ataru-kun DO make a nice couple! Ne, Onee-chan?!"

Kasumi smiled. "Yes, that's true, isn't it?"

"NO!" Souun bolted to his feet, a blazing Demon Head surging forth. "SON, YOU WILL MARRY RANMA OR ELSE I'LL DISOWN YOU ALL!"

"You're hardly in a position to demand that, Tendou-san," an icy voice emanating from behind caused Souun to freeze in place. "Considering that as of this very evening, you will be signing over control of EVERYTHING to Kasumi."

Souun looked over his shoulder to see a narrow-eyed Chikage standing there, arms crossed. Happoosai was now perched on her shoulder. The looks on both their faces sent chills down Souun's back, though he tried to reassert himself. "What makes you think you can stop me . . .?"

Chikage grinned. "Check Six."

Souun tensed. "Wha . . .?!"

"_**KONTOU!**_"

A second later, an inhuman shriek echoed through Nerima.

* * *

Cologne gazed out the window of her bedroom at the Nekohanten. "Now, why would Negako make use of the soulsword at the Tendou place?"

Sensing nothing else happening, the elder shrugged, heading for bed.

Look into it in the morning.

* * *

"Oooh . . .!"

Dawn was now shining its light through the windows of the old shrine. Yotsuba stretched as she rose from her futon. Glancing around, she did an automatic head-count of who was present. Shirayuki's futon was empty, lying where she spent the night. The would-be detective canted her head, her ears picking up noises from the kitchen. _Making breakfast_, Yotsuba mused before she noticed a futon folded by the wall. "Where's Chikage-chan . . .?" she whispered as she stood, snatching her spyglass as she headed to the kitchen. "Ohayou, Shirayuki-chan!" She looked into the kitchen, blinking. "Eh?!"

Shirayuki looked over. "Oh, Yotsuba-chan, ohayou gozaimasu desu no. Kasumi-san came by to help out with breakfast today."

Kasumi, busy with chopping onions -- hence, the swimming goggles protecting her eyes -- nodded. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Yotsuba-san."

Yotsuba blinked before she perked on hearing voices echo from Negako's bedroom. "Did something happen at your house?" she asked.

"That . . . " Kasumi paused, and then she sighed. "Could be said."

Shirayuki's hand squeezed the older woman's shoulder in a show of sympathy. Kasumi gave her a thankful smile. "There's a mystery afoot!" Yotsuba giggled as she held up her spyglass. "Yotsuba'll check it out!"

"Hai desu no!" Shirayuki nodded before she turned back to the stove.

Yotsuba walked to the door of Negako's room. Sliding it partially open, she moved to peek in -- and then she screamed on seeing Negako suddenly appear before her, a bemused grin on the grandmaster's face. "Your curiosity towards certain matters might one day be the death of you," the grandmaster stated, sliding the door open. "Come in, Yotsuba."

Yotsuba giggled embarrassingly as she stepped inside. She then stopped, her eyes springing out of her head on seeing the vision of lovely young manhood seated beside Negako's work table, his eyes closed. Chikage stood off to his left, crystal ball in hand as she whispered some arcane incantation. Also in the room was Ani-chama's friend from outer space, Miree. To Yotsuba's surprise, the Niphentaxian high priestess held what seemed to be one of Chikage's magic mirrors, its surface facing the very, very, VERY yummy . . .!

_Yotsuba likes!_ She shuddered as his bishoonen features swam through her mind. _Yotsuba likes, likes, LIKES very much!_

Miree glanced her way, beckoning Yotsuba to her side. "Handsome, isn't he?" she whispered as the detective slid up beside her.

"Yeah!" Yotsuba prayed she wasn't drooling as her eyes darted over his body. "Yotsuba DEFINITELY wants to take a closer checky!"

"Oooh! Someone's got her head in the potty!"

"EH?!" Yotsuba shrieked, glancing wildly about. Yes, a girl's voice, but it wasn't Chikage's, Ane-chama's or Miree's . . .

Chikage sighed, pointing to the mirror. "Look there."

Yotsuba looked. Her eyes went wide on seeing a GIRL in the mirror, dressed exactly like the fellow who just caught her fancy. Said girl -- _Hey, isn't this Tendou Nabiki?!_ Yotsuba wondered -- was leering knowingly at the detective. "What the . . .?!" She looked back at the fellow in question, and then at Nabiki's image. "How the hell . . .?!" she stuttered, staggering back as she pointed to and fro between the man and the mirror.

"Zhòuquán-xiang," Negako told her before turning to Chikage.

The sorceress relaxed. "There." She lowered her hand.

"How is he?" Nabiki asked.

"Separated from you, Nabiki." Chikage slipped her crystal ball away. "Now we have to work on building separate bodies for you."

"There is a problem if you're thinking of making use of the factory to give him a body," Miree warned as the young man began to stir. "It's only programmed to create female bioroids. There's been no research ever done toward re-programming the ship to create male bioroids."

"Then we will have to coax the Staff of Gihan to assist us in this matter," Negako concluded. "Do you think you can do this, Miree?"

"Not really." The high priestess looked apologetic. "I doubt Jonna and Orin could assist in that regard, either. The influence of the Guardians on the Staff's programming matrix is still quite strong, I'm afraid to say."

Chikage and Negako exchanged a look. "Ani-kun?" the former asked.

"No. Given what the Staff has already done to him, I doubt it will do any of us any good." The latter shook her head, closing her eyes. "Perhaps someone less fettered by entropic thoughts would be needed."

Yotsuba blinked confusedly. "What Staff?!"

Chikage's eyebrows arched. "Someone of a pure heart?"

Negako nodded. "Exactly."

"Hinako-san, perhaps?" Miree proposed.

Chikage and Negako glanced at the priestess for a moment before exchanging a look. "A possibility," the latter mused. "Perhaps, given the problems we are facing, obtaining a second device like the Staff would be prudent. Is there such a device somewhere in close range of us?"

"I'll investigate that now. Excuse me, please." Miree handed the mirror to Yotsuba before she headed out of the room.

Yotsuba stared quizzically at her sisters. "What Staff?"

"An energy conduit with limitless ability named the Staff of Gihan. Miree and her children brought it with them from Phentax Two," Negako reported, turning as Nabiki's twin stood. "Do you feel better, Shinshi?"

"Yeah," he grunted, rubbing his forehead. His eyes then locked on the younger girl holding Chikage's mirror. "Eh?! Hi there!"

Yotsuba's cheeks flamed as his warm gaze sent jolts of hot desire ripping through her. Her hands spasmed, letting go of the magic mirror. "Hey, wait . . .!" Nabiki screamed out fearfully before the mirror crashed into the floor.

Yotsuba didn't react to the noise of the mirror shattering, her eyes still locked on Shinshi's. A confused look creased his face before realization dawned, his cheeks flaming in response. "Ah . . . er, you dropped the mirror . . .!" he stuttered, pointing to the pile of glass at her feet.

She blinked, and then she looked down. "Oh! S-sorry about th-that!" she sputtered, sidestepping around that to place herself beside him. "Um, do you want some tea, Shinshi-kun?" She flustered as her arm wrapped around his.

"Er . . . um, s-sure, Yotsuba-chan," he stuttered.

She walked him out of the bedroom. Negako and Chikage watched them go, and then the former gazed on the latter. "I believe that is a clear-cut case of falling in love at first sight." Her eyebrow arched amusedly.

The sorceress chuckled. "Indeed."

* * *

"I just can't BELIEVE that idiot would do something like that!"

"From the way you've described him to me, what the hell did you expect?"

Ranma stared at Ataru, and then she rolled her eyes. The two were on the front yard of the old shrine, both engaged in the T'ui Shou, one of the popular meditative drills of T'ai Chi Ch'üan. Both had been up for an hour; they had been awakened when Negako and Chikage brought Kasumi and the transformed Nabiki to the old shrine. To say that Ranma especially was in the mood to cause some serious bodily harm on the man she might have once seen as her future father-in-law was understating it. "Yeah, that's true." She leaned forward, allowing some of her ki to pass on to Ataru. "So Negako put the bastard out of his misery with the soulsword flat. What happens with Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane?"

"Well, we can pass it on to the Court of Special Appeals." Ataru rocked back as both engaged in a slow foot kata while tilting their arms. "I'm sure Judge Nozawa won't take the news of Souun's defying his injunction too kindly."

"The bastard'll eventually recover from what Negako did to him, Ataru."

"Hai, true, true. But it's too late now. After his brain was made to go on the fritz, Onee-chan manipulated him into signing power of attorney papers giving everything to Kasumi," he noted. "Everything that was once his belongs to her as soon as those papers get notarized. Lucky for them Reigi-kun knows some people who'd be willing to do that at odd hours without any questions."

"Might have to get Judge Nozawa to do for them what he did for me."

"True."

Silence fell as they continued. Soon, Ataru and Ranma shifted away from the T'ui Shou into a slowly paced battle drill. Granted, both could, if they desired, turn up the heat and launch into a no-holds-barred sort of duel, no different than what Ranma once did with Genma every morning at the Tendou home until just after the failed wedding. As they continued, both were quick to sense that they had an audience. Sakuya, Karen, Haruka and Mamoru, along with Kimiko, Himiko and Mikiko, were up, all of them standing at the windows to either side of the front doors watching the highly disciplined display. "Man, could you ever have imagined seeing something like this, Mikiko?" the "late" captain of the Tomobiki High girl's swimming team asked, shaking her head.

"Not really, especially from Ataru-kun!" Mikiko gazed at Himiko before she turned to stare outside. "Ryuunosuke-kun, MAYBE, especially given the way he was beaten by his father all the time. Or so I heard over the grapevine."

Mamoru's eyebrow arched. "Don't you know Fujinami's really a girl?!"

A pair of boggled looks responded. "WHAT?!"

* * *

"AH-CHOO!"

Sakiko stared at her. "Bless you, Ryuu-chan! Are you alright?!"

Ryuunosuke wiped her nose, gazing nowhere in particular for a moment before she moved to complete her ablutions. "Dunno."

* * *

"Oh, man!" Himiko shook her head. "I can't believe we all missed that!"

Karen giggled. "You should've figured it out as soon as Onii-chan started chasing Fujinami-san in public, Himiko-san."

The swimmer considered that before she reluctantly nodded. "True . . . "

Mamoru pointed outside. "Hey! Hey! Look!"

Everyone stared outside, their eyes wide as saucers on seeing Ataru and Ranma kissing, they clearly having finished their workout. "YES!" Sakuya whooped, pumping her hand as her brother and future sister-in-law pulled apart, both of them turning to head inside hand-in-hand.

Haruka drew her gunsen to fan herself. "Well, it's about time!"

"Who's making . . . that noise . . .?"

Everyone turned as Hinako rose from her futon, a hand moving to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Oh, sorry about that, Hinako-chan!" Sakuya walked over to kneel beside her sister. "We just saw Onii-sama and Onee-sama kiss."

"Huh . . .? Oh!" Hinako blearily nodded, her mind still awaking from its slumber, and then she moved to slip back under the covers.

"Did you guys enjoy the show?" Ranma asked as Ataru closed the door.

The sisters' cheeks flamed on realizing that they had just got caught. "Uh . . . a-ah . . . p-poh!" Haruka stammered in embarrassment.

Ataru chuckled, giving them a wink. "Give us a little time . . . "

"EH?! ONII-TAMA AND ONEE-TAMA KISSED?!"

Everyone jolted as Hinako shot up, her shout becoming the perfect alarm clock for those sisters who had yet to awaken. "Kusun . . . " Aria, who was lying beside Hinako, moaned as she tried to slip further under the covers. "Aria is sleepy, Hinako-chan . . .!" she complained.

"Aria-chan no baka!" Hinako waved her fists in a show of frustration. "Don't you understand?! Onii-tama and Onee-tama kissed!"

Silence.

"_**THEY KISSED?!**_" the just-awakened sisters shouted.

Ranma and Ataru flustered as Hinako ran up to grab them both in a hug as a barking Michael trotted up to join them. The noise quickly drew in people from the other rooms. "Hey, what's with the bru-ha-ha?!" Shinshi asked as he and Yotsuba stepped out of the kitchen.

"Aniki and Aneki just kissed!" Rinrin reported, her assertion causing the couple in question to blush even more.

"Eh?!" Yotsuba's eyes went wide in horror. "Ani-chama and Ane-chama kissed and Yotsuba didn't check it?!" In a flash, the detective stood behind Hinako, her camera at the ready. "Yotsuba'll have to keep checking Ani-chama and Ane-chama until they kiss again!"

"It appears Ani-kun and Ane-kun cannot avoid the consequences of their psi-bond," Chikage mused from her position by the hallway leading to Ataru and Negako's bedrooms. Sure enough, in her hand was the Lovers card.

The other sisters moved to crowd their brother and his girlfriend. "Hina wants to see Onii-tama and Onee-tama kiss!"

"Kaho wants to see Onii-chama and Onee-chama kiss, too!"

"Yotsuba won't stop checking Ani-chama and Ane-chama until they kiss!"

"Nii-ya's and Nee-ya's kiss will chase away Aria's sleepiness!"

"Hime should make a special treat to make Nii-sama and Nee-sama kiss!"

Ranma and Ataru stared wide-eyed at the sisters, and then they exchanged a look. A shrug rolled his shoulder as he moved to sweep her into his arms. She didn't resist as their lips caressed each other's, the both of them tightly holding each other close as Yotsuba's camera flash fired several times. "ANI-CHAMA AND ANE-CHAMA KISS CHECKY!" the would-be detective crooned as she captured the magic moment from every direction.

The other sisters emitted a delighted whoop as Ataru and Ranma pulled apart, he twirling her back to his feet. "Now that we've got THAT out of the way . . . " He stared at Hinako, a grin crossing his face. "It's time for Hinako to face the Evil Tickle Monster!" his voice slurred into a horrible Boris Karloff imitation as he slouched into a hunchback shape.

Hinako stopped, her eyes wide as Ataru raised his hands threateningly, he lurching toward her as a cackle escaped him. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! HINA HATES THE EVIL TICKLE MONSTER!" she screamed, trying to evade those hands.

More laughter as Ataru grabbed his youngest sister in a bear hug, his fingers dancing up and down the sides of her rib cage. Hinako squealed as Ranma whipped out some feathers to attack her feet. Watching the shenanigans from the general direction of the kitchen, Shinshi shook his head. "Man, never thought I'd EVER see Ranma do THAT!" he admitted.

"Neither did I."

He looked to his left to see Kasumi standing there, a sad look on her face. Shinshi blinked, and then he placed a hand on her shoulder, moving to guide her into the kitchen. "Guess we can't deny anything Negako-san says about Ranma-chan now, eh?" he then mused.

"Hai, we can't." Kasumi slowly nodded as she moved to lean against the counter. "I'm just glad Akane-chan wasn't here to see that."

"She knows the truth, Onee-chan . . . "

"You know how hard it is for her to accept things like that, Shinshi-chan," Kasumi warned as she gave him a knowing look.

Shinshi nodded. "Hai, true, but she won't have a choice BUT to accept it. Ranma-chan warned her off on Sunday night."

"Let's hope it doesn't have to be repeated," she whispered as the kitchen door opened to reveal Shirayuki. "Did Hinako-chan survive the latest attack of the Evil Tickle Monster?!" Her eyebrows wriggled delightedly.

"Hime thinks so!" The young chef giggled as she shooed Shinshi out. "Time to finish making breakfast and Chigaiko-san's lunch!"

"Hai, hai, I'm going," the newest of the Tendou siblings asserted.

* * *

"Hello?! Is anyone here?!"

"Ah, Akane-san, there you are!" Marie opened the door, waving Akane and Yuka into the living room. "You're just in time."

"Thanks." Akane nodded, and then she spotted Kasumi. "Onee-chan, what's going on here?! What's with Dad?!" she demanded.

The eldest Tendou pointed to one side of the circle of people currently consuming breakfast. "Look for yourself, Akane-chan."

They looked. Seated beside a caramel-haired teenager wearing a Union Jack tie -- a girl Akane and Yuka recognized as one of Ataru's sisters -- was a man Nabiki's age, dressed in T-shirt and jeans. The girl was busy feeding him morsels of fried eggs. Akane was quick to sense the growing attraction between them; their rosy-shaded cheeks were a dead give away. Yet the boy . . .!

Boy . . .?

Oh, no . . .!

"Nabiki?" Akane eeped, the shock driving her to her knees.

The couple in question paused, looking her way. "Oh, hi, Akane-chan, Yuka-chan!" Shinshi hailed as he gave then a friendly wave.

"Shi-chama," Yotsuba sing-songed.

He jolted before accepting another morsel of egg from the would-be detective. "But HOW . . .?!" Yuka stammered, gazing at Akane.

"No thanks to Tendou-san's so-called 'father,' Tokoro-san."

Both spun around as Ranma stepped into the room, draped in her new chemise after taking a long soak in the furo. Yuka's eyes nearly shot out of her head on seeing the transformed martial artist dressed like a woman. Akane, still stunned by what just happened to Nabiki, didn't take immediate notice of Ranma's clothing. "What do you mean . . .?" she began, and then it hit her. "The Nanniichuan cask?" she then gasped out in disbelief.

"Yep." Ranma sat, nodding thanks as Shirayuki handed her a plate of piping-hot food. "Your dad subbed the cask meant for the wedding with a cask of normal spring water. Guess he realized Oyaji'd be a pig about it when he found out the cask was around. Then, after Negako told Nabiki the truth about what Zhòuquán-xiang did to me, Nabiki told Souun . . . " She shrugged, waving to Shinshi. "And look what he did to her in return!"

Akane blinked as she took that explanation in. Her fists clenched as she turned back to her transformed sister. "That means . . .!" She pointed to Shinshi, looking back at Ranma. "She's . . .! H-he's . . .? Nabiki . . .?!"

Yotsuba and Shinshi gazed on her, and then the former looked at her new boyfriend. "Mind if she takes over for a bit?" she whispered.

He winked. "Go for it."

Taking a cup of hot water, Yotsuba doused Shinshi. Akane and Yuka gaped as the body morphed to what was normal for Nabiki. The clothes, since they were forged from Chikage's magic, automatically shifted to conform to their wearer's dimensions. She jerked before glancing around, and then she nodded as Kasumi handed her a towel to dry herself. "About damned time!" she grumbled before gazing on her other sister. "Hi, Akane! When'd you get here?!"

Akane blinked, and then her eyes rolled into her head. Mamoru caught her before she hit Sakuya, and then she lowered her to the floor. "Yotsuba guesses Akane-san didn't really check that," the would-be detective mused.

* * *

"Hina doesn't understand . . . "

Jonna smiled. "It's quite simple, Hinako-sama." She, Orin and their mother were in the exercise room with the youngest of Ataru's sisters. The Staff of Gihan was in Jonna's hand. "Bou-san here . . . " She indicated the Staff. "Was once used by some very, very, VERY mean people back on my home planet. Because of that, all sorts of mean thoughts have been stamped onto Bou-san's primary memory unit." She pointed to the glowing crystal at the business end of the Staff. "What Mother, Orin and I were thinking is that because YOU, Hinako-sama, have the purest heart of all your sisters, you can help Bou-san get rid of those mean thoughts once and for all."

Tears sparkled in her eyes. "Jonna-oneetama says Hina has a pure heart . . . " the youngest of the sisters gushed.

Handing the Staff to Orin, Jonna embraced Hinako. "Hush, Hinako-sama, hush," she soothed, stroking her hair.

Hinako sniffled, reaching up to rub her eyes. "Onee-tama's so nice to Hina. But . . . " Her eyes fell on the Staff. "Hina's not sure if she can make Bou-san better. Besides, Bou-san belongs to Onee-tama . . . "

"I can't make Bou-san better because I've been through many bad things."

"Can't Onii-tama make Bou-san better?"

"No, he can't because . . . " Miree knelt beside her, and then she paused as she tried to think of the least-wounding way to say this. "Your brother can't because Bou-san was used to hurt your brother badly just before he met us." She pointed to herself. Then, on sensing a surge of shock race through Hinako, she moved to comfort. "You, Hinako-chan, can make sure Bou-san will NEVER hurt your brother again."

Hinako blinked, staring at the Staff. "Bou-san hurt Onii-tama?"

"Bou-san was MADE to hurt Ataru-sama," Jonna emphasized.

Silence fell as the youngest of the sisters considered what had just been said. She then looked up to Jonna. Seeing her give a nod of reassurance, Hinako gulped before her hand reached out to the Staff's scarred trunk. As her fingers wrapped around its ancient metal, a strange warmth surged up her arm. Hinako gasped, her eyes closing as a torrent of ghostly energy flowed from the Staff's focusing crystal to gently wrap around her body. The three Niphentaxian/Avalonians backed away as Hinako's hand effortlessly shifted the Staff from horizontal to vertical, its tip resting on the floor. Hinako's other hand reached over to grasp the Staff, her eyes remaining closed.

"It's started," Miree whispered.

"Will this help?" Orin asked.

The Hollywoodite high priestess sighed. "We must have faith."

* * *

"Eh?! What's that?!"

Sakurambou Sakura's head canted east. The Shinto priestess had been making tea when that surge of energy flowed through her from the general direction of Nerima. Moving to her kitchen window, she glanced outside. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to focus on what exactly that energy might be and what its presence might mean. It was certainly beyond her personal experience.

* * *

"Ominous . . . "

Cherry was also gazing eastward. Raising his beads, the Buddhist monk intoned a prayer, and then he glanced into his cooking pot. Seeing the hidden signs in the soup broth, he blinked before turning back towards Nerima.

"Or is it?"

* * *

"Sakiko, you okay . . .?"

Izumo Sakiko jolted, she glancing at Fujinami Ryuunosuke. The couple had spent the night aboard the former's scoutship. It was presently camouflaged under a holographic cloak on Ryuunosuke-shima, not far from where Hamachaya once stood. "Oh, it's . . . " The Seishin-Urusian-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran shook her head, glancing north towards Tokyo. "Something. But it doesn't feel threatening, I think . . . " She crossed her arms.

Ryuunosuke took that in. Rising, she walked over to stand behind Sakiko. Wrapping her arms around her girlfriend, the tomboy kissed her earlobe. "If it's not threatening, then why do you look so damned worried?" she wondered.

Sakiko gazed on her, and then they both laughed.

* * *

"Is there a danger, Seiko-sama?"

Izumo Seiko gazed confusedly at Kitahara Yukimi. A quick glance around the kitchen revealed that the other Avalonians living there were on their feet, they also glancing quizzically towards Nerima. "I . . . " Seiko turned to look. "I'm not sure, Yukimi-chan."

* * *

"Such power . . . "

Cologne sat on the roof of the Nekohanten, gazing toward the old shrine serving as the Moroboshi home. No, it wasn't Ataru, Ranma or Negako that was tapping into WHATEVER it was that was pumping torrents of raw ki into the surrounding environment. So who WAS tapping into this thing?

And for what purpose?

Why?

* * *

"Hinako-chan . . . "

Ono Toofuu was on the front porch of his office, his face paling as the implications of this event sank in. Ye gods, to put a device with THAT MUCH power into the hands of a girl of only eight?! Who on Earth was . . .?

A claw tapped his shoulder. The chiropractor gasped, turning around to see the panda reborn thanks to Genma gazing concernedly at him. A sign went up. (**ARE YOU ALRIGHT, SENSEI?!**) The sign twirled. (**YOU LOOK LIKE YOU JUST SAW SOMEONE DIE!**) Another twirl. (**WHAT'S WRONG?**)

"I . . . " Toofuu stuttered, moving to leave. "Stay here! I have to look in on something over at the Moroboshis' place . . . AWK!"

A furred arm grabbed him around the waist as the panda bounded for the nearest telephone pole. (**I'LL GET YOU THERE FASTER!**)

Toofuu screamed, though he didn't try to pull himself free. _Now I know how Akane felt at times when Ranma carried her anywhere!_

* * *

_A-ri-ri? Where's Hina . . .?_

Darkness enveloped the youngest of Ataru's sisters. Before teary-eyed panic could seize Hinako, stars began to appear. In the proverbial blink of an eye, she found herself drifting through a galaxy. "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai . . . " She looked all around her, her mind nearly overloading from the sheer, primal beauty surrounding her. Then, after what seemed an eternity, her eyes turned to her body. Her naked body. "AAAAAAH! WHO TOOK HINA'S CLOTHES AWAY?!"

Sparkles surrounded her. Hinako soon found herself draped in a form-fitting, black jumpsuit with a golden bird-like insignia on her chest. The suit came complete with golden buccaneer boots and wristbands holding her sleeves in place. On her lower sleeves was a miniature of the bird-symbol on her chest, that dividing five wreaths-of-laurel. "Funny suit . . . " She then glanced at her hands before she remembered something else. "Eh?! Bou-san! Bou-san!" She looked around. "A-ri-ri?! Where'd Bou-san go?!"

A spark of light appeared before her. Hinako reached out to cup the light in her hands. The light exploded, blinding Hinako for a moment. She cried out in shock on feeling something HEAVY land in her arms. Then, as the light faded, she looked to see HERSELF in her own arms. "Another Hina . . .?"

The double's eyes opened, she gazing on her template. With a gentle push, the double placed herself before Hinako. Noting that she herself was also naked, the double closed her eyes. Sparkles created another form-fitting jumpsuit, though this one was totally black and was covered by a shawl similar to what priests wear. The bird-like insignia was stitched into the shawl and the double's arms were trimmed in white lace. As soon as the sparkles vanished, the double's eyes opened again, she smiling. _**Greetings.**_

Hinako blinked. The double's mouth hadn't opened, yet Hinako clearly heard that salutation in her mind. "Bou-san . . .?"

The double nodded. _**Affirmative. What you see before you is a projection of the sentience of the device you know as 'Bou-san.' This unit assumed this form so this unit may interact with the new controller, designate 'Saeru Hinako.' How may this unit serve you?**_

Hinako blinked, and then her eyes widened. "Waaai!" She waved her hands excitedly. "Bou-san's like Mecha-Rinrin-chan!"

The double's eyes glowed. Hinako blinked, and then she relaxed as the double's eyes reverted to normal, she nodding in understanding. _**Affirmative, though this unit is more advanced than the automation the controller's sibling, designate 'Hatoyama Rinrin,' is constructing.**_

Hinako giggled before she looked around her. "Bou-san, where are we?"

The double blinked, and then her cheeks slightly flamed in embarrassment. _**Do not panic. It is an operational error on this unit's part. The controller is presently accessing one of this unit's initial memories.**_

"Floating in space . . .?"

_**Affirmative.**_ The double's smile faded. _**This unit's memory was damaged many thousands of years ago. It is impossible for this unit to repair that damage or restore this unit's memories before that time.**_

Hinako gazed on her, sniffing. "Bou-san was hurt . . .?"

The double nodded. _**Affirmative.**_

"Hina's sorry."

Confusion crossed the double's face. _**What is the logic of giving an apology for an event the controller could not influence?**_

Hinako jolted, and then she giggled. "Bou-san talks funny!"

_**Does the controller wish this unit to converse in a format the controller would be more comfortable with?**_ the double then asked.

"Uhn!"

_**As you wish.**_ A pause before the double smiled. _**So what do you want me to do, Hinako? Do you want to play with me?**_

"Uh . . .!" Hinako stopped, and then she nodded. "Uhn! Um . . . " She stopped again, sighing. "Jonna-oneetama told Hina that Bou-san was once made to do some very meanie-meanie things back on Onee-tama's planet. Um . . . "

_**Hinako, you are my controller.**_ The double glided over to firmly squeeze Hinako's shoulders. _**Yes, Jonna was right. I WAS made to do those bad things. But that was when I had another controller.**_ She moved to embrace Hinako. _**Who's my controller now?**_

"Hina is!"

The double nodded. _**Yep, Hinako is!**_ She then pulled away from Hinako, glancing nowhere in particular. _**Uh-oh . . . **_

"Something wrong?"

_**No, but I think you'd want to back to Jonna and her family, not to mention your family. They're worried about you.**_

Hinako gasped, "Ah! Hina forgot!" She then giggled. "Bou-san . . .?"

_**What is it, Hinako?**_

"Does Bou-san like Hina being Bou-san's controller?"

The double smiled. _**Hai!**_

"Waaaaaaaaai!" Hinako gushed.

* * *

"Hinako-sama, are you alright . . .?"

"Hinako-chan . . .?"

Hinako blinked, looking confusedly around the exercise room. Her eyes then focused on the device in her hand. To her surprise, the Staff of Gihan had morphed from its original two-metre-plus height to something Hinako could easily grasp with one hand. Even better in the eye of Ataru's youngest sister, the Staff had transformed itself into a glittering gold rod decked with enamel wings and sparkling diamonds, the whole topped with the main focusing crystal forming its "head." A glance to herself revealed that Hinako was wearing a gold version of the jumpsuit she wore when she first spoke to the Staff; the bird-like insignia and other markings a brilliant sky blue.

"Waaaaaaaaaai . . .!" she gushed. "Hina's a magical girl now!"

A hand reached for the Staff. Hinako blinked as a force-shield deflected the hand away without causing any apparent injury. She then turned to see who just tried to grab the Staff. "Ah, Toofuu-sensei!" she called out.

"The Staff is now bonded to Hinako-san, Doctor," Miree pronounced; she and her daughters were standing behind the chiropractor by the doorway. "There is nothing you can now do to force the Staff away from her."

Toofuu gazed on the alien priestess, and then he knelt before Hinako, firmly grasping her shoulders. "Hinako-chan, are you alright?"

"Hina's fine." Hinako lowered her arms, she keeping the Staff close to her. "Onee-tama just wanted Hina to help Bou-san get rid of all the meanie-meanie thoughts all of Bou-san's old controllers put into her."

Toofuu blinked confusedly, and then he stared intently at Miree. "While I may not fully understand what's going on, Madame, placing a device of THIS nature . . . " -- he pointed to the Staff -- " . . . in the hands of a child Hinako-chan's age is something I would not condone . . . "

"Calm yourself, Toofuu. In this case, allowing Hinako to gain control of the Staff of Gihan is the prudent thing to do."

"Ah, Onee-tama!" Hinako gushed as Negako stepped in. She held up the Staff. "Look at the nice present Jonna-oneetama gave Hina!"

"Yes, it is that, is it not?" Negako's hand stroked the Staff's crystal. Since the grandmaster was not moving to pull the Staff away from her sister's grasp, the Staff's automatic defence fields didn't initialize. "In the meantime, there is a problem I believe Bou-san . . . " -- she said that with a straight face -- " . . . can assist in solving."

Hinako perked. "What sort of problem, Onee-tama?"

Negako waved her to follow. Everyone walked to the living room. Akane had, by then, recovered from her fainting spell. She nibbled at the breakfast Kasumi and Shirayuki made for her. Yuka was doing her best to cheer her up. The panda was with Chikage, he having an interesting sign-conversation with the sorceress. Still in control of herself, Nabiki, seated beside Yotsuba, perked on seeing Negako approach. "Oh, Negako-san, there you are." The middle Tendou daughter scratched the back of her head, an embarrassed chuckle escaping her.

Eyes locked on Hinako. "Hinako-chan, what are you doing wearing THAT?!" Karen cried as she pointed to her sister's new jumpsuit.

"Eh?!" Hinako then looked at herself before giggling. "It's okay, Karen-chan! Bou-san turned Hina into a magical girl."

"'Bou-san' . . .?" Ataru stopped, his eyes focusing on the Staff, and then he glanced at Jonna. "Jonna, are you SURE this is a good idea?!"

"It's okay, Onii-tama!" Hinako cradled the Staff close to her. "Hina'll make sure Bou-san won't hurt Onii-tama anymore."

Ataru blinked, and then he tensed on feeling Ranma's hand squeeze his shoulder. They exchange a look before he reached up to squeeze her hand back. Seeing that tender exchange, Yuka's eyes shot out of her head. Akane also saw this, and then she turned away, squeezing her eyes shut. The other sisters exchanged confused looks. Rinrin then walked over to give the Staff a close visual inspection. "Hey, Ono-sensei, is THIS what you were panicking about when you and Panda-san there came in earlier?"

The chiropractor grimly nodded. "It is."

"Are you suggesting this is not a good idea, Sensei?" Haruka asked.

Toofuu nodded. "Of course I do! I can only guess at this weapon's full potential, Haruka-chan. And if my guess is close to accurate, this thing is capable of wiping out all life on Earth. Do you really think it's wise to place control of this device in Hinako-chan's hands?"

"But Bou-san likes Hina being Bou-san's controller!"

Sniffles turned everyone's attention to Hinako. Seeing the sad look crossing the young girl's face, Toofuu winced, cursing himself for saying something like THAT in hearing distance of the person it most affected.

Before the chiropractor could moderate, Miree placed a hand on Hinako's shoulder. "Your concerns are valid, Doctor. But there are times we must take trust in, as Abraham Lincoln once called them, the 'better angels' of human nature. Yes, the Staff has been used to cause great harm to many on my home planet and elsewhere. But that was when people who were quite narrowly focused in their worldview controlled the Staff. Before it fell into our possession . . . " She indicated herself and her children. "The Staff was made to unleash a holocaust of unimaginable proportions upon my people."

Everyone blinked. Many of the sisters glanced at Ataru. "But now . . . " The alien priestess squeezed Hinako's shoulder again. "Now, the Staff is controlled by a girl, one unfettered by the prejudices and selfish ideals that seem to dominate more 'mature' . . . " -- she made finger-quotes -- " . . . elements of society. Now, the Staff is in the hands of someone who could not, for the utter life of her, conceive of bringing harm to anyone, most of all those she loves with every fibre of her being. Now, for the first time in its existence, the Staff is bound to someone who possesses a pure heart, one unburdened by those petty prejudices and selfish ideals I spoke of earlier."

"People have said that those who believe they are doing the greatest good often commit the greatest evil," Toofuu warned.

"Those who say THAT, Doctor, are often those who feel their own worldview is the only valid one," Miree countered.

Akane shuddered. "Hey! Listen to what Sensei's trying to say . . .!"

"Wait!"

Eyes turned to Karen as she walked up to gaze concernedly into Hinako's eyes. "Hinako-chan, are you SURE you want to use this?" She pointed to the Staff. "If it's as powerful as Sensei and Miree-san just said . . . "

Hinako sniffed. "Hina won't let Bou-san hurt Onii-tama . . . "

Silence. People gazed on her, and then to Ataru. "Onii-sama?" Sakuya walked up to him, and then she stared at the Staff. "Is this . . .?" She stopped, looking back at him. "Is this part of . . . what you won't tell us?"

Ataru blinked. "Hai," he whispered, bowing his head.

Chigaiko shuddered. "Ataru-kun . . . "

"Onii-chan." Karen walked up to him. "Tell us. Please . . .?"

He quaked, and then he felt a hand slip into his. He looked left to see Ranma giving him a smile. Taking a deep breath, he gazed on the Staff. "As Miree indicated, the Staff was, when I first saw it, in the hands of a very narrow-minded individual. A woman named Hekiko if I recall correctly. She was . . . " He sat down. "The leader of a group of Niphentaxian high priests calling themselves 'Guardians.' They believed that if there came a time when one single faith would win the approval of all on Phentax Two . . . "

"The Church of Lum, you mean?" Mamoru asked.

Ataru slowly nodded. "Yes. Well, if such a church came into being, then . . . " He took a deep breath before he continued, "If something happened that would effectively destroy the spiritual foundation of such a church . . . "

"Like Lum's death," Ranma cut in.

He nodded. "Well, then . . . " He gazed once more on the Staff. "The prophecy warned that if this circumstance occurred . . . " A pause, and then he finished in a voice full of ashes, " . . . Phentax Two would be doomed."

"So this Staff learned of Lum's death from you . . . " Nabiki pointed to the Staff. "And this . . . " She gulped. "It happened?"

"Yes."

Karen covered her mouth. "Onii-chan . . .!"

"How many died?" Rinrin asked.

Silence.

More silence.

Still more silence.

Then . . .

"Three billion people."

Silence.

Eyes locked on Negako, and then they turned to Ataru. "Anii . . . " Mamoru gasped, her eyes instantly tearing.

Sakuya shuddered. "Onii-sama . . .!"

Ataru blinked before he rose, heading to his bedroom. The others watched him go, unsure of what to say. Ranma headed off to look in on him. No one stopped her. Finally, Rinrin shook her head, she whispering, "It's no wonder Aniki didn't want to tell us! Gods . . .!"

She looked away, crossing her arms. "Is that why Nii-sama had to stay in Sanctuary for a whole week, Nee-sama?" Shirayuki asked as she looked at Negako.

The grandmaster nodded. "Yes. Ataru did not only see what happened on Phentax Two with his eyes. He did not only overhear what happened there with his ears, Shirayuki. Above all, he FELT what happened in the pit of his soul. The Staff, at the moment this happened, forged a mental link between Ataru and those condemned by the Guardians' prophecy. Could you imagine being linked to so many people for the briefest of seconds -- then experience all of their lives being snuffed out? Just like that?" She snapped her fingers.

Everyone winced. Hinako then stared at the Staff. _Bou-san, is it true?_ she mentally asked, trying not to break down and cry.

_**Yes, Hinako. It's true.**_

Hinako shuddered, and then a calm look crossed her face. _You couldn't stop yourself from doing that, could you?_

_**No, I couldn't.**_ A pause. _**At least now, with you as my controller, an incident like THAT will not happen again.**_

Ataru's youngest sister blinked, and then she blushed at the implied trust the Staff of Gihan bestowed on her. Then the sheer number of people lost on Phentax Two came back to her like a tidal wave. _All those people . . . _

_**Are now at peace, Hinako.**_

_A-ri-ri . . .?!_

_**They are in the Very, Very Bright Place now,**_ the Staff explained. _**The place we will go to when our time in this life is done. That is the Place where Marie's parents, Haruka's mother, Sakuya's and Rinrin's stepfathers are now, Hinako. There, they are at peace.**_

Hinako felt a smile cross her face as she gently stroked the Staff's focusing crystal. _You mean they're in Heaven, Bou-san?_

_**In your eyes, yes.**_

"Hinako-chan, are you alright?"

Hinako jolted, and then she noticed everyone gazing at her. "A-ri-ri?!"

"You just blanked out for a moment," Mamoru explained as the others started to relax. "What's wrong, Hinako-chan?"

"Eh?!" Hinako sniffed, and then she wiped her eyes. "It's okay, Mamoru-chan. Bou-san was just telling Hina about those people Bou-san was made to send to Heaven. Bou-san says . . . " She smiled. "They're at peace now."

Everyone considered that. Sakuya sighed. "Hinako-chan." She knelt in front of her sister. "Do you want to keep Bou-san?"

Hinako nodded. "Uhn!" She gazed on the Staff's crystal. "Bou-san likes it that Hina's now Bou-san's controller. Hina . . . " She sniffed. "Hina can make sure that Bou-san'll never hurt Onii-tama again."

Sakuya gazed on her, and then she lightly smiled. "Well, then . . . " She turned to stare at Toofuu, and then she gazed on Miree. "I guess we'll have to trust in the better angels of Hinako-chan's nature."

She gently squeezed Hinako's free hand. "There's still a danger, Sakuya-chan," the chiropractor then warned.

"There's always a danger when one tries new things, Toofuu-kun." Chikage placed a calming hand on his shoulder, and then her eyebrow arched. "But what's the worst thing to do? Try a new path and face the possibility of failure? Or not try at all and never know the possibility of success?"

He gazed on the young sorceress. The other sisters and the Tendous were surprised that the chiropractor wasn't succumbing to another bout of love-madness being so close to Chikage. "Well, if you say so," he reluctantly said.

The others smiled. Save Akane; she was sending a piercing look at Chikage. The young sorceress ignored her, though she did sense that stare. "Now that we have resolved that particular matter for the time being, let us turn to other matters," Negako firmly declared as she guided Hinako to Nabiki. "Hinako, I think Bou-san can explain to you Nabiki's current problem."

"Huh?!" Hinako gazed up at the grandmaster, and then she perked as a whispered non-voice echoed deep in her mind. She stared at the Staff, and then she looked at Nabiki, her eyes wide. "That's stupid!" Hinako cried out, causing everyone else to lean away from her. "Why'd your father do something really, really, really dumb like that?!" she demanded.

"Hinako-chan, can you help them?" Kasumi asked.

Hinako stared at her, and then she perked as the Staff provided her an answer. "Soo ka . . . " The youngest of Ataru's sisters sighed before she stared at Nabiki. "Gomen nasai, Nabiki-san. But Bou-san says she can't split you and Shinshi-san apart. There's not enough life energy for Bou-san to use to make separate bodies for both of you."

"What if replacement bodies were obtained, Hinako?" Chikage asked.

Hinako gazed on the sorceress. "What do you mean, Chikage-chan?"

"She means what happened to us, Hinako-chan," Himiko declared as she and Mikiko walked up to her. "After all, the Avalon bioroid factory's here now over Earth, so why don't you use that instead?" She pointed up.

Hinako gazed on them, and then she perked as the Staff whispered the necessary information to her. "Eh?!" She looked up, the Staff enhancing her vision to the point where Hinako could see the cloaked, twenty-kilometre long factory clearly. "Waaaaaa . . .! What a BIG spaceship!" she gushed, and then she perked as the Staff added details. "Eh?! It can only make girls? Why can't it make boys?!" She stared at the Staff, and then she canted her head as the device replied. "Oh, you can fix it up?! Okay!"

She hoisted the Staff. "Hey, Hinako-chan, what're . . .?!" Mamoru began.

The focusing crystal flared, blinding everyone.

* * *

"Where did three of these units go?"

"We are not sure, Otako." One of the factory unit's "volunteer" technicians shook her head. The small group of Avalonians, all of whom bore the racial features of the "Invaders" -- what the bioroid race always, in private, addressed their "masters" as -- stood in the gestation unit where Miree and her children had obtained their new bodies. "Internal security monitors for this chamber were disabled shortly before we departed Phentax Twelve. We didn't learn of it until routine diagnostics were per- . . . "

Her report was cut off as a blinding flash of light filled the chamber. The Avalonians screamed as they clapped their hands over their eyes, turning away from the direction of the gestation units. The light soon faded, allowing the bioroids to pull their hands away, blinking rapidly to restore their sight. "What was . . .?" The technician turned to the chambers . . .

Her jaw then dropped in shocked disbelief on seeing that ALL FIVE of the gestation units were empty! " . . . that?!" she finished.

* * *

"_**WHO'RE YA TRYIN' TA BE, HINAKO?! SAILOR MOON?!**_"

Mamoru's shout echoed through the living room as people covered their eyes from the burst of blinding light the Staff produced. Within seconds, the light faded, allowing people to rub their eyes and blink their vision back to normal. Suddenly, Yotsuba's delighted shout of "Oh, BIG checky here!" made everyone turn to where Nabiki had stood. She was no longer alone.

Kasumi gaped. "Nabiki-chan . . . "

"With . . .?" Akane sputtered.

Yuka covered her mouth. "Shinshi-kun . . .?"

A pair of groans escaped the people standing beside a gushing Yotsuba. Hinako gazed on the Staff's work, and then she smiled. "Hai, hai! All fixed up!!" She turned to the others, and then she perked as the Staff whispered something to her. "Huh?! Oh, okay!" She gazed on Shirayuki. "Shirayuki-chan, Bou-san says that Shinshi-san and Nabiki-san'll need soft food for their first meals in their new bodies," she reported.

The chef stared wide-eyed at the middle Tendou daughter and the young man born of her memories and spirit thanks to Jusenkyou, and then she caught herself. "Oh . . . OH! H-hai desu no! Hime'll make something now!"

She raced off. Kasumi and Akane exchanged a stunned look, and then they walked over to stand before their siblings. "Nabiki-chan . . .?" the former prodded Nabiki, and then Shinshi. "Shinshi-chan? Are you two alright . . .?"

Both jolted, and then they exchanged a look before gazing on their sisters. "Um . . .!" Nabiki began. "I . . . " She felt her forehead.

Yotsuba gazed intently at Shinshi through her spyglass, and then she turned to Kasumi. "Yotsuba thinks that Shi-chama and Nabiki-san need to lie down and get some sleep before doing anything else," she reported.

"That . . . " Shinshi grunted, and then he blinked on feeling Yotsuba slide up to support him. "Sounds like a good idea, Onee-chan . . . "

Kasumi then sighed. "Alright, then. Shirayuki-chan?!"

"Hai desu no?!" the younger chef called out from the kitchen.

"Can you put whatever you're making into a bentou, please?!" Kasumi called out. "We'll take it with us back to our place! Nabiki-chan and Shinshi-chan're going back with us to our home to sleep for a while, alright?!"

"Hai desu no!"

"Yotsuba wants a bentou, too!" Yotsuba called out.

"Hai desu no!"

Noting the would-be detective's behaviour concerning Nabiki's twin, the other sisters exchanged knowing looks and muffled snickers.

* * *

Minutes later, as the Tendou family walked off the grounds to return home, Inu Chigaiko stepped out. She was dressed properly in a Fuurinkan High girl's uniform. In her hands were her book bag and a lunch bentou from Shirayuki. "You sure you're gonna be okay, Chigaiko-san?" Karen wondered as she followed Ataru's former classmate to the front gate. "Onee-chan warned us things at her old school can be pretty rough . . . "

"I'll be fine, Karen-chan." The Tomobiki High junior-turned-Fuurinkan High senior winked at the pianist before she turned to leave. "Even if I now seem to be free of whatever it was that made everyone around me back at Tomobiki High forget my name, I'm no alpha-type personality by far."

Karen nodded. "I hope so. Gambatte, Chigaiko-san!"

"Isn't that what Kaho-chan's supposed to say?!"

Both laughed, and then Karen headed back inside. Chigaiko watched her go before turning to jog down the street to the nearest bus stop for the trip to Fuurinkan High School. Arriving just in time to catch the next ride, Chigaiko took her seat and relaxed before gazing on her hand. There was more colour in her skin than what she had seen not a week before when she was still living with her family in Tomobiki. By the looks of it, whatever Negako was doing to help her finally overcome her anaemia -- the ninjutsu grandmaster had yet to tell her the exact details about Chigaiko's treatment; no doubt, that sort of explanation would have entailed the use of scientific terms whose true meaning would just fly WAY over her head -- was working. Taking another breath, she sat back in her chair, glancing out the window as the scenery passed by. Well, a couple more weeks -- a month at the most, Negako had told her last night after entertaining Nabiki, Akane and Yuka -- and she could look forward to transferring once more, this time to Stargazer West College on Promised Island.

The bus turned down the street passing by Fuurinkan High's front gate. Chigaiko rang for her stop. She stepped off just as Asano Sayuri, Bosabosa Daisuke and Chanpatsu Hiroshi walked up. "Ah, Chigaiko-chan! Ohayou!" Sayuri called out on spotting her, she waving.

Chigaiko turned, shuddering as the thrill of having a fellow student calling her by name raced through her. Waving back, she jogged over to them. "Ohayou, Sayuri-chan, guys!" She turned to walk with them towards the school. "Ready for a new school year?" she then asked.

"Got no choice," Hiroshi lamented, and then he glanced around. "Ara?! Where're Yuka-chan, Akane-chan and Ranma?!"

The others perked, and then they quickly glancing around for their classmates. "Yuka-chan and Akane-chan will be in later," Chigaiko reported as the others gazed on her. "Something happened at the Tendou place last night."

Sayuri tensed. "What happened?"

"Nabiki-san got cursed by water from that Jusenkyou place."

Silence.

Hiroshi gaped. "No way . . .!"

"How?!" Daisuke demanded.

Sayuri fretted. "What spring?!"

"Yes way." Chigaiko stared at Hiroshi, and then at Daisuke. "No thanks to Nabiki-san's bakayaro father. And it was Nanniichuan water." She then stared at Sayuri before she held up a finger. "But there's now no need to panic! Negako-san arranged to have Nabiki-san's cursed side severed from her normal side. So, as of this morning, she's got one real hottie of a twin brother now calling himself Tendou Shinshi."

The others took in that explanation. Hiroshi then snapped his fingers, turning to Daisuke. "That cask of Jusenkyou water from the wedding, remember?! Old man Tendou must've pulled a switch before Ranma's old man got hold of the damned thing!" he said as the most likely explanation for this came to him.

"Oh, right!" Daisuke nodded, and then he gazed on Chigaiko. "But why the heck would he tried to curse Nabiki, for heaven's sake?!"

"Maybe she tried to bilk the guy for her allowance," Hiroshi proposed.

Chigaiko gazed on them, remembering Negako's warning concerning revealing the truth about Ranma's emotional change of gender to her old classmates. "Who knows!" She turned to look past the school's front gate to see a crowd, all dressed in various sports uniforms, forming. "What's this?!"

The others looked. "Kunou-bakayaro's 'beat Akane-chan to date her' ritual, Take Two," Hiroshi reported as he shook his head in disgust. "Forget about it, Chigaiko-chan. You DON'T want to get involved in this, believe me! C'mon, guys, let's head in and get to class!"

Daisuke, Sayuri and Chigaiko nodded as they crossed the street and slipped through the gate. Walking around the mass of boys in sports gear or martial arts uniforms, the former Tomobiki High student was quick to sense the aura of determination they exhibited concerning Saotome Ranma's former fiancée. _Ye gods, and I thought everyone's mooning over that Oni was bad?!_ she mused to herself as she and her new friends made their way back onto the main walkway. _Wonder what's going on back in that loony bin, anyway._

* * *

"So where've YOU been all this time, Ryuu-chan?!"

Miyake Shinobu's foot tapped impatiently on the concrete pathway before the front gate of Tomobiki High School as a yawning Fujinami Ryuunosuke walked up to join her. The latter had no sarashi under her shirt, having replaced that with a sports bra. Despite her STILL wearing the boy's uniform, the shapely humps on her chest were a dead giveaway concerning her true gender. "Where the heck do you think I've been, Shinobu-chan?" She gave Shinobu a knowing wink as they turned to walk through the front gate. "Your mom and dad say anything about it at breakfast this mornin'?" she then asked.

Shinobu shook her head. "Iie. I told them you were spending the night with a friend. They didn't need to hear anything more than that, but if you keep this up with Sakiko-san, Mom and Dad are going to get pretty curious."

"Yeah, true." Ryuunosuke stretched herself, and then she stared at the repaired school. "Man, Mendou's people do good work." She whistled on seeing the northwest wing properly restored. A glance further to the left revealed a larger amount of flowers and other private gifts surrounding the wrecked remnants of Lum's statue. Standing there were several first-year and second-year students, black mourning bands wrapped around their jacket sleeves. "Who d'you suppose they're praying for?" she wondered.

"Himiko-san and Mikiko-san, I think. I don't think the guys had any real friends in school," Shinobu whispered as the pair walked past the statue, and then they moved to step through the front doors. "Well, ready to climb another floor in our scholastic lives?" She stared at her friend as they slipped off their shoes at the assigned lockers before putting on their uwabaki.

"Race ya!"

Both sprinted up the stairs to the third floor, and then they turned to head to their homeroom. As with the previous year, they got Class Four. Stepping through the main doors, they stopped on seeing Hanawa Mitsu standing there, a bright smile -- _As if there could be any other type of smile?!_ Shinobu wondered as she reflected on his always-genki disposition -- on his face. "Ah, Miyake-kun! Fujinami-kun! There you are!" he announced. "Ready to crack the books and climb to new scholastic heights this term?"

Both girls nodded. "Hai, Sensei!"

"Well, take your seats! Not all of us are here just yet."

He waved them to their places. Shinobu and Ryuunosuke took their seats. About half the class had come in by this time, including most of the girls. As Ryuunosuke hung her bag on the hook dangling under her desk, she blinked on sensing several people approach her. "Um, Ryuunosuke-san?" a girl then asked.

The tomboy turned to see several of the girls, led by Gekasawa Kumiko, staring at her. Noting the confused looks on many of their faces, Ryuunosuke fought down the urge to gulp as she asked, "Something wrong?!"

"Well . . . " One girl twirled her thumbs nervously. "You see, we . . . um, ah . . .!" She then fell silent, she bowing her head.

"Everyone knows about you being a girl and what your father did to make you act as a boy," Kumiko cut in on the other girl's behalf. "Momoe-chan is arranging with the other girls in the class to collect some money so you can get yourself a few proper girl's uniforms."

Ryuunosuke's jaw dropped in shock on hearing that. "Ah, c'mon, Kumiko! You don't have to do anythin' . . .!"

"We do!" Kumiko cut her off, and then she sighed. "Ryuunosuke-chan, the fact that your father went to such lengths to keep you from being what you really are . . .!" She shuddered as the times she looked on the tomboy and believed her to be a boy flashed through her mind. "It was wrong, Ryuunosuke-chan. What he did to you was plain, flat-out WRONG! And now that he's finally gone and you have full control over your life, I think it's time for you to show everyone who and what you really are!"

The other girls readily nodded. Ryuunosuke blinked before she sat back in her chair. "I'm not one for charity, Kumiko . . . "

"I guessed that." Kumiko sighed. "But you're one of us!" She gave Ryuunosuke's shoulder a squeeze. "And even if Ataru-kun's finally gone from this place, we Tomobiki girls've got to stick together! Right?!"

She stared at the girls standing with her. "Hai!" they chanted as one.

Ryuunosuke blinked, and then she shuddered as her cheeks started to heat.

* * *

"So this is the final list of everyone for Class Four?"

Onsen Mark stared at the print out the secretary just gave him. "That's it." Sakura nodded; both teachers were in the staff lounge on the first floor. "Few names missing given what's happened over the last few weeks, ne?"

"Agreed." The vice-principal/English teacher grimaced, noting the names crossed out on the list. One particular name that should have appeared on this list had not been typed in. "By the way, did we ever find out which school Moroboshi's gone to?" he then asked the school nurse.

Sakura sighed. "I called to ask the Ministry about it."

"And?"

"They politely told us to mind our own business and . . . " The nurse/priestess' eyebrow twitched before she added, "They also politely told us that they do not wish to have their staff infected with cases of 'Lum-itis' if we continued to press them about Moroboshi."

Onsen gave her a look. "'Lum-itis?!' What did they mean by that?!"

"Couldn't tell you." She perked. "Oh, by the way, about Mendou . . . "

"I know, I know." The vice-principal nodded. "His father asked us to say nothing about his withdrawal from the school. Believe me, there's another one I won't really miss in the long term." He scanned the list before him, and then he blinked confusedly. "What happened to this girl?"

He pointed to one of the names that had been crossed out. Sakura stared at the name. "'Inu Chigaiko?'" she read, and then she paused as she tried to place a face to the name before shaking her head. "Don't know her. I'll take a look at the files, then call her parents and see what's happening with her."

"Fair enough." Onsen nodded before taking up his papers and heading out.

Sakura watched him go, and then she headed over to a cabinet. Drawing out the previous year's student lists, she flipped the pages before arriving at the list for Ataru's old class. Walking over the phone, she unhooked it, and then she scanned for the number in question. That took her a minute or two as she tried to recall the girl's name. By the time the nurse/priestess deduced which name she was interested in -- Sakura was forced to hunt for the name by eliminating all the other names on the list -- a warbling tone echoed from the phone receiver. Stabbing the studs to get the phone back on-line, Sakura dialled the number. As she placed the phone against her ear, the flipped pages fluttered down against the page listing the people of Ataru's old class.

A moment later, the other end answered. "Moshi-moshi, Inu residence."

"Ah, Mrs. Inu, good morning." Sakura perked. "This is Tomobiki High School calling. We're concerned about your daughter . . . "

"I strongly doubt that."

Sakura stopped, surprised by Inu Kindan's curt statement. "Excuse me?"

The ice in Kindan's voice sent shivers down Sakura's spine. "My daughter was withdrawn from your pathetic joke of a high school last week, right after that rude idiot you happen to call a vice-principal berated my poor girl **IN FRONT OF MY HUSBAND AND I** because she chose not to attend that farce of a memorial for that Oni monster you all care for so much. A memorial, it later turns out, that few others didn't want to see happen, like that Alhamzi fellow. You all remember who that man was, don't you?" A pause. "So if you think you can try to deceive me into believing that any of your staff has my poor baby's 'best' interest in heart, you're all on drugs."

Sakura gaped, stunned by the tidal wave of disdain and outright hatred that just washed over the phone line. "Mrs. Inu, I . . . "

"What's my daughter's name?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're supposed to be an educator," Kindan flatly stated. "That means you should have developed a faculty for remembering the names of those students you interact with on a daily basis. Therefore, this should be an easy question for you to answer. WHAT'S HER NAME?!"

Sakura blinked, and then she quickly turned to flip open the folder containing the previous year's student lists. "I . . .!"

"I'm hearing you flip papers." Kindan's voice made Sakura stop. "Now you know why my child doesn't attend your _school_ . . . " -- one could coat the office floor with the scorn that word evoked -- " . . . anymore. As to where she is now, that's none of your business. I find it strangely ironic that in THIS situation, Moroboshi Ataru is worlds ahead of you all, staff and students combined. Don't call again." Click. Dial tone.

Sakura blinked as she thought about what Kindan said. "Moroboshi . . . "

* * *

"Nee-sama, is Nii-sama . . .?"

Shirayuki fell silent as she stepped into Ataru and Ranma's room. Her brother was asleep, his head cradled in Ranma's lap. Ranma looked up, shushing the chef before indicating a clear spot on the floor for the tray in Shirayuki's hands. "Thanks," she whispered to the chef.

"Soo desu no," Shirayuki whispered before she quietly withdrew.

Ranma sighed as she turned her attention back to Ataru. By then, his eyes were opening. "Who just came in here?" he whispered.

"Shirayuki-chan brought in some tea," she reported.

Ataru took that in, and then he nodded, sliding himself up into a sitting position. Ranma poured them tea, casting a glance toward the living room. "The Tendous've left. So've the Doc and the panda. Ditto with Yotsuba-chan. She's really got it in for Shinshi," she then warned.

"Well, she's of the age when that sort of thing starts to haunt her whole outlook on life." He nodded thanks as she handed him a cup of tea. "Let's just hope he doesn't do something that'll hurt her in the long run. Yotsuba-chan certainly doesn't deserve that."

She poured herself a cup. "I think they'll have to work on some way of giving Shinshi his own legitimacy."

"Well, the Court of Special Appeals can help there, especially if Onee-chan is asked to give testimony about how Zhòuquán-xiang came to affect Nabiki in this situation," he mused. "Besides, if Judge Nozawa learns about what Souun intended for Nabiki . . . " A shudder raced through him, and then he shook his head. "Chances are we might have to get the SCAA involved also since Shinshi IS, in a way, an alien," he then added.

Ranma considered his words, and then she nodded. Last night, Ataru had given her an explanation concerning the Avalonians. "That's true." She sipped her tea. "Would Nabiki be seen as that now? What about Himiko and Mikiko?"

"Hard to say. I'll call Zed and ask his opinion about this soon enough. We . . . " He then shrugged. "Well, we certainly don't want to advertise that we have an easy way to give someone practical immortality."

She perked. "How long do Avalonians live?"

"Eight hundred to a thousand years."

Ranma winced. "Ai-cha . . .!"

A knock. Both looked as Karen peeked into the room. "Gomen nasai, Onii-chan, but Tokoro-san wants to talk to Onee-chan."

Noting that an anxious-looking Yuka was standing behind Karen, Ranma sighed. "Right." She set the tea aside, and then she stood up. "C'mon." She waved Akane's friend with her to the front porch.

Karen watched them go. She then blinked as Ataru stood, moving over to her side. Seeing the pensive look on his face, she flustered and then she sighed. "Do you blame yourself for what happened on Miree-san's planet?"

He considered her question for a moment before slowly exhaling. "I'm not sure what to think right now, Karen-chan." He reached for her hand. "On the one hand, if the Staff didn't get the information about Lum's death from me, it could've gotten it from somewhere else. What could've happened then . . .?" His voice trailed off before he shrugged. "Hard to predict, I guess."

"But . . .?"

"Well . . . " He shook his head. "I've been haunted by bad luck for so long that . . . " He paused before staring heavenward. "That when I came to live with you guys, the Fates that were fooling around with my life couldn't stand the thought of me experiencing some _good_ luck for a change. So they . . . " He shrugged, shaking his head again. "Damn . . . "

"Onii-chan," Karen whispered as she embraced him.

* * *

"So you're really a girl now?" Yuka asked. "Everything that Negako-san said about you last night is all true, right?"

She and Ranma stood on the front porch. The latter was gazing at the bright sky over the Tokyo area, her arms crossed. "Yep," she replied, turning to gaze on Yuka. "So why are you concerned about what happens to me?"

Yuka winced. "Akane-chan . . . " She paused. "Akane-chan cried about it last night. About what Negako-san said about you and Ataru-kun . . . " Her voice trailed off, she hugging herself. "In all the time I've known her, I've never seen her that hurt," she then reported.

Ranma looked away. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, then. But . . . " She took a breath. "If you think I'm going to do anything to try to reverse all this, Tokoro-san, you're wrong." She shook her head. "Very wrong."

Yuka winced, and then she gazed pleadingly at her. "She loves you!"

An annoyed shudder raced through Ranma on hearing Yuka's assertion. She then closed her eyes. "That's not going to change anything, Yuka. Nothing will now. It was too late long before I ever met Akane."

Yuka took that in before she looked at the patio deck. "So you're running away, are you?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

Silence fell. Yuka stared at the other woman, surprised that her comment did not provoke Ranma's usual reaction to being referred to as anything less than brave. A tremor raced through Yuka as she tried to determine what to say to make Ranma bend for Akane's sake. She then jolted as the other woman turned to glare at her. "Is that all you can think of saying to me?" Ranma snapped, the emotion draining from her face. "That just because _your_ friend is in love with me, _I_ have to be the one who has to ALWAYS bend for her? To make her happy? To make her feel content? What about MY happiness, Yuka? What about my desires, my dreams? Don't they count? Didn't they EVER count?!"

Yuka quaked as Ranma's piercing gaze seemed to bore right into her soul. She then took a deep breath. "You never gave her a chance!"

Ranma slowly nodded. "I know." She turned away from Yuka, leaning against one of the pillars holding the roof up. "I know." A deep breath, and then she reached up to rub the bridge of her nose. "I know . . . "

"Ranma . . . " Yuka placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why did you just give up? Just . . . " She shook her head. "Just turned around and let this happen to you? Surely, there must've been some way to stay as a man even with this bond you have with Ataru-kun . . . "

"Maybe." Ranma reached over to guide Yuka's hand away from her.

Sensing that the redhead didn't want her to get any closer, Yuka took a step back. "Did you want to hurt her?" she then asked.

"Akane?"

"Hai?"

"No." Ranma shook her head, taking a deep breath. "Actually, Yuka, I . . . " She grimaced. "I wanted to STOP hurting her, once it finally dawned on me how much I really WAS hurting her in the long run. But how the hell was I supposed to do that?" She shrugged. "Oyaji never wanted me to think for myself. All Souun ever really saw in me was the person who'd guarantee his family's so-called 'legacy.' Mom was useless in the long term. I had no friends to turn to for help. My fiancées all had their own agendas. Those who were helping them, like Kelun or Konatsu, couldn't really do anything . . . " Her voice trailed off. "And I just got so tired of it all, Yuka."

"All the fighting?"

"Yeah."

Yuka blinked, and then she tried to smile. "I guess it would get tiring. I suppose none of us really appreciated how much all this was weighing you down. You . . . " She bit her lip. "You always seemed to enjoy it."

Ranma smirked, closing her eyes. "Yeah, I did, didn't I?"

"Please stay."

Silence fell as Ranma seemed to consider Yuka's plea. She then sighed, pulling herself away from the pillar as she shook her head. "No." She turned to gaze on Yuka. "Look. You're Akane's friend. And Akane's pretty fortunate to have you as her friend. I know about the three times she hit you with that mallet of hers in the month before I showed up at Fuurinkan . . . " Her voice trailed off on her seeing Yuka's face pale. "Yuka . . .?!"

"HOW DID YOU FIND OUT?!" Yuka shrilled as she leaned into Ranma's face.

A flash of panic tore through the redhead, and then she calmed herself. "Negako told me when I was training with her in Sanctuary."

Yuka took that in. She then turned away from Akane's ex-fiancé, a hand clenching over her heart. "I . . . " She paused before taking a breath. "Oh, damn . . .! That shouldn't have surprised me, ne?" She relaxed before gazing on Ranma. "What do you know?" she asked.

Ranma took a deep breath. "First time it happened was a few days before Kunou made that idiot speech. He came into class one day dragging in this massive bouquet of roses to 'demonstrate' his love for Akane. But it turns out that two of the guys in class were allergic to the things and nearly died right then and there. When Akane tried to make the idiot see what he was doin', Kunou brushed it off. After all . . . " A sarcastic smile crossed her face. "Those guys might've been potential 'rivals.' After hearing that, Akane lost it, hauled out the mallet and nailed him. You got caught in the back-swing before Kunou went flying." She pointed to Yuka.

"Second time was the morning after the speech. The fight started on the front lawn. Akane tried to brush it off; she was running late. The Horde followed her right into class, where you and everyone else were. Some of the girls got punched aside when the Horde stormed in. Akane went to town with the mallet. You got nailed when one of Kunou's friends got Akane on the wrist with his shinai to disarm her, that sending her mallet into your face.

"The third time was two days later. By then, the teachers clued in to the idea of locking the school to keep the fight outside. The day before, Akane ended the fight with a few swings of the mallet." A smirk crossed Ranma's face. "Kunou didn't take too well to seeing his challenge dealt with THAT way, so he popped a surprise on her that day . . . "

"Akane's father was called to school," Yuka breathed out.

"Yeah." Ranma crossed her arms. "Then, in what had to have been one of the stupidest things he ever did when it came to her, Souun grabs the mallet from Akane and tosses it aside, where . . . " She pointed at Yuka. "You just happened to have been standing, supposedly 'safe.'"

"Hai." The other girl nodded, smiling. "They were accidents, Ranma."

"I know that, Yuka. But what I don't understand is why you have never made her face up to what she did . . . "

"Because she's my friend, Ranma!" A quiver ran through Yuka's body. "And I know she would've never intentionally hurt anyone else!"

Ranma then sighed. "Did she now?"

The other girl balked, and then she winced, remembering what had been discovered over the last week concerning what Akane's temper-tantrums might have ultimately done to the redhead. "You don't trust her," she whispered.

"After all she's done to me since we met? Why should I trust her?" An eyebrow arched, and then Ranma turned away. "Yuka, I don't deny for an instant that Akane has her good points. But ever since SHE walked in on ME in the furo at her house, she's rarely demonstrated any of those good points to ME!" She turned back, thumbing herself. "And what's worse, everyone in this place who knows her -- her sisters, her bastard father, Doc Toofuu, you, Asano, Kunou and the rest of those clods -- have just stood by and brushed it off. 'Oh, Akane's a really nice person. She's just violent at times.' You wanna know who said that about her, Yuka?!" Her voice picked up. "It was KASUMI!"

Yuka gaped. "Kasumi-san?!"

"Yeah! The one person who had more than enough chances to show Akane what she was doing wrong! And you wanna know something, Yuka?! You wanna know how much Kasumi TRIED to show Akane what she was doing wrong?! She only did it ONCE! Just ONCE! And that was to make Akane promise to keep her damned temper under control! Well, you know as well as I how much Akane really cared about that promise, ne?!" She perked, holding up an objecting finger. "Oh, excuse me! I forgot! None of YOU ever cared about what Akane was doing, especially to ME! After all, who the fuck was I, anyway?!" She thumbed herself. "The stupid, sex-changing, selfish, arrogant PERVERT who DARED presume he had the right to try to show up Akane in everything she tried to do!"

"That's not true!" Yuka screamed.

"_**BULLSHIT!**_" Ranma roared, making the other girl automatically duck. "_**IT'S TRUE AND YOU DAMN HELL KNOW IT, TOKORO!**_"

As Yuka started to shake, her eyes tearing as the redhead's words seared right into her heart, Ranma held up a shaking finger. "I don't trust her, you ask?! You're damn right I don't trust her!" Her voice started to pick up. "To be honest with you, I don't trust ANY of you in this garbage heap! Not you, not Asano, not Hiroshi, not Daisuke, not Kasumi, sure as hell not Nabiki and DEFINITELY not Akane! Why should I?! Yeah, I've made a whole fuckin' mountain's worth of mistakes since Oyaji dragged me to this place! I admit it! But do I see any of YOU admitting your mistakes, especially when it comes to Akane?! NO! Of course not! You don't WANT to admit any of that! Why?! Because you're afraid to realize that THIS TIME, I'm actually RIGHT for once! And no! No! NO! We just can't have something like THAT now, can we?! Isn't that the truth, Tokoro-san?! Well?! Isn't it?! WELL?!" she shrilled, and then she leaned up into Yuka's face to scream, "_**ANSWER ME!**_"

Yuka screamed out, collapsing to her knees as sobs stole her voice. Ranma glared down at her, her fists clenching and unclenching as she watched the other girl weep. Finally, as Yuka's head bobbed, blearily staring at the front porch's wooden boards, the redhead sighed, "If you were REALLY Akane's friend, Yuka, you would've realized what she was doing wrong AND told her about it! Isn't that what TRUE friends do for each other?! Make each other realize their mistakes?! Say to each other when something bad happens, 'You're not supposed to do that!' Well?!" she snapped. On hearing no response from her ex-classmate, Ranma breathed out, "I see, then." She turned to head inside, pausing at the door. "Tokoro-san, you've made your choices in life when it comes to Tendou-san. I've no right to object to them. But I will not allow those choices YOU'VE made to hurt ME whatsoever from this day onward!"

Yuka looked up, wide-eyed. "Ranma . . .!"

"I've given all of you my kindness, trust, friendship and solicitude. As much of it as I could given what Oyaji did to me when I was a child," the martial artist continued. "My kindness was constantly paid back with scorn and hatred. If not directly expressed to me, then through your influence with Tendou-san. If that's the ONLY way you wish to express anything towards me, fine. Do not expect any kindness or trust from me from this day forward. You -- all of you at Fuurinkan -- are now strangers to me, Tokoro-san."

She opened the door and marched in, slamming it shut behind her. Yuka remained frozen in place, stunned that Ranma had said all THAT to her, and then she staggered to her feet. Stumbling over the edge of the front porch, she nearly fell onto her backside. She then stopped, staring once more at the closed door to the old shrine. Shuddering as the finality of Ranma's words roiled through her mind, Yuka turned and walked away. As soon as she was past the main gate, she broke out into a run toward Fuurinkan.

* * *

"You okay?"

Ataru gazed knowingly at Ranma as the latter staggered into his bedroom. Seeing the flash of pain in her eyes, he rose, walking over to draw her into a comforting embrace. "I . . . well, I . . . " the redhead began, and then she closed her eyes, leaning against his shoulder.

"You told her -- and by extension, everyone at Fuurinkan -- off."

"I . . . " She bit her lip, and then she sighed. "Yeah."

They remained still, not saying anything more. Ataru then gazed to the ceiling. "Can't wait to leave this place finally?"

Ranma stared at his face. "Damn right about that."

* * *

" . . . just transferred in from Tomobiki High School in the wake of last week's tragic bombing," Ninomiya Hinako stated as she introduced Chigaiko to her classmates in Class 3-F. "Further, it turns out that, save for Moroboshi Ataru, NO ONE at Tomobiki High ever bothered to try to learn Inu-kun's name, much less try to REMEMBER her name once they heard it." The teacher gave her other students a sweet smile. "I trust all of you here can demonstrate that students of Fuurinkan High are much BETTER in that regard?!"

A determined chorus of "Hai"s echoed from the people in front of her. Chigaiko felt her cheeks heat as many girls in class gave her sympathetic stares. Even some of the boys -- those not drained by Hinako when they arrived late for homeroom; they were members of the Horde o'Hentai -- appeared concerned. "Yoroshiku onegaishimashita," Chigaiko hailed as she bowed.

"Please take your seat, Inu-kun." Hinako waved her to an empty desk.

"Hai!"

Everyone watched as Chigaiko took her seat. Hinako then glanced around the room, noting an additional empty chair. "Now, we seem to be missing Tendou-kun. Does anyone know where she might be . . .? Yes, Inu-kun?"

Chigaiko lowered her hand. "There was a family emergency at the Tendou home early this morning, Sensei," she then warned.

Hinako's eyebrow arched. "What sort of family emergency?"

"Would you believe that Nabiki-san now has a twin brother?"

Silence.

"SAY WHAT?!" everyone screamed out . . .

As a flash of energy heralded Hinako's reversion to her child-state. "WAI!" She bounced over to Chigaiko's desk. "Nabiki-chan has a twin brother! I didn't know Nabiki-chan has a brother, Chigaiko-chan! How did that happen?!"

Chigaiko's eyebrow twitched on experiencing the teacher's wild mood-swings for the first time. She then felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Relax, Chigaiko-chan," one of her female classmates whispered from behind her as she winked at the newest student at Fuurinkan. "You get used to this!"

"Right . . . " the ex-Tomobiki High student drawled as, unseen by anyone else, another girl slipped out of the classroom.

* * *

" . . . my son . . .! Marry . . . Ranma-kun . . .! He-he-he . . . "

The paramedics ignored Souun's babbling as they lifted his stretcher to carry him out. Standing by the kitchen doors with Kasumi were Ono Toofuu and several members of the Nerima district board, including the ward manager. "Such a terrible thing to occur." He, a man in his mid-fifties, shook his head. "For so long, we believed your father was such an upstanding member of the community. Then . . . " A shudder stole his voice.

"Yes, it is unfortunate." Kasumi dabbed her eyes. Even if Souun's actions several hours before -- that added to all the other times the Tendou patriarch's choices had come to reflect badly on his children, admittedly -- were wrong . . .! "Much that I did my best to respect Father's wishes and desires, that he . . .!" She stiffened for a moment. "Oh, dear . . . "

"Your sister is well?" one of the ward councillors asked.

"Hai. She's resting now, as is our new brother." Kasumi nodded, a smile slowly crossing her face as she gazed on her guests. "Well, perhaps this'll be for the best. All we have to do is contact the Family Registrar to give Shinshi-chan some legitimacy, then we can proceed from there."

"Whatever help we can provide towards that end is yours for the asking, Tendou-san," the ward manager vowed with a deep bow, the councillors bowing to Kasumi at the same time. He then asked, "But what of young Saotome?"

Kasumi perked. "Ranma-chan? Is there a problem, sir?"

"Yes. We've just heard that he has transferred out of Fuurinkan High, heading to a school in Kanagawa," the ward manager reported. "Isn't there any way to persuade him to remain in Nerima? After all, if he leaves . . . "

His voice trailed off. "I'm afraid that's impossible, sir," Toofuu spoke up. "Saotome-hime, when she elected to break ties with her family as a way of putting an end to all her multiple engagements, petitioned one of the highest courts in the country to aid her in that effort. In that effort, she had the help of a family that has maintained very close ties with the Imperial Household for a long time. I don't think any sort of persuasion by anyone here in Nerima will force her to stay if she chooses to live on Promised Island."

"But what about the underwear-thief?" One of the councillors fretted. "What of those Chinese Amazons? What of that one fellow who turns into that goat-monster? Who'll stop them when they decide to go on their next rampage through town?! If Saotome leaves . . .!"

"I personally think that's part of the reason Ranma-chan has chosen to leave," Kasumi cut in, a disapproving frown crossing her face.

Toofuu nodded. "I agree with that, Kasumi-san."

The Nerima councillors were speechless. "B-but, S-sensei . . .!" one sputtered. "Who'll stop all the fights, for heaven's sake?!"

"There are people willing to help out in matters like this." Toofuu held up a reassuring hand. "I suggest we simply leave Saotome-hime be and wish her and her sisters the best from now on. If there is a problem, I assure you gentlemen that it will be dealt with. Now, I suggest we allow Kasumi-san and her family a chance to recover from what happened last night and this morning."

"I . . .!" The ward manager then nodded. "Yes, Sensei, you are in the right. Please excuse us, Tendou-hime." He bowed to Kasumi.

They turned to leave when a knock echoed at the doorway. Everyone turned to see Miree standing there, an overnight bag in hand. Kasumi brightened on seeing the alien priestess. "Ah, Miree-sama, please, come in!"

The other visitors perked on seeing Miree's ears. "You're an alien!" the ward manager gasped before he quickly composed himself. "Er, pardon me, Madame, but aren't people like you supposed to be residing in Tomobiki?"

Miree looked indifferently at him. "That restriction only applies to citizens of the planet-states of the Galactic Federation. My citizenship was stripped from me when I was accused by the government of my home planet of gross heresy. Since I -- along with my children -- are, in effect, stateless, I'm sure your planet's Special Committee on Alien Activities would allow us to reside wherever we so choose." A beautiful smile then crossed her face, one that caused the other visitors, even Kasumi and Toofuu, to hang off every word she said. "And seeing that Nerima IS such a beautiful part of this ancient land of yours, why should I NOT choose it as a future home?"

"I . . . " the ward manager stuttered. His heart then nearly froze as Miree's eyes locked on his. "Ah . . .!" He composed himself before bowing towards her, his companions doing the same. "I apologize, Ojou-sama, for making such a presumption in the first place. Please, feel most welcome here."

Miree nodded in return. "I accept your welcome with thanks."

With that, the representatives from the ward office left. As soon as they had filed through the gate, Kasumi gazed curiously on the Niphentaxian high priestess. "Miree-sama, what WAS that you just did to us?!"

"Some sort of broadcast empathic wave, I think . . . " Toofuu mused.

"You're quite correct, Doctor." Miree placed the overnight bag on the floor. "It's an inherited ability all Avalonians possess."

"All . . .?" Kasumi's eyes widened. "Then Nabiki and Shinshi . . .?"

"Have it as well, yes." Miree grimly nodded. "That is why I've come here now. Both your brother and your sister will need to learn how to properly master their powers. I don't believe you'd want either of them to psionically bond themselves with an unsuspecting stranger by accident, much less force Shinshi-kun into a premature relationship with young Yotsuba-chan, ne?"

"Psionic bond?" Toofuu blinked, and then his eyes widened. "Like what happened to Ataru-kun and Ranma-chan when they were children?"

"Exactly. The same type of bond, to be precise." Miree raised her hand. "Before you ask, I've no idea how to sever the bond." She lowered her hand. "Besides, from what I sense, Ataru and Ranma seem willing to let things be."

"Understandable." Toofuu nodded. He blinked as footsteps heralded the arrival of a certain would-be detective. "Oh, Yotsuba-chan!"

"Are they alright?" Kasumi asked.

"Hai, Shi-chama and Na-chama are all checky! Akane-san's all checky, too! Yotsuba thinks Akane-san'll need a day off." Yotsuba held up a measuring tape. "Yotsuba's gonna go to a nice boy's shop to get Shi-chama some clothes for him to wear. Yotsuba doesn't think Shi-chama wants to walk around in those magical clothes Chikage-chan whipped up for him."

"Well, if you need some money . . . " Kasumi offered.

Yotsuba shook her head. "It's checky! Yotsuba's got loads of money to spend for Shi-chama. Best thing about being related to someone like Grandmamma. Anyhow, Yotsuba'll be back to check in on Shi-chama soon!"

Miree smiled as the younger girl left. "Have a good time, dear."

"Oh, my!" Kasumi covered her mouth, a knowing grin crossing her face. "She really IS infatuated with Shinshi-chan, isn't she?"

"Her attraction for him's like Hito-Phentax in sun storm season." Miree ruefully smiled. "I think I came just in time. I don't believe anyone would approve of the poor dear becoming pregnant so soon in life."

Kasumi paled as Miree's warning sank in. "Oh, MY!"

A knock was heard. "Hey! Boss, you in here somewhere?!"

Toofuu blinked. "Who . . .?"

Kasumi smiled. "One of Nabiki's friends! Come in, Chieko-chan!"

Into the room walked a second-year student with beautiful amethyst eyes and rusty red-brown hair shaggily styled to her shoulders, a book bag in hand. Fujii Chieko, one of several students who worked as Nabiki's assistants at Fuurinkan High School, was a member of Akane's class. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Kasumi-san . . .! Ara?! Ah, Toofuu-sensei!" She beamed on seeing the chiropractor. "The Boss told me you finally decided to come back . . . " Her voice trailed off as her eyes focused on the third person in the room. "Who . . .?" She then gave the Tendou matriarch a curious look.

"A new friend." Akane stepped into the sitting room. "Did Sensei send you? Did Yuka-chan made it back to school on time?"

"Ah . . .!" Chieko flustered. "W-well, I came here as soon as I heard what the new girl in the Boss' class told Hinako-sensei . . . "

"New girl?!" Kasumi perked. "Oh, Chigaiko-san, you mean!"

Chieko nodded. "Hai! Well, she told everyone that something really weird just happened to you guys! Something about the Boss getting a twin brother or something . . . " She gazed at the ceiling. "Soon as Ryonami passed that on, I came here as quick as I could to get the scoop."

Kasumi gave the younger girl a pained look, and then she glanced at Akane. "Yes, something DID happen today."

"Got that right," Akane moaned.

Chieko perked. "So what's going on?"

"I think it's best you make some tea," Miree proposed, gazing at Kasumi, and then she turned to Chieko. "This whole matter will take some time to explain to Nabiki-san's friend. And before we can actually allow her to see Nabiki-san, I best get to work."

"Yes, that does seem best!" Kasumi then turned to the kitchen.

* * *

"Yo, Luf! We're comin' in on Phentax Twelve now!"

The suntanned blonde with the green streak in her hair and the red star tattoo under the corner of her right eye looked up from the book she had been reading. Grunting, she rolled herself out of her bunk, and then she headed to the pilotage, where her best friend and the two others who had come on this trip were. A glance through the forward view ports revealed the star field morphing from the blurred streaks of warp space to the glittering dots of normal space. "'Bout time," Lufy muttered. "How soon, Pri?"

Priss glanced at the astrogator, she glad that Lufy and Catty Ray had overhauled the avionics of the RSS/C _Konggh'cha_ to modern standards. "A few more minutes," the first officer of Pathfinder Troop Six reported, and then she glanced at the _Konggh'cha_'s owner. "Anxious to get this over with?"

"Damn right I am," Lufy said as she grasped Catty Ray's hand. Feeling her lover's grip, the lavender-haired Tritonian-born Sagussan with the soft gold eyes swooned, shifting to lean against the Yehisrite-born pilot's arm.

Priss glanced at her sister Pirpirsiw'r, a knowing smirk crossing her face. She turned back to her controls. "Anythin' out there, Ayumu?" she asked the person at the sensor officer's station of the old Type 48 cargo carrier. "We know how much most of the natives of this place like Ataru-sama. Even if this old tub's got a cloak now, we don't wanna risk something stupid . . . "

"Asteroids."

Eyes locked on Ayumu, a raven-haired girl -- she had been born on a planet named Yiziba, located in a star system near Elle and Karasutengu -- with very wide, dark brown eyes. She was dressed, like the others aboard on the _Konggh'cha_, in casual civilians in lieu of her dark blue-and-red duty uniform. "What did you just say?" Lufy demanded.

"Asteroids," Ayumu repeated as one of her hands adjusted the sensor control. She then sighed. "Someone really has to get the Rovers to update intelligence information on the solar systems around Earth. There was no asteroid field charted in this system . . .!"

"Shields!" Lufy barked.

"Shields up!" Priss reported as her hand tapped a control.

Barely just in time; within seconds of the fields forming around the _Konggh'cha_, several car-sized rocks soared in their direction. Priss, who had as much small-ship helm time as Lufy despite her primary job as a specialized warfare trooper -- Pathfinder Troop Six had its own base ship, the RSS _Kiboo'cha_, to help with deployments -- adjusted controls to allow the boxy cargo carrier to dart clear of the oncoming meteor storm. "Damn! Where's the planet?!" Priss demanded as she tapped controls to call up a small holoscreen before her, that displaying an image of the _Konggh'cha_ and everything out to fifty thousand kilometres around the cargo carrier.

"It's not there!" Ayumu asserted.

"Do a diagnostic on the damned thing!" Lufy ordered.

"I did!" Ayumu protested. "It's not there! See!"

Lufy and Catty Ray looked over Ayumu's shoulders. "There're Phentax Eleven and Thirteen, plus the heliopauses surrounding Niko-Phentax and Sanko-Phentax." Catty Ray pointed out details. "Phentax Twelve isn't there."

"Only thing there is an asteroid field . . . " Lufy's voice trailed off as the implications of Ayumu's findings sank in. "Oh, Lyna . . . "

"I'm putting us over this mess," Priss advised as she guided the _Konggh'cha_ into a vertical climb away from the horizontal axis of the Phentax tri-star system. "Ayumu, see if you can pick up any scans of the bioroid factory. Let's try to find that at least."

"Okay."

Ayumu tapped controls. Watching her work, Lufy breathed out in relief, and then she tensed on feeling Catty Ray's android-hard grip squeeze her hand. Staring at her lover of over a decade, since the day the organic Catty had bonded with Noa, Lufy closed her eyes as she leaned over to kiss Catty Ray's forehead. Losing Catty to Sagussa's Elder Mother, two years after Ataru's epic visit to Sagussa, had hurt so much. Hurt her in ways that the woman first born over eight centuries before on the planet Yehisril as Hifpira of Falcros had never experienced in either of her lifetimes. Catty Ray -- built as the companion android replica of Daishi'cha #40435 as part of a system that allowed Sagussa's natives to "date" would-be lovers without risking embarrassment in front of the real person -- had saved Lufy from descending into a dark pit of heartbreak and despair. But given that she was an android, regardless that she had achieved sentience, meant that, unlike many other couples among the Daishi'cha, there was one thing neither Lufy nor Catty Ray could ever enjoy.

Marei'cha.

Bond-mating.

Becoming a couple in all aspects as seen in Sagussan society.

"It's not there anymore."

Lufy jolted, and then she loomed over Ayumu. "Whattayamean, 'it's not there anymore?!'" she bellowed.

Ayumu stared at the _Konggh'cha_'s mistress. "The factory. It's not there anymore. No fragments or anything like it. It's gone."

Silence fell over the pilotage as the others took in those details. "If there aren't any fragments left, the damned thing must've escaped the system unscathed," Priss mused. "Nene told me that the people in charge of Project: Avalon built in a planetary self-destruct system into the factory. Someone must have triggered it and blown the planet before they took it outta here."

Lufy stared at her before she looked out the view ports. "But where?"

* * *

"So will you be coming back to school?"

"I'm not too sure about that, Sensei." Seiko sighed as she and Sakiko enjoyed tea with Sakura in the nurse's office at Tomobiki High School. "Much that I'd personally love to come back here and try to fit in again . . . "

She shrugged. "You're afraid you'll slip and someone might recognize you as Lum," the nurse/priestess finished, a knowing grin crossing her face.

Seiko nodded. "Hai. Besides, Darling doesn't come here anymore. It would . . . " A shrug twitched her shoulders before a sad look crossed her face. "Just wouldn't feel the same, I guess. And I don't think he'd really like me following him to whatever school he might be attending now."

"You never seemed to concern yourself with whatever he was thinking before," Sakura noted, and then she held up an objecting finger. "Save for when he decided to go chase girls or verbally object to you being 'married.'"

The woman who was, in part, Redet Lum nodded. "I know. And that was part of the main problem between Darling and I, Sensei."

Sakiko gave her sister a knowing smile. "If only you really noticed it before you got booted off the planet, ne, Seiko-chan?"

Seiko nodded. "Hai, Sakiko-chan, if only I did. Then again, there is that bond between Darling and that other girl he's with now."

Sakura blinked. "What bond?! What girl's he with?!"

"Some sort of psionic bond, a real strong one, between Darling and a girl named Saotome Ranma, from over in Nerima," Sakiko explained.

The nurse's jaw dropped in shocked disbelief. "Saotome . . . Ranma . . .?! Sakiko, you must be mistaken! Ranma-san's a boy, not a girl!"

The two Nendo-kata shook their heads. "Ranma might have been a boy at birth. She isn't that now, Sensei," Seiko warned.

Sakura took that in, and then she tittered, covering her mouth. Sakiko's eyebrow arched. "What's so funny, Sensei?!"

"I . . .!" Sakura set her cup aside, taking a moment to collect herself. "Oh, that is SO ironic!" She shook her head. "To believe that a woman-crazed man like Moroboshi Ataru would actually be bonded, mind to mind, with another MAN! Especially one like Saotome Ranma! It . . . " She stifled back a laugh. "Oh, the gods MUST have a sense of humour if they actually let something like THAT happen to those two! Indeed . . .!"

She snickered. Seiko tried not to scream out, much less drop a rock, at Sakura for the nurse's continuing dismissal of Ataru as a genuinely good person. Even as Lum, Seiko knew that most people in Tomobiki felt little if any good thoughts when it came to her Darling. Indeed, as Seiko once reflected on it, one of the reasons Lum wanted to get married to Ataru as soon as matters could have been arranged was so she could pull him away from this place, take him somewhere where he wouldn't be sneered at, spat upon or treated like so much garbage. Even if Ataru's behaviour wasn't often the least bit excusable, the fact that his friends, schoolmates and even his own FAMILY . . .

Seiko caught herself, and then she nodded thanks on feeling a hand squeeze from Sakiko. At least the family part had been dealt with. Ataru's parents were gone and he lived with thirteen devoted sisters, people who cared very much for him and his future. And then, there was Ranma. Ranma . . .

"What do you know about her, Sensei?"

"About who?" Sakura asked.

"Ranma-san?"

"Saotome Ranma?" the nurse mused. "Not really that much. All I know of him comes from what the gossips in Nerima say about hi- . . .!" She stopped, and then she moved to correct herself, "Excuse me, 'her.'"

"And that is?" Seiko asked.

* * *

Sometime later, the Izumo sisters stepped out of Tomobiki High, heading to the apartment building they shared with Kitahara Yukimi, her lover and her sister Avalonians. Giving Lum's old homeroom a brief glance, Seiko took a deep breath before she turned away. Sakiko watched her, a light smile on her face. "You can't wish for things to go back to the way they were." She shook her head. "Too much has changed, Seiko-chan. WAY too much!"

"I know!" Seiko nodded, throwing up her arms as they passed through the gate. "But what in the Mother's name could it be, Sakiko-chan?! I can understand the part about Darling wanting to leave Tomobiki! Why would he risk losing or alienating what family he has left if he let people here get close to them?! But . . . " She shook her head. "Why?! Why's he so mad at ME?! I know I did a lot of stupid things when I was with him! I know that! But he said when I left that he actually WANTED a chance to love me!"

"Yeah." Sakiko squeezed Seiko's hand in sympathy. "Well, we'll probably learn that sooner or later, ne? 'Sides, I know for a fact that you're also pretty upset that there's a girl who's sinking her claws into Darling and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Seiko shuddered, and then she deflated. "Hai, that's true . . . eh?!"

She stopped, her eyes glowing as her head canted in the general direction of what had once been home to her. "What?!" Sakiko gazed on her, and then she extended her powers to lock in on what Seiko had just sensed. "Oh, Blessed Mother . . .! It can't be!" she gasped.

"It IS! C'mon!"

Seiko bounded into the sky, using her telekinesis to propel her straight to the old Moroboshi home. Sakiko cried out as her sister flew off. Grunting, she leapt off after her. "Wait for me, Seiko-chan!" she screamed out.

In a New York minute, the Izumo sisters landed on the front lawn of the two-floor edifice Moroboshi Ataru once called home. Gazing at her Darling's old bedroom, Seiko grimaced, and then she ran to the front door. Feeling it locked, she snarled as a telekinetic cutting bolt shattered the lock, and then she raced inside. Sakiko was hot on her sister's heels as Seiko lunged up to the bedroom door. Flinging the door open, she looked inside, and then she stopped, her eyes nearly shooting out of her head on seeing who was within.

"Blessed Mother!" she exclaimed.

Sakiko squeezed past, looking herself before her jaw hit the floor. "I . . .!" She shook her head, a wry grin crossing her face. "Gee, Seiko-chan! I don't recall either your dad or my mother ever mentioning we had twin sisters!"

"Much less Benten and Oyuki . . . " Seiko returned her look. She then tensed on sensing who else had come with the four doppelgängers passed out on the floor by the open closet doors. "No . . .!" Her eyes locked on a miniature cryo-stasis chamber between the ersatz Lum and the ersatz Benten, it containing the body of a young Oni boy. What was left of it, unfortunately. "Oh, Sweet Mother, no!" Seiko sobbed on recognising him. "TEN-CHAN!"

Seiko raced over to kneel beside the glass tube, fighting back a sudden surge of nausea on seeing the scarred, sickly skin of her beloved cousin's face and body. A glance at the chamber's control unit revealed that Ten was in perfect cryo-stasis, his bodily functions frozen solid until such time as he could be freed. Preferably in a well-equipped shock-trauma centre, Seiko grimaced as she turns to her Oni-self's replica.

"Hey, wake up!" She jostled the other woman. "Hey! Wake up!"

A pained groan escaped the ersatz Lum as her eyes fluttered. "Tcha . . . " she muttered in a perfect rendition of Lum's accented voice. "Please . . . " She tried to focus on Seiko. "Help us . . .!" A hand reached over to grasp her shoulder. "Find Darling . . . please . . .!"

The energy drained from her as she passed out. Seiko blinked, and then she stared wide-eyed at Sakiko. The latter shrugged.

_**To be continued . . .**_


	13. 6th Part B: Reality's Headaches

"No . . . this can't be . . . it just CAN'T be . . .!"

Zani shuddered as his eyes scoured the information scrolling on his computer's view screen. The rotund, bespectacled man, looking to be in his twenties though he was actually older, had the ability to tap directly into the computers of every Niphentaxian in and around the Holy City. The observation notes, drafts for amendments to the Book of Lum, copies taken from the diaries of the Holy Apostles and the Holy Company, administrative and logistical information, even medical data -- it was all Zani's for the asking.

As a Guardian, his purpose in Niphentaxian society was vital. Since recorded history began on Phentax Two, the people of his world had been caught in a vicious, endless cycle of Great Awakenings. When some unique social fad witnessed by his countrymen would be made to serve as inspiration to create whole new societies which would stand the test of time until yet ANOTHER unique social fad would steal away the attention of the masses. On one hand, this process kept society dynamic, allowing it to evolve to be the best it could be given the limitations Zani's people were cursed with. On the other hand, being addicted to basing one's whole society on others' risked leaving Zani's people vulnerable to exploitation from all forms of tyrants, both within and without.

And then, there was the Prophecy.

Zani sat back in his chair, his mind rolling through the information observers assigned to monitor the Fifth Holy Apostle had just collected. That the Church of Lum was teetering on the brink of ultimate disaster was a foregone conclusion. Even with the deaths of three billion of the Faithful, the Church theoretically possessed strong support. But that was at this time centred on the colonies, not the Homeworld itself. Yes, there were many of the Faithful on the Homeworld, but from what Zani had learned; those who survived the Cataclysm were of moderate sects. People who looked on Moroboshi Ataru not as the "Great Evil" but as the "Goddess' Beloved Darling."

And if THAT wasn't bad enough, there were the heretics from the older churches. Ostracized from "proper" Niphentaxian society when the Church of Lum became the One True Faith -- and, no doubt, longing for retribution on their tormentors. Add that to the Goddess' death, the disappearance of the Goddess' Holy Cousin, and the murder of four of the Holy Apostles a week before . . .

Now this . . .

THIS!

"It will not be," Zani whispered. "It will not be."

* * *

_**Lonely Souls  
**_By Fred Herriot  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

* * *

**THE SIXTH PART, "B" SIDE - REALITY'S HEADACHES **

"Onee-sama, you've got a pair of visitors!"

Ranma looked up from cleaning one of her Noukiite eunuch's blades, Et'a Yekaechsuch-at', to see Sakuya standing at the doorway to the bedroom. Ataru was fieldstripping and cleaning his preferred distance weapon, a musket from Yehisril called a qu'f-piaqu'r. "Who?!" Ranma asked.

Sakuya gave her a warning look, and then she nodded towards the front door. "Your okonomiyaki-lover, plus her father."

Ranma nodded, and then she exchanged a knowing look with Ataru. "Right."

He nodded, moving to reassemble his musket's breechblock. "Get the girls somewhere out of sight," he told Sakuya.

"Hai." The eldest of the sisters nodded before she walked away.

Ranma stood, running a cloth over Yekaechsuch to clear away the last of the cleaning oil. Straightening her chemise, she headed out, the sharp alien sword in hand. Stepping into the living room, she noticed a pensive-looking Ukyou standing by the front door. Beside her was a barrel-chested, bearded man about the same size as Genma, he dressed like his "son" in an okonomiyaki-ya's gi and trousers, a big battle spatula slung over his back. The look on his face told Ranma plenty. "Ohayou, Kuonji-san." She nodded at Ukyou, and then she gazed dispassionately at her companion. "I assume this must be your father. Forgive me, sir, for not recognizing you at once."

A tremble warped through Kuonji Haruka's body as he sensed the lack of respect coming from Ranma, and then he glared at Ukyou. The younger Kuonji tried not to wilt as she reached into her top to draw out a pile of papers. "What's this about, Ran-chan?" she asked as she showed them.

"I assume you got those from the Court of Special Appeals," Ranma said, staring first at Ukyou, and then at her father.

"We did," Mr. Kuonji snarled. "I'm not sure what sort of pathetic game you're trying to play with my child, boy, but if you think you're going to get away with this, you're wrong!" He aimed a finger at Ranma. "You WILL marry my child! You will marry her and forget all this nonsense about you declaring yourself a girl or trying to separate yourself from your honourless parents!"

She returned his look. "To believe that a decent person like Ukyou was born from a gutless, blind coward like you." Her voice turned frigid, the steel in her eyes promising great pain if the older chef tried something. Ignoring Mr. Kuonji's trembling lip, she continued, "It sure as hell should've sunk into whatever served as your brain the day your family met mine. You really TRUSTED a thieving fool like Genma to honour an engagement between your daughter and me?!" She shook her head. "Well, if you're THAT much of a coward, I pity Ukyou then! It might explain why the hell you forced her into acting as a boy for ten friggin' years, instead of doing the honourable thing and acknowledging that YOU were at fault for trusting Genma at all!"

"HOW DARE YOU . . .?!" he roared.

He lunged at Ranma. Before he could sense Ranma move, Ukyou's father screamed out as Yekaechsuch's sharp tip ripped through his cheek, snapping his head towards Ukyou. His spatula was caught by the sharp end of a naginata, the honed blade slicing through the handle with ease. As the spatula's parts dropped to the floor, the naginata's blunt end caught him in the back of the knees, tripping him onto his backside. Before he could recover, the naginata's edge jabbed his throat as his eyes locked on Ranma, she holding Yekaechsuch's tip at Ukyou's throat. The young chef was staring at her ex-fiancé, a mix of surprise and resignation flashing deep in her eyes. She hadn't tried to reach for her battle spatula or the throwing spats slung across her chest.

"Anegimi-sama, is this uncultured barbarian threatening you?!"

Ranma glanced left to see Haruka standing over Ukyou's father, the determined look on her face speaking volumes to all. "He presumes to dictate terms to me, Haruka-chan, but he's certainly no threat at all. What do you think should be done with him?" she then asked.

"Well, perhaps he should be shown the folly of his ways?"

Ranma gazed on Ukyou's father. "Perhaps."

"Pardon us, but are we interrupting something?"

Haruka smiled on seeing Cologne and Tampopo standing on the front porch. "Oh, Elder Kelun, Kamekichi-san, ohayou gozaimasu!"

Both glanced at the Kuonjis. Cologne gazed on Ukyou. "Your father?"

Ukyou nodded. Her father gazed on the newcomers, and then his eyes focused on the elder. "You're the great-grandmother of that Chinese tramp who . . .!" His voice melted into a shocked gasp as Haruka's naginata jabbed anew into his throat, this time drawing a trickle of blood.

"Well, you were certainly right about one thing, Haruka-chan." Ranma ruefully shook her head, gently lowering Yekaechsuch from Ukyou's throat. The younger chef was quick to realize, though, that the blade could be snapped back up in the flash of an eye should she try something foolish. "An uncultured barbarian, indeed! Doesn't for an instant recognize how much has been done for him and his family!" she then spat out.

Cologne sneered. "Pity."

Tampopo shook her head. "Some people are so bull-headed."

"Got that right." Ranma turned to Ukyou. "You've been given every chance to walk away from this. Your dowry has been returned. The bill I accumulated for past services has been repaid. The man who ultimately caused you pain is dead. His crime against your family is now known. And with my legally becoming a girl as ordained by the GOVERNMENT, a relationship between us would have no legal standing." She took a step toward the chef. "Far as I can see, you've got no reasons to complain anymore, Kuonji-san . . . " Her eyes turned to Kuonji Haruka, a sneer twisting Ranma's lips. "Save for the fact this slime you call a father doesn't seem to give a damn about the crap you've lived through since the day years ago when we were forced apart." She turned back to Ukyou. "So what's it going to be, Ukyou? Friend or fiancée?"

Slipping Yekaechsuch into her left hand, she extended her right. Ukyou shuddered, her eyes glancing at her father. She then reached out. Grasping Ranma's hand, Ukyou pulled the latter toward her. As soon as they were within easy reach of the other, Ukyou took Ranma's hand and allowed it to slip into her tunic. Ranma's eyes widened as her fingers brushed past a hard point somewhere close to Ukyou's heart. They remained frozen for a moment, and then Ukyou allowed Ranma to draw her hand away. The redhead took a step back, staring at her hand, and then she glazed at Ukyou.

"That's because of you, Ran-chan," Ukyou admitted, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I can't shut what I feel off. None of us can! Not Akane, not Shampoo, not Kodachi . . . " She sniffed. "Not me. I love you, Ran-chan. I really do. Please, why is it so wrong for me to feel that way? All right, you're a girl! I'm legally a guy! I've lived this way for a decade! I can live that way for the rest of my life! We can still get married, Ran-chan! I'll love you no matter which way you are! You know that, don't you?!"

Ranma stared at Ukyou, and then she closed her eyes before lowering the hand that had just felt the latter's breast. She then looked at Ukyou's father before turning back to the younger chef. "What I don't know is this." A light smile crossed her face. "Was that really you talking to me . . .?" Her smile dropped as she glared balefully at Mr. Kuonji. "Or is it you ultimately parroting whatever he says?!" She thumbed him contemptuously.

Ukyou blinked, glancing at her father. Then, on feeling Ranma gazing on her, she winced. She didn't return her look. "Gomen . . . "

"She appears trapped, does she not, Ane-kun?"

Ranma turned to see Chikage and Sakuya standing by the hallway leading to the kitchen. Glancing at Mr. Kuonji, Ranma frowned. "Hai, Chikage-chan. That she does. Hibaa-chan, paralyse this dork!" Before the older chef could react, a strike at a shiatsu point by Cologne's cane cut off controls between his brain and his body. Ranma nodded, a mirthless smile crossing her face. "I don't want Haruka-chan's blade sullied by his coward's blood!"

Haruka drew back, she moving to stand beside her sisters. Ranma then walked over to stand beside Ukyou. Sakuya called out, "Onii-sama! Could you come in here, please?!" Winking at Ranma, she then added, "And bring your friend with you! Your BIG friend!"

"Hai, just a sec'!" Ataru called back.

Footsteps soon heralded Ataru's entrance into the sitting room. Lying at rest on his shoulder was his qu'f-piaqu'r. In his free hand were several shotgun-like shells, ammunition for the alien-built weapon. Seeing _that_, Mr. Kuonji paled. Ukyou's eyes went wide, and then she jolted on feeling Ranma's hand grasp hers. Ataru placed himself between his sisters and the frozen okonomiyaki chef, and then he turned to Sakuya. "So what's all this about?"

"A pretty complex problem, Onii-sama." Sakuya walked up to stand beside him, gazing balefully at Ukyou's father. "You see, poor Ukyou-san there just got the notice from the Court of Special Appeals about what's happened to Onee-sama, but her father here . . . " She waved contemptuously to Mr. Kuonji. "Doesn't seem to want to accept what's happened."

"Has he now?" Ataru then turned to Ranma. "So he came here to try to force you into marrying his daughter, right?"

Ranma let go of Ukyou's hand, walking over to join Ataru. "Hai, Anata, though right now, I think U-chan here's still legally a boy."

"'ANATA?!'"

Ranma turned to Ukyou as she slipped an arm around Ataru. She didn't react as he loaded his musket. "Yes, 'Anata.' Ataru is my boyfriend, soon to be my fiancé. A fiancé **I** chose." The smile slipped from her face as a growl entered her voice. "Not Saotome Genma. Not Saotome Nodoka. Not Tendou Souun. And certainly not Kuonji Haruka. From this day on, I AND I ALONE will choose my future, Ukyou! No one else but me!"

"THEN KILL HIM!"

Ukyou gasped, spinning on her father. Cologne moved to jab the fool's throat silent. A stern wave of Tampopo's hand held the Nujiézú elder back. Ranma quickly shifted herself to block any advance towards Ataru from Ukyou. Sakuya and Haruka tensed. Chikage was as stony as ever. Ataru remained calm, though his thumb slowly pulled the qu'f-piaqu'r's hammer to the "ready" position; the musket was loaded for bear.

"D-dad . . .?!" Ukyou sputtered, glancing at Ataru before turning back to her father, and then she turned to Ranma. "Ran-chan . . . "

"Kill him!" Haruka snapped. "And if this _girl_ . . . " -- he sneered at Ranma -- " . . . refuses to acknowledge what honour demands of _her_, kill her, too! She's hurt you enough, Ukyou! Make her marry you or kill her!"

Silence fell. Ukyou was frozen in place, glancing at her father, and then at Ranma, then at Ataru, to her father, and then to nowhere in particular. "I . . .!" Ukyou's voice froze before she looked at Ranma. "Ran-chan . . . "

"Walk out of the trap, U-chan." Ranma raised Yekaechsuch to rest on her shoulder. "I did it. Ataru did it, too. So can you."

Mr. Kuonji glared at his child. "Ukyou, if you do not do what I say, then you are no longer my child!" he snarled.

"Oh, my! That sounds like child abandonment, doesn't it?"

Eyes locked on Haruka. "Yes, Haruka-chan, it does." Sakuya sagely nodded. "Don't you agree, Chikage-chan? Elder? Tampopo-san?"

Chikage and Tampopo nodded. "That it does." Cologne glanced at Ataru. "Tell me, Ataru: What is the Zephyrite punishment for child abandonment?"

Ataru sighed, raising the qu'f-piaqu'r to his shoulder as he lowered the muzzle at the heart of Ukyou's father. "Death."

"NO!"

Ukyou moved to stand in the path of the musket. Ranma jabbed a point on her back to lock her legs in place, and then she yanked Ukyou back from falling on her face. Seeing that, her father paled as the realization dawned on him that THIS time, he wasn't going to get his way -- and that he might pay for his determination to avenge Genma's crime with HIS life! "I suggest you strongly reconsider your position, Kuonji-san," Tampopo warned. "If you take a good look into Ataru-chan's eyes, you'll notice they're marksmen's eyes. The eyes of a man who has killed many times in the last while. Do you really believe you'll be able to avoid being disintegrated if he decides to kill you?"

He gagged. "Ataru-kun, please, DON'T!" Ukyou pleaded, and then she glanced at Ranma. "Ran-chan, make him stop! Please!"

"Not until he answers one question." Ataru held up a finger. "Why?"

"Wh-why . . .?" the older chef sputtered.

"Why force your daughter through TEN YEARS of being what she's not, all to make up for YOUR mistake?!" Ataru snarled before he gazed at Tampopo. "Tampopo-chan, correct me if I'm wrong, but when a dowry is offered up in a marriage pact, it's to the bridegroom's FATHER that the dowry is handed to before the wedding takes place. Only when they actually go through the marriage ceremony does the dowry fall under the groom's control."

Tampopo nodded. "Yes, that's right."

Ataru's eyebrow arched. "So if Genma disposed of the dowry without any intent of giving same to his child, much less not bothering to TELL his child about the engagement, doesn't that mean the engagement has no legal standing?"

"Yes, people could agree to that."

"I do not!" Ukyou's father snarled. "Ranma recovered the dowry!"

"And returned it, after it was repaired and refurbished AT RANMA-CHAN'S EXPENSE, to its rightful owner." Tampopo indicated Ukyou.

"Besides, the person that dowry was meant for no longer exists," Ranma added. "I am NO LONGER Saotome Genma or Saotome Nodoka's son. And if you refuse to acknowledge that, well . . . " She shrugged. "You're in contempt of court, buster. The highest family court in the land. And nothing will save you from that court's reach if you keep this up, Kuonji-san."

Mr. Kuonji moved to retort. He then fearfully gagged on seeing Ataru take a step towards him, the muzzle of the qu'f-piaqu'r looming large in his field of vision. Ranma turned to Ukyou. "Let it go, U-chan!" She pressed the shiatsu point to unlock her legs, and then she walked around to gaze into Ukyou's eyes. "Why?! Why are you letting this gutless bastard get away with putting you through this shit, U-chan?! Why?!"

Ukyou stared pleadingly at Ranma. "Ran-chan, please . . . "

"WHY, U-chan?!"

"He . . .!" Her eyes fell on her father, and then she shook her head. "He'll take it all away from me . . .! I couldn't . . .! I can't . . .!"

"Fine." Ataru grimaced, bracing his body as his finger curled around the trigger. "He won't live long enough to do anything to you."

Cologne and Tampopo cleared the field of fire. "NO!" Ukyou screamed, and then she gasped as Ataru swung the musket to lock on her.

"What's it gonna be?!" Ranma appeared behind Mr. Kuonji, swinging Yekaechsuch to allow the blade to rest on his throat. "Are you going to renounce this whole farce AND accept your daughter back AS your daughter . . .? Or do I have my lover kill her?!" she then hissed.

His eyes went wide as the blade pressed into his throat. "Ran-chan, no . . .!" Ukyou shifted to force Ranma away, and then she screamed as a metre-long lightsabre-like bayonet erupted from a projector under the muzzle. Shuddering as the blade's heat scalded her, she turned to Ataru. Haruka had moved to her brother's side, holding up her naginata to block her escape. "Please . . .!"

Haruka looked apologetic. "We're very sorry, Ukyou-san. But none of us will stand idly by and allow Anegimi-sama's life to be continually disrupted like it's been since she first came to Nerima. Besides . . . " She spared her brother a glance. "We've known from the start that Anegimi-sama's destiny is to marry Anigimi-sama. No one will be allowed to interfere in that, not from here in Nerima, nor from Tomobiki, nor from elsewhere."

Ukyou shuddered, gazing at Ataru. He remained still for a moment, and then he asked, "Remember what I told you in the park?"

She nodded. "You said your family could help me." She sniffed. "Because in your eyes, what happened to me was child abuse."

He nodded. "Yes."

Ukyou looked away. Ataru shut off his weapon's electro-bayonet, he drawing back. Haruka lowered her naginata. The chef stared curiously at them, and then she turned to her father. A glance at Ranma, and then she took a deep breath. "Father, Saotome Genma and Saotome Ranma are dead." She slipped off her battle spatula, letting it rest on the floor. "You have what you wanted."

"No, I do not!" the older chef snapped. "Ranma's right here!" His eyes fell on the redhead holding the sword at his throat.

"No." Ukyou shook her head. "On Sunday night, when he was cornered by the authorities, Genma stated he neither had son or daughter."

"That does NOT matter!" Mr. Kuonji thundered. "You will do as you're told or you will no longer be my child! Do you understand me?! You will never be allowed to practice the Art again! Never! NEVER!"

"Fine, then. If Ukyou-chan agrees, she'll be MY apprentice."

Ukyou stared wide-eyed at the person who spoke up for her. Mr. Kuonji's eyes spun around to stare at Tampopo. "You have no right!"

"Correction, boy!" The other chef sneered at him. "I've every right in the world to take anyone on as my apprentice! And since you did such a nice job training her, I won't have to do much work to expand her knowledge and let her evolve into what she CAN be." Her face melted into an emotionless mask. "And do be assured of this, Kuonji: You will get no victory from this day! Do you HONESTLY believe that we're not going to let you go before we make DAMN sure you can't do a THING to hurt Ukyou?!"

"The courts could charge you with child abandonment and child abuse," Ranma added. "Everything you decide concerning U-chan would be ignored. Her family name? She can keep it. Her career? Same thing. And as for you?" She snorted. "Your life'd be dragged into the gutter. If you tried to attack U-chan or Tampopo-chan, YOU'D be the one who'd suffer! After they pound you into the dirt, the courts'd throw you into jail and your whole life'd be screwed!" Shaking her head, she stood, moving away from him, though she kept Yekaechsuch aimed in his direction as she moved to stand beside Ataru. "So what's it going to be? Are you going to wise up finally and accept what's happened? Or are you going to be as much a blind fool as Genma and Souun were?"

Mr. Kuonji glared hotly at her, and then he turned to Ukyou. "Do what I told you, Ukyou," he ordered.

Ukyou remained in place, squeezing her eyes shut. "DO IT!" he bellowed.

Silence.

"Tampopo-sensei?"

Tampopo perked. "What is it, Ukyou-chan?"

"If you and the Elder don't mind, drag that jackass' carcass out of this house." Ukyou stared at the man at her new teacher's feet. He was staring in stunned shock at her. "I don't think Ataru-kun's sisters would appreciate me spreading blood all over their floor."

Tampopo nodded. "Alright, then."

Before Mr. Kuonji could respond, a finger tapped his throat. "You have no right to speak to anyone in this house anymore," Cologne icily intoned.

He moaned, though his eyes still flashed defiance. "One more thing!" Haruka clapped her hands three times. "Jinseiko-san!"

A flash revealed the leader of the Kuromoroboshi kneeling beside the raven-haired woman's feet. "You summoned me, Young Mistress?"

"Please have your girls remove this uncouth barbarian from our land when Ukyou-san finishes pummelling him for his stupidity." Haruka indicated Ukyou's father with a finger. "Preferably in a place far from Tokyo. Also ensure that he remains paralysed for the remainder of the day. I'm sure by this evening, our honoured friends in the Court of Special Appeals will have removed his parental rights concerning his child."

Jinseiko bowed. "Of course, Young Mistress."

Mr. Kuonji moaned.

* * *

"Is that Nihon?"

"Yes, Venerable One. Those four large islands forming that crescent-shaped archipelago on the eastern side of the largest continent." The captain of the Noukiite ship pointed as he guided his barque-like craft into orbit over the Pacific. Once, no more than a month ago as Terrans told time, no Noukiite ship would have been allowed to remain for any time in this particular system. If the stupid dog people from Uru didn't send one of their battlewagons to chase the intruders out of "their" territory, the fools from Triton might get upset and try to deluge the poor traveller with a mountain of snow.

As to what the Zephyrites might have done, well . . .!

That sort of nonsense wouldn't happen again, the captain grinned. With Uru's leadership all radioactive dust over what remained of Onishuto, the Oni fleet either turned to scrap or caught in the throes of mass mutiny and the colony planets cut off from each other, the dog people's dominance over this particular sector of space had been eliminated once and for all time. Without their traditional protectors, the Tritonians would have to think hard and fast before trying to stand up on their own. Yes, those ice lovers had considerable advantages. But in the end, they were only one moon orbiting a planet rendered lifeless thanks to the hordes of the Seifukusu. The Dominion of Noukiios, born of a culture five millennia old, one that weathered Urusian occupation and centuries of economic blockade relatively unscathed, was no pushover.

Dismissing that, the captain gazed on his passengers. "We'll be at the drop point in a few minutes, Venerable Ones. Your father's ship will be placed in orbit within the magnetic well over the planet's north pole."

One of them gazed appreciatively at the older man. "Thank you."

* * *

"I'd think Nassur would be better than this, Seiko-chan."

A muscle over Seiko's eye twitched, and then she sighed as she tapped the point to calm herself. Despite the chasm of mistrust and hatred that had existed between Nassur and Aruka Ran for the past several years, Sakiko had just made a valid point. There was just NO way that Nassur would risk the lives of four sentient beings -- even if they were meticulously constructed clone-bioroids -- as living targets to ensure Lum, Ran, Benten and Oyuki would not be drawn into the multitude of vendettas focused on the expat Vosian.

Unless . . .

She gazed on the replica of Lum. "They're Avalonians, right?"

"All four of them." Sakiko gazed on the replica of her past self. The bioroids were dressed in the usual swimsuits their templates preferred. Oyuki's replica even wore a kimono over her silver one-piece. A thoughtful hum escaped Sakiko. "Seiko-chan, could it be possible that Nassur couldn't sense their brainwaves?" She gazed at Seiko. "If our hosts are any example, Avalonians possess abnormally strong mental shields. Maybe strong enough to mask themselves from a Vosian's powers, just like Yehisrites can do."

Seiko considered that suggestion, and then she nodded. "Possible. And if Nassur-chan trained these four to as high a standard as he could, they could've easily avoided any serious injury if they were out in the field."

"True. I guess we'll have to ask him the first chance we get." Sakiko grunted as her eyes fell on the cryo-stasis chamber the Avalonians had brought with them to Earth. "What about Ten-chan?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Seiko shuddered as she gazed on the body inside the stasis unit. "Not much left of him." She shifted herself over to run a hand along the glass. "All I can sense from him now was that he met these four close to Toshitto a week or so ago. Then some Ip'ihu ship ambushed them. They were able to use the Central Warp Chamber to shift to their home base on Io. After that . . . " She shrugged. "I guess their first priority was keeping Ten-chan alive. Then they tried to come here to find Darling and get his help. But . . . "

She gazed on the closet. Sakiko walked over to the doorway. Scanning the doorframes, she then scowled. "I guess when they cleared this place out, Darling's family and friends were more thorough that we would have expected of them. I don't see any of the target relay markers Oyuki-chan would use to allow the Warp Chamber to focus in on this beam-in point."

"Not that I'd expect that Darling'd ever allow Oyuki-chan to do something like that again." Seiko then grinned, remembering the time B-Boy, the abominable snowman-like alien who served as Oyuki's personal bodyguard, had come through the Chamber to Earth in pursuit of Ataru after he tried to seduce the Tritonian crown princess the day they met. "Something tells me that if something like that ever happened again, especially if it was anywhere close to Darling's sisters, B-Boy'd be sent back to Triton in pieces."

"I wouldn't blame him at all." Sakiko smirked, having sensed what Seiko just reminisced about. "Sometimes, Seiko-chan, I think Oyuki-chan needs a little humiliation just to remind her that she's not perfect."

She gave her a wink. "She's not THAT bad, Saki-chan!" Seiko scolded, and then she jolted on hearing a _thrum!_ through the windows. "What the . . .?"

Both walked to the window, looking up to see a starship shaped like a schooner, its prow topped by a snarling dragon's head, coming to a stop over Tomobiki High. "That's a Noukiite scoutship!" Sakiko gasped as her eyes widened before they glowed. "Beaming in someone . . . "

"Two young girls . . . " Seiko's own eyes glowed as she focused her telepathic powers on the two newcomers standing by the front gate of Tomobiki High. "Who . . .?" she wondered before a shocked gasp escaped her. "Mother!"

Sakiko spun on her. "What?!"

Seiko's eyes reverted to normal as she faced her sister. "They're . . . " She stopped before sputtering, "Darling's daughters?!"

Sakiko gaped at her.

* * *

"AND THAT'S FOR PUTTING ME THROUGH ALL THAT CRAP, YOU JACKASS!"

Hinako winced as she heard Ukyou's battle spatula slam HARD into the side of Kuonji Haruka's skull. Sitting on the roof of the old shrine, the Staff of Gihan in her lap, the youngest of Ataru's sisters gazed absently on the surrounding cityscape. Seeing how angry the okonomiyaki chef had become when her baka-baka father refused to budge from his desire to see his child marry Ranma-oneetama, Hinako couldn't blame her for wanting to beat him up. While Hinako had no problems when it came to her parents -- except for them living on the mainland and forcing her to live at Welcome House -- she knew classmates at Stargazer West whose parents were on the road to breaking up.

_Stupid adults! Hina's glad she's still a kid!_ the young girl ruefully mused as she focused in the direction of Tomobiki.

Her eyes then went wide on seeing something dive from outer space to halt over a point close to the centre of town. "A spaceship?" Hinako stood, holding the Staff close to her as she tried to make out details. It wasn't a big ship, not like the giant ship Miree and her family had come from last night. Even more, it was shaped like a sailing boat from Earth.

What sort of ship was that, anyway?

"What the . . .?"

"Ah!" Hinako turned. "Onii-tama!"

Ataru stood beside her. "A Noukiite ship?" he whispered, placing a reassuring hand on Hinako's shoulder. "What's it doing here . . .?"

Hinako pointed. "They're the people Onii-tama helped, right?"

"Hai, Hinako-chan, the same . . . " He nodded, sighing. "Wait here. I'm going to get some stuff. We'll go see what's going on right away."

He raced to his bedroom. Hinako watched him go, shuddering delightedly as she held the Staff against her chest. _Waaaaaaai! Onii-tama wants Hina to help Onii-tama with the aliens!_ she gushed, her eyes sparkling as she focused anew on the visiting Noukiite ship now hovering over Tomobiki.

Boy, she was really, really, REALLY happy that she got Bou-san!

* * *

"Tell me something." Jay stared at the ship from the offices of the Special Committee located atop one of the three towers in the centre of Tomobiki, right next to the Toranoseishin Finances Tower. "Are there days you wished you never got out of bed?" He waved at the ship in question.

Kay closed his briefcase, and then he slipped his sidearm into its holster. "All the time, kid. Let's go see what they want."

"What about those other aliens Ataru warned us about?"

"Feh, if they're being discrete, they can wait. It's things like THIS . . . " He nodded to the ship. "That can start wars. Let's go."

"Right."

Jay followed him out of the room.

* * *

"Ne, Shinobu-chan. Is this NORMAL around these parts?"

A sigh escaped Shinobu's lips as she stared on the two diminutive people standing by the front gate. Jolting on feeling Sawada Minako's hand squeeze her shoulder, Ataru's ex-girlfriend glanced at her new friend. "Yeah, this is pretty normal, Minako-chan," she then replied.

"So who the heck are those kids, anyway?" Yoshino Tomomi asked.

"What makes you think they're kids, Tomomi-san?" Marubeya Momoe asked, standing behind the transplanted Hokkaido native. "They could be very short people like Cherry or that crazy underwear-thief from Nerima."

"They seem like kids to me," Tomomi admitted, not wanting to clue her classmate in on her various psionic powers. Sakura had warned Tomomi and her friends yesterday that being a little TOO open about their ancestry could lead to a whole host of problems. "Girls, I think."

"Hey, they're taking their hoods off!" a boy standing by another window called out. "Geez! They're Klingons!"

"Kling- . . .?!" Shinobu blinked, and then she looked. Sure enough, both of them had very prominent bony forehead ridges, though those seemed to disappear under sky-blue hair. "Somewhat like them, ne, Minako-chan?"

Minako smirked. "Yeah! And they're both so kawaii, too!"

Another boy pointed closer to the school. "There goes Onsen-sensei!"

Everyone watched as the vice-principal stormed out of the building. "C'mon!" Shinobu waved Minako and Ryuunosuke with her.

Minako nodded. "Right!"

She and the tomboy followed Shinobu out of the room. They were in turn followed by Tomomi, Momoe, Ikusawa Kyooko and Gekasawa Kumiko. In a minute, most of the rest of the class had streamed out, their curiosity about the newcomers getting the better of them. A minute after, Hanawa Mitsu stepped in. "Good morning, class!" He stopped. "Ara?! Where did everyone go?!"

* * *

"So this is Tomobiki, eh?!" Kaneko looked around. "Quiet place."

"Wasn't so quiet when Papa was living here," Reiko warned as she took her own look around. "What would the name translate to in Nouki-e?"

"'A-ich,' I think." Kaneko then turned as a stocky man welding a light bamboo sword stormed towards the twins. "Uh-oh!"

"Alright, you two!" Onsen thundered as he stopped before them, his shinai ready for action. "What makes you aliens think you can just beam down and disrupt school with your ship flying overheard?! Where's . . .?"

He stopped, looking up in shocked surprise. The Noukiite craft was soaring away from Tomobiki, gaining altitude as it commenced its trip home. Onsen blinked, blinked again, and then he turned to the newcomers, pointing at the disappearing starship. "Where are they going?"

"Back to our home planet," Reiko replied as they shrugged nonchalantly. "They gave us a lift here so we can live with Papa and Mama."

Onsen jolted. "'Papa?!' 'Mama?!' Who are they?!"

"Moroboshi Ataru and Saotome Ranma!" Kaneko replied.

He sighed. "Moroboshi and Saotome, eh . . .?" It hit him. "WHAT?!" he yelled loud enough to cause a quake. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

"By the looks of it, Onsen-sensei, Ataru-kun adopted them."

Onsen spun around to see Ataru's old classmates (plus extras) standing behind him. Minako had been the one who had spoken up. "What?!" He spun again to stare on Reiko and Kaneko. "Hey, wait a minute! Since when can Moroboshi adopt either of you?!" he then demanded.

Kaneko smiled. "Because Papa helped us defeat the dog people!"

Shinobu perked. "Ataru-kun was in a fight?! When was this?!"

"Probably a couple of weeks ago, after Onishuto got nuked!"

Reiko and Kaneko turned around, smiling. "Ah!" the former then hailed with a wave of her hand. "You must be from your world government!"

She pointed as Jay and Kay approached. "The very same, young lady! And welcome to Earth," the elder of the SCAA agents replied, he and Jay nodding. "So what brings a pair of nice girls like you two here to our little planet?"

"Because Papa and Mama live here, sir," Kaneko replied.

"And Ataru is your father?" Jay asked, drawing out a very complex scanner. "I hope you got some documentation to prove that."

They reached into their tunics and drew out data chips. Jay loaded them into his machine. Kay glanced over his partner's shoulder as the readout came up. Their eyes widened before they exchanged a look. "Nice guy!" Jay stated as he drew the chips out to return them to Reiko and Kaneko. "So when was he going to tell US about this?!" he asked his partner.

"Probably when he expected them to come here, which certainly wasn't today," Kay admitted, turning to the twins. "In the meantime, girls, welcome to Earth. We'll be happy to help you both settle in once you get back together with your father. I assume that since you're here, the war between your people and the Urusians has come to an end."

"They found Heaven's Gate Bridge twelve of your hours ago. It was located in the mountains north of Onishuto," Kaneko reported. "The cease-fire was declared four hours later. Once that happened, Onee-chan and I were free to come here to be with Papa and Mama."

"Well, let's hope this doesn't lead to a mass of Urusian refugees coming this way," the older SCAA agent mused.

Reiko shook her head. "Won't happen. No Urusian'll be allowed to come anywhere close to Earth for the next century. There're part of the terms we're going to force on them if they want peace . . . "

"_**SAY WHAT?!**_"

The twins and the SCAA agents ducked as a massive aura of heat washed over them from the direction of the school. Spinning around, Reiko and Kaneko tensed on seeing a sea of outraged looks emanating from every teenage boy standing on the walkway. "No Urusian permitted to come to Earth for a CENTURY?!" Koi Shinjin -- who, in the wake of Megane's death, had become the effective de-facto leader of Lum's widespread fan club -- pointed accusingly at the Noukiites. "_**WE WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!**_" he screamed out.

"_**REVENGE FOR LUM-CHAN!**_" the other boys bellowed.

Onsen howled as the boys trampled him down, they reaching out for the young alien girls who had just crowed over the Urusians' defeat. Before they could get within grasping range, Reiko and Kaneko bounded into the air, their eyes glowing as they used their telekinetic powers to keep their bodies well out of the boys' reach. Kay and Jay scattered, their Lawgivers clearing their holsters, as the boys wound up in a dog pile of idiocy where Reiko and Kaneko had just stood. As their bellowed outcry became a chorus of grunts, curses and pained yelps, the ominous _click-clack!_ of an alien particle musket's breech being locked into place turned everyone's attention to the gate.

"And what are you clowns doing attacking my daughters?!"

The girls paled on seeing Ataru, he dressed in a brown gi-like jumpsuit, a woodland camouflage cape draped over his shoulder. In his hand was his qu'f-piaqu'r, the barrel pointed up. Seeing him, Reiko and Kaneko gushed, "PAPA!"

The twins flew into his embrace, Kaneko ensuring she didn't accidentally knock her father's musket out of his hand. Ataru blinked, and then, clicking the safety on his weapon, he allowed the alien rifle to rest on the ground so he could return his daughters' hugs. Standing behind him, a confused Hinako stared at this Kodak moment, unsure of WHAT to say at this time.

"Onii-tama . . . " she whispered.

The twins looked, and then they squealed, "Auntie Hinako!"

Before she could react, twin typhoons of alien love knocked her over. "HEY!" Hinako screamed as she tried to get free from their embrace. "HELP! ONII-TAMA! HINA NEEDS TO BREATHE! WHO ARE THESE GIRLS, ONII-TAMA?!"

An explosion echoed from inside school grounds. "'ONII-TAMA?!'"

Ataru noticed that ALL of his former and would-be classmates, even the three half-Avalonians and the other Avalonian-like girl he could sense in the school, were staring at him. Taking a deep breath, he gazed on Kay and Jay. "Tell me something. Have either of you ever had days like this?" He indicated the members of the family with him, and then the people staring at him.

"Many times," Kay admitted, he indicating Reiko and Kaneko. "But taking these girls in was a pretty nice thing to do, Ataru."

"They saved my sanity after I watched three billion people get turned into air pollution, Kay-san. What do you think I should've done?"

Both SCAA men tensed, exchanged a look, and then they turned back to Ataru. "You mean what went down on Phentax Two a few weeks ago? You were there?" Jay asked. Seeing Ataru nod, the younger agent breathed out, "Right."

"Onii-tama . . .?"

Ataru spun around as Hinako walked up. Reiko and Kaneko stood to either side of their aunt, the former holding the Staff of Gihan. "Onii-tama, are these girls . . .?!" Hinako waved to the twins. "REALLY your daughters?!"

"Hai, Hinako-chan, they are," Ataru admitted as he scratched the back of his head. "My _adopted_ daughters! Sorry about that! I was waiting for a good time to tell you! I didn't expect them to come here today, though . . . "

Hinako blinked. "Onii-tama has daughters . . .?" She looked nowhere in particular. "Onii-tama has daughters . . .!" she whispered again, and then she screamed out, waving her hands, "_**HINA'S TOO YOUNG TO BE AN AUNT!**_"

Ataru, Reiko and Kaneko fell flat on their faces. Jay tried not to topple over laughing. Kay, at least, was able to keep his composure. The students staring at them were unsure as to what to say, though Ataru was quick to sense that some of the boys were about to call out questions that would, in the LEAST, be grossly offensive to his sister and daughters. "C'mon, Hinako-chan." He got back to his feet, and then he helped his daughters up. "Let's find a nice ice cream parlour so we can have some fruit parfait!"

Hinako gushed, "Wai! Fruit parfait! Fruit parfait! Fruit parfait!"

She jogged off after her brother and his daughters. Kay and Jay moved to follow. Both then stopped, their bodies tensing on hearing the shuffle of many feet moving towards them, and then they turned to see the members of Shinobu's class ready to race off in pursuit. "Glasses!" Kay barked.

Both SCAA agents slipped on their Ray-bans, hands snapping to their tunics to draw out devices similar to hand-held mini-flashlights doctors would use to examine one's ears and throat. Before the hapless Tomobiki students could take another three steps, twin bursts of high-intensity light froze them in place. Seeing their neuralizers had done their job, Kay and Jay slipped off their glasses. "Okay, back to class and don't EVER bother Ataru about his sisters or his daughters again! Alright?!" Jay stated.

No response. Kay waved his partner with him. "Let's go."

"Right."

They headed off. The students remained frozen. Onsen was still flat on his back. In the back of the crowd, Minako -- she had not been affected by the neuralizers -- turned to Tomomi and Kyooko. "So why doesn't Ataru-kun want to talk about his family to everyone here?" the rose-haired Avalonian asked.

"Probably because he's tired of being blamed for everything under the sun by these jerks!" Kyooko snorted disgustedly. "I sensed a couple of these boys were ready to call those girls Ataru-kun's love children!"

"Jeez! I guess the intelligence level in this place IS shorter than my shoe size," Tomomi said. "In AMERICAN measurements! Let's go back to class!"

"Hai!" the others chimed as they followed their friend back, leaving their classmates frozen in place by the front gate.

"What happened to them?" a voice called from their homeroom.

Minako, Tomomi and Kyooko looked up. Gazing at them from the window was a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl distantly resembling Tomoe Hotaru from _Sailor Moon_. "They just got zapped for being idiots, Mie-san," Minako replied.

Seikou Mie snorted. "Doesn't surprise me."

* * *

"Slight headache, Nabiki-chan?"

Nabiki nodded as Miree drew her fingers away from her face. Both were relaxing in Nabiki's bedroom, sitting on the bed so the Niphentaxian high priestess could teach the younger girl the finer points of mind-shielding. "Well, it was either this or keep sharing my body with my brother." Nabiki pinched her nose. "Was it this hard for you when you got your new body?"

"No. The information needed for me to make use of my powers was automatically downloaded into it." Miree chuckled. "The next time we ask Hinako-chan to use Bou-san in creating new Avalonians, we ensure they can adjust immediately to their new abilities."

"Sounds like a plan," Nabiki agreed before she tensed on sensing a wave of -- well, _something_ -- come her way from the general direction of the kitchen. "What the heck . . .?" She peered in that direction. "Who . . .?"

Miree smiled. "Oh, that feels like Chieko-san."

"Chieko?!" Nabiki perked, and then she breathed out, "Geez, what's that girl doing here?! She knows if I'm absent from school . . . "

"I think it's because she's worried about you." The priestess gave the younger woman a knowing look, and then she blinked. "Oh . . .!"

Nabiki blinked as she sensed someone come into the front yard. "Who is that, anyway . . .?" she wondered.

Miree looked outside. "It's Rinrin-chan! And Yotsuba-chan's back, too! Looks like she did quite a bit of shopping!"

Nabiki stood beside her. "Boy, she did," she confirmed. "I guess she really does have it in for Shinshi, ne?"

Both women laughed.

* * *

"So you want me to get the construction boys to build an extension to your room so you and Shinshi-kun can live together, right?!"

Yotsuba nodded as Rinrin opened up her laptop computer. "Checky!"

"Okay, let's see what we can do."

The inventor tapped controls to call up her data files on the rotunda at Welcome House. As Rinrin played with her machine, Yotsuba picked up the clothing to drag them to the master bedroom. Fujii Chieko remained in the kitchen with Kasumi, preparing lunch. Akane had gone back to her bedroom to sleep; with the revelations about Ranma tacked onto the sea of problems her father instigated with Nabiki and Shinshi, she definitely needed a chance to relax and organize her thoughts. Shinshi was asleep. He was using Souun's old room as his own. Miree had dealt with him before dealing with Nabiki.

As a diagram of the rotunda's third floor appeared on the computer's screen, the kitchen door opened. "Rinrin-san!" Kasumi hailed with a smile as she walked in with a tea tray. "Did your sister come back?"

"She's carrying the things into your brother's room," Rinrin reported as she traced a finger over the computer screen. "Okay . . . "

Her hands flew over the keyboard. "What are you doing?" Kasumi asked.

"Yotsuba-chan asked me to put in an extension to her room so she and Shinshi-kun can live together," Rinrin reported matter-of-factly. "Since we're putting in an extension on the first floor for Aniki and Aneki, we can get the construction crews to do this as well."

Kasumi's eyebrow arched in surprise. "Rinrin-san, do Yotsuba-san's parents know about this?" She gazed concernedly on the teen inventor. "At least her mother should be told. I mean, to start a relationship . . . "

"Our parents don't really care about us anymore, Kasumi-san."

Silence fell as Rinrin's fingers continued to dance over the keyboard. "Take me for example." She pointed to herself, and then she nodded as Kasumi poured her a cup. "My mom and step-dad left me at Welcome House two years ago so they could work at a big science lab in Osaka. Never told me why." She sniffed. "Dad gets killed last year in an accident. Mom . . . " She stopped, shrugging. "She hasn't come back. Hasn't wrote to me, called me or done anything of the sort. Last time I saw her was at Dad's funeral. I only found out whom my real dad was when Aneki came to the Island and told me about Aniki. By then, all of us had pretty much settled into the House, became friends and . . . " A smile crossed her face. "Then we learned we were family! It . . . "

"Rinrin-chan . . . " Kasumi gazed sympathetically at her, and then she reached over to draw the teen inventor into a comforting embrace. "You didn't deserve that . . . " she whispered. "You didn't deserve any of that . . . "

"Oh, is Rinrin-chan giving you that old sob story?!"

Both looked as Yotsuba stepped into the sitting room. "How's Shinshi-chan, Yotsuba-chan?" Kasumi asked as she let Rinrin go, the latter going back to work on her computer. "Miree-sama said he needed his sleep."

"Yotsuba knows that." The would-be detective sat, stretching herself. "Shi-chama's sleeping like the dead right now."

"Yotsuba-chan!" Kasumi gasped. "Don't say such unlucky things!"

The younger girl laughed. "Oh, relax!"

"If you haven't clued in by now, she's English," Rinrin explained as she pointed at her sister. "Yotsuba-chan always tends to throw some strange words out, even in Japanese. You can't escape it!"

Yotsuba growled indignantly as Rinrin laughed. Kasumi tried not to lose all deportment herself as the teen inventor went back to her machine. A minute later, Rinrin sat back. "Okay, here's what we'll do . . . "

Yotsuba gazed on the screen. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I don't need a window for my lab room, so we'll let your room come out the same distance as Aniki's room, then wrap clockwise to cover the wall of my lab space." Rinrin pointed to the details. "Hey, we could even board up the door to my lab, and then you can shift your front door to the hallway, at right-angles to the door to Shirayuki-chan's room. You could use the hall space between the old entrance to your room and the entrance to my room as a new closet, turn your old room into a sitting room . . . "

Nodding, she got to work drafting up the new plans. "Aaaah! Don't take Yotsuba's ladder away, Rinrin-chan!" Yotsuba pleaded.

"Oh, relax!" Rinrin laughed. "No doubt, Aniki'd love the idea of putting in a safety fence on the roof, not to mention your ceiling." Playing with the touch pad, she nodded as the new floor plans came up. "Okay! We'll put the ladder here, at the corner of the space beside my lab. We'll turn the window into an emergency door between my lab and your space, then keep the old door to my lab as another emergency door. Sounds okay?"

"Checky!"

"My, are you sure you can do all this, Rinrin-chan?" Kasumi asked.

"Sure! The family owns the House!" Rinrin then stopped before looking anew at Kasumi. "Why don't you come live with us?"

"Rinrin-chan . . . " Kasumi gasped, she taken aback by Rinrin's offer.

"I mean . . . " Rinrin grasped the older woman's hand. "I know this is your land, but with your dad in the asylum and you, Nabiki, Shinshi-kun and Akane about to go to university, do you want to hang onto this place? You can come stay with us on the Island, your sisters go to school at the College."

"I . . .!" Kasumi then gently folded her other hand over Rinrin's. "Rinrin-chan, please, you don't have to do this . . . "

"Yes, we do." Rinrin smiled. "Kasumi-san, do you want to know why it was so easy for all of us to come together like we did?"

"Well, I suspect your birth-father's . . . " Kasumi then caught herself.

"Other than that!" Yotsuba laughed, walking over to sit on the other side of Kasumi from Rinrin. Reaching over to grasp the older woman's hand, the detective gazed into her eyes. "Ane-chama, you lost your mom a long time ago. And your dad's gone now. Even though you're at the point where you want to go out into the big world, you really don't have much of a family to fall back onto. That's not right, especially after what your dad did. Why shouldn't we help you? It's what our family's done all these years."

Kasumi blinked, her eyes misting. "You just called me . . . "

"Hai." Yotsuba nodded before she shrugged. "Yotsuba can't explain it. When Yotsuba checked Shi-chama for the first time, it . . . " She glanced at her lap. "All Yotsuba could think about is that Shi-chama was the first man other than Ani-chama that Yotsuba could learn to love. And if it does happen, then Ane-chama'll be Yotsuba's sister-in-law. Ono-sensei told Yotsuba lots of nice things about you, Ane-chama." She gazed tranquilly on Kasumi. The latter blushed on hearing that; even though nothing had ever truthfully worked out between herself and Ono Toofuu, that the chiropractor still held the Tendou matriarch in high respect was heart-warming. Yotsuba then sighed. "And, well . . . " She frowned. "Yotsuba knows there's a chance that things between Yotsuba and Shi-chama won't check out. Yotsuba thinks it's really not checky, but . . . " She shrugged. "If Shi-chama doesn't want Yotsuba as a lover, Yotsuba hopes Shi-chama'll have Yotsuba as a friend."

"You're only fourteen, Yotsuba-chan," Kasumi warned, reaching over to squeeze the younger girl's shoulder. "Look at all the trouble Ranma-chan and Akane-chan had in their 'engagement.' They were SIXTEEN, for heaven's sake. You don't deserve to go through that . . . "

"Yotsuba knows." She winked. "Yotsuba also knows that there won't be dumb parents or stupid idiots with bokken trying to butt into the way. After all, if Shi-chama, Na-chama and Ane-chama come to Promised Island, that doesn't mean Kunou'll come live on the Island!"

"The jerk might think he's king-shit here in Nerima, but he's nobody where we come from." Rinrin smirked. "Okay, here we go!"

The others looked. "Oh, my!" Kasumi gasped.

* * *

"Feeling a little better, U-chan?"

Ukyou perked before she stared at Ranma. After the chef got finished with her father, the Kuromoroboshi came along to dump him outside Uenohara, near the border between Metro Tokyo and Yamanashi prefecture. As planned, Ukyou's father wouldn't be free of the paralysis Cologne forced on him until late that evening. Long before that, a clerk from the Court of Special Appeals would visit U-chan's to record Ukyou's complaint concerning his father's refusal to recognize the legal changes concerning Ranma. "It's nice to hear you call me 'U-chan' again." The chef smiled as she laid back on the a futon Ranma provided for her, her eyes locked on the ceiling fan of the room Ranma shared with Ataru. "Hearing you call me 'Ukyou-san' got to me, you know."

"I had no choice," Ranma admitted as she sat beside her.

"Guess so." Ukyou closed her eyes. "Ran-chan?"

"What is it?"

"Did you ever love me?"

Ranma sighed. "Depends on what type of love you mean."

Ukyou gazed on her. "As a fiancée."

The answer was automatic: "No. I mean, even now, it's so hard for me to think of you as anything other than my best friend, U-chan. I . . . " She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I know it's not the least bit fair to you given all you've been through these last ten years, but I won't lie to you either. I love you, but as a friend, not a fiancée. I'll always be there to help you if you're really in a jam . . . "

"You didn't act that way after the wedding," Ukyou warned, closing her eyes. "I'd become a stranger to you. That hurt, Ran-chan!"

Ranma nodded. "True, I did. And I'm sorry I did hurt you, but from the moment you and Shan started lobbing okonomiyaki and nikuman bombs in the middle of a doojou filled with people who couldn't protect themselves from folks like us, I knew a line had to be drawn. I . . . " She leaned her chin on her knees. "I only wish I had the ability to draw that sooner. Maybe it would've saved us a lot of trouble in the long term."

"Because of what Genma did to you, right? That whole business with messing your mind up before you went on the training trip?"

"Yep."

Ukyou turned onto her side, gazing at Ranma. "Yeah, I guess that didn't really help matters a lot. For all of us."

"Yeah, that's true."

"So where's Ataru-kun?"

Ranma shrugged. "Went off with Hinako-chan to Tomobiki a few minutes ago. Some alien ship showed up while you were pounding the snot outta your old man. They went to check it out. Ataru told me they were Noukiites."

Confusion crossed Ukyou's face. "Who're they?"

"The people who are, at present, pounding the hell out of Lum's people, the Urusians. It's a five-century version of what happened between us and the Koreans some decades back." Ranma perked. "I've been to Noukiios myself."

Ukyou jolted. "WHAT?! WHEN?!"

Ranma laughed. "Saturday night, Negako took me to this place called 'Sanctuary' to help me overcome my fear of cats. It's . . . " She stopped, her hands shaking as she tried to muster the right words to describe that place, and then she shrugged. "Well, it's a place outside of normal time and space. I spent the equivalent of thirty-eight days there. Went through my first period, plus came up with some new moves, while I was training there. Along the way, Negako took me to Noukiios so I could see . . . "

Her voice trailed off on seeing the stunned look of disbelief cross the chef's face. "That can't be true . . . " Ukyou sputtered.

"Well, if you don't believe me, ask Negako. She'll confirm it."

Silence fell as Ukyou considers her ex-fiancée's words. Both then perked as the bedroom door slid open, revealing Shirayuki. "Nee-sama, your mom's here," the young chef reported. "She needs to see you."

Ranma sighed. "Right."

She stood, brushing off the back of her chemise before heading to the door. "You're gonna be okay, Ran-chan?" Ukyou asked on sensing a cloud of uncertainty descend on Ranma. "I know you broke off ties with her . . . "

The redhead stopped. "Yeah."

She gave Ukyou a faint smile before she followed Shirayuki out of the bedroom. Ukyou watched her go before she sighed, reclining on the bed.

* * *

Ranma nodded on entering the living room. "Ohayou."

"Ohayou, Ranma." Nodoka's eyes widened in surprise on seeing the chemise draped over her transformed child's body. Quickly composing herself, she then turned to Shirayuki. "I'd like to speak with him alone."

"Hai desu no!" The chef nodded before heading into the kitchen.

Ranma watched her go before she beckoned her mother to the front porch. "I'm glad to see Genma didn't hurt you that much when he took your sword away."

She closed the door behind Nodoka after they had stepped outside. "Yes, the wounds were light," Nodoka admitted, bracing herself for what she had to ask at this time. "How are you? I didn't hear many details about the fight at the school. He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"He tried," Ranma admitted. "He tried to skewer me with that sword when I announced that the Court of Special Appeals had granted my request to sever all bonds between myself and him. Hinako-sensei nearly got killed along the way and . . . " She shuddered. No, Nodoka certainly didn't need to hear about Ranma's delightful 'neko-self.' "Things got right out of hand. It's a miracle no one got killed before the police came. Genma . . . " She snorted. "He used a ki blast on riot police, for crying out loud!" she spat out.

"I know that part. That was right after you used some sort of attack to sever his cursed side from his real side, right?"

Ranma nodded. "Hai. Right after, one of the cops gunned him down. His body disintegrated when he died. Jijii explained that had happened once before when he tried to split a Niángniquán-cursed guy into two parts."

"I see . . . " Nodoka's voice trailed off. "Well, it no longer matters. Whatever feelings I might have had for him vanished sometime ago," she admitted. "All that bound me to him was honour and the hope that, in spite of all his mistakes, he did raise you well. But after hearing about what he did to you BEFORE you left home on your trip . . . "

"I know." Ranma perked. "So what brings you by?"

Nodoka gazed on her child, sighing. "Can't a mother come visit her son, especially given the long separation between us?"

The younger woman sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude, but I'm not used to idle pleasantries, even from family."

A surprised look crossed her mother's face. "You've changed." Nodoka then gazed intently at Ranma. "Considering the scant chances you've had to spend time in a classroom before you came here, it's surprising."

Ranma smirked. "Thank Tampopo-chan for that. That's one of the things she did for me while I was on my trip with her."

"I think I will." Nodoka laughed, and then she took a sombre breath. "Ranma, I don't wish to burden you with this right at this time, but there is another reason I came to see you today."

"I take it this has something to do with your father."

Silence. Nodoka stared wide-eyed at her child. "Ranma . . . "

"Before you say anything, let me explain." Ranma held up a warning hand. "I've been told about the time when Jijii, just before you were born, seduced your mom. And because of that, your dad wouldn't like anything more than to stick it good and hard into Jijii's back. And in doing so, he feels that seeing me become part of his family in name and deed -- with the change of any name bestowed on my school of the Art going along with it -- would help him toward that end." Her eyebrow arched. "Am I right?"

Nodoka took that in, and then she nodded. "Yes, dear, you are right."

"Then you can understand why I will refuse all attempts by him or anyone of his family to bring me into the Asagaya Clan."

The older woman jolted. "But Ranma, surely you . . . "

"I DO see that!" Ranma cut her off. "Look, if your dad wants to tear a strip off Jijii's hide, I can't blame him for that! Heaven knows how many people Jijii's pissed off over the years!" Her face turned into a steely mask as she stared at Nodoka. "But I will say this: I have been used time and time again by people, Genma above all, to pursue all sorts of stupid plots that have not ONCE benefited me! I've been caught at the short end of the stick many times because of things like that! To be frank, I'm very tired of it! If your dad wants to go after Jijii for what he did to your mom, tell him to go right to town! But don't involve me and don't involve my sisters!"

Nodoka gazed at her before she closed her eyes. "Is that why you chose to sever legal connections to myself as well as your father?"

Ranma evenly nodded. "Yes."

Nodoka considered that. A sad smile then crossed her face. "I see, then. Very well, Saotome-san. I will not bother you anymore about this matter." She gave her a stiff bow. "Have a good day."

She turned to march off. Ranma watched her. As Nodoka got halfway to the gate, she then called out, "Your son is dead, Asagaya-san!"

Nodoka stopped, spinning around to stare at Ranma. "I'm a girl not just in body now," the younger woman warned. "Thanks to a hidden trick Zhòuquán-xiang saves for those people who don't change back right away after they're cursed, I became a girl here and here." She pointed to her head, and then her heart. "Fortunately, thanks to the Neko-ken, my brain was damaged to the point where that particular metamorphosis didn't take effect right away. That damage has now been repaired, so Zhòuquán-xiang's FULL curse has taken effect over me. You can thank Genma for allowing you the chance to know your son for a little while." Her smile slipped. "And I'm no longer a student of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu. Make sure you tell your father that when you see him next, Asagaya-san."

She turned to head inside. "R-r-Ranma . . .!" Nodoka stuttered.

Ranma stopped. "Get off the property, Nodoka. Or I'll call the police."

Nodoka froze as Ranma's threat washed over her. She then jerkily nodded before she staggered through the front gate. Ranma remained in place, and then she stared over her shoulder at the empty gate leading into the shrine. "You stupid fool, Mom," she hissed. "There's no way in hell that old fart'll be nice to you, no matter WHAT you think!" She shook her head as she stepped inside, slamming the door behind her.

"Anegimi-sama, that was your MOTHER!"

Ranma jolted, she turning to stare at Haruka. "I can't hope to help people solve their problems if they refuse to see what problems face them, Haruka-chan." She moved to pass the other martial artist so she could return to her bedroom. "It's no different than what happened to U-chan."

Haruka gently gripped Ranma's shoulder. The redhead stopped, and then she sighed before turning to gaze on her future sister-in-law. "What happens if she refuses to have anything to do with you again, Anegimi-sama?"

"You mean like some of the girls' moms and step-dads have acted towards them that got them all sent to Welcome House?" Ranma asked. Seeing Haruka nod, she took a deep breath. "Haruka-chan, I want to learn how to love Mom. I do. But . . . " She shuddered. "At the same time, I can't forgive her for literally ABANDONING me to Genma when I was a child! And she believed, for more than a DECADE, that a piece of damned PAPER with my handprint on it mattered more than my own LIFE! And NOW she wants me to become part of her old family?! Where her older brothers BEAT her constantly when she was growing up?! Where, when she decided to marry Genma, they turned around and DISOWNED her without giving her a chance to defend herself?! And NOW her father is trying to get revenge from Jijii because he once seduced her MOTHER?!"

She reached up to squeeze Haruka's hand, and then she guided it away. "No." Ranma shook her head. "I can't do it, Haruka-chan. I finally, after so long, have got FULL control over my life! I will not let anyone take it away from me. If Mom has a problem with that, too bad! And if her father's so hell bent on revenge against Jijii, that's just too bad, too! Besides . . . " A snide grin crossed her face. "If Mom's mother was so won over by JIJII, it makes me wonder what sort of real _man_ her father was!"

Haruka balked, and then she flustered. "Well . . .!"

"That's pretty raw, Ran-chan!"

Ranma glanced at Ukyou; the chef was standing by the hallway leading to Ataru's bedroom. "Well, what would YOU think, U-chan?!"

Laughing, Ranma headed off to her bedroom. Ukyou and Haruka watched her go before exchanging a concerned look. "I never expected that from Anegimi-sama," the latter admitted. "She did try to be positive when she spoke of her mother on the Island last week . . . "

"Did Ran-chan really go to this Sanctuary place, sugar?" Ukyou asked.

"Hai, she did. Why do you ask?"

The chef considered that before she shrugged. "I guess spending over thirty days in a place like that would change anyone's attitudes. Especially given all the changes Ran-chan's had to go through to get where she is now."

Haruka considered that before she nodded. "I see."

* * *

"So Kunou refused to acknowledge what I said yesterday?"

"Hai, I'm afraid so." Fujii Chieko nodded as she placed a tray full of snacks on Akane's work desk. "At first, he and all the other boys were plenty pissed off that you didn't even bother showing up for the fight. Then when people started talking about the oath you made yesterday, the news got to Kunou-sempai pretty quick. Before I left school to come look in on you and the Boss, I heard from one of Sempai's classmates that after he was told of your oath, he started blaming it on Ranma-kun's 'sorcery.'" She made finger-quotes. "He vowed to not stop until he exorcised the 'black magic' from your heart with his trusty blade . . . " She giggled. "Yadadda, yadadda, yadadda . . .!"

Akane groaned, rising from her bed. "That idiot . . . "

"You're not going to win against someone like that, Akane-chan." Chieko sat on the bed, Akane taking her place at the desk. "And with Ranma-kun gone, who's going to distract Sempai from coming after you?"

Akane rested her arms on her desk. Chieko was quick to see a quiver shaking her classmate's limbs. "You have a point," the youngest Tendou admitted as she moved to dig into her food. "Ranma always was a distraction when it came to Kunou, ne?" she then mused.

"Hai." Chieko stared at the ceiling. "I'm going to miss him."

Akane blinked. "You won't be the only one."

The other girl gazed at her, deciding it wouldn't be prudent to push matters on that particular subject further. Heaven only knew Akane had always been mercurial when it came to her engagement to Ranma. Best to turn her attention back to immediate matters. "So what now? I don't think any of the guys were really swayed by what you said yesterday. If you try to dodge around them, they'll just keep coming after you."

"And if I fight them, I'm feeding into their delusions. Dealing with Kunou ever since he made that ridiculous speech taught me that."

"Pity you couldn't just pull up stakes and leave town."

Silence.

Akane blinked, staring nowhere in particular. "Leave town . . . "

Chieko looked quizzically at her. "Eh?!"

"Leave town," the youngest Tendou repeated as she stared at her classmate. "You know, before Ranma came, Dad tried to get me transferred to another school to get me away from Kunou. It was blocked because school rules state the ONLY way a person could get to transfer out of Fuurinkan is if they apply to go to a private school, like Saint Hebereke . . . " A smile crept across her face as she held up a finger. "Or if the whole family moves out of the district itself, say to another district, town or prefecture!"

"Couldn't you try to transfer to Kolholz?!" Chieko then asked. "They're not that far away from here. It wouldn't be too much of a hassle and I know it's not a private school like Saint Hebereke or Seishun!"

Akane considered that before she shook her head. "No. Something tells me Kunou's father arranged to make sure no one could try to transfer there. Besides . . . " A scowl crossed her face. "Sanzenin Mikado goes there!"

Chieko winced. "Right . . . "

A knock. Both saw Kasumi standing in the hallway. "Gomen nasai, but would you come to the sitting room, Akane-chan?" the eldest Tendou daughter asked with a smile. "There's something we need to discuss right away."

"About what, Onee-chan?" Akane asked.

"Something Rinrin-chan just offered us," Kasumi replied.

* * *

"Reiko-chan, say 'Aaaah!'"

"Aaaaaah!" Reiko moaned before swallowing the spoon full of fruit parfait Hinako offered her. Gazing at his sister as she fed his daughters, Ataru tried not to grin too much. He then noticed Jay and Kay gazing at him.

"Never thought something like this would happen to a guy like me, eh?" he asked with a smirk as he sat back in his chair.

Jay shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"I take it you were engaged in other activities with the Noukiites," Kay mused. "Your daughters did imply that you did help them fight the Urusians."

Ataru thumbed the flap of his tunic. "Obvious, ne?"

The SCAA agents gazed at his clothing. The fabric, interwoven in several layers, clearly wasn't Terran in origin even if it was hued in a nice earthy brown shade. And the glyphs lining the outer flap edge of his tunic, despite the similarity to han'geul, didn't originate from an Earth alphabet. A glance to Reiko and Kaneko revealed the twins had the same tailor as their father.

"Why?" Jay asked.

Ataru took a deep breath. "When Onee-chan took me to Sanctuary so I could be properly trained in my family's Art, I learned a lot about the circumstances surrounding my grandmother's death." A pause, and then he added, "The Urusian government was directly implicated."

Kay and Jay exchanged a look. "That would be something for the Inquisition to investigate," the former noted.

"Who do you think I was with when I went to Uru?" Ataru replied.

The older men nodded understandingly. "Ah!"

"Onii-tama!"

Ataru turned to Hinako, the latter holding up an empty fruit parfait bowl. "We need some more!" the youngest of the sisters warned.

Ataru glanced at his daughters. "Are you two still hungry?!"

"We're okay, Papa," Reiko grunted as the twins rubbed their tummies.

"Oh!" A knowing look crossed Ataru's face as he gazed on Hinako. "Don't tell me that Hinako-chan has to go on a diet!"

Hinako jolted. "Onii-tama!"

Everyone laughed. Ataru then started on hearing, "Anii!"

Hinako waved. "Ah! Mamoru-chan! Kaho-chan!"

"Ani-kun."

People screamed out on seeing Chikage standing behind Ataru. Kaho cried out as her foot caught on a paving stone. She tumbled in front of Mamoru. The athlete didn't dodge clear in time, resulting in her falling flat onto her face. Ataru winced on seeing his sisters stumble about, and then he gave the sorceress a knowing look. "My dear Hirosaki-san, could you POSSIBLY think of trying NOT to scare the living daylights out of us whenever you pop up like that?! Gods, you're worse than Cherry!"

Chikage appeared nonplussed. She then cried out as twin typhoons snared her lower legs, they nearly sending her to join Kaho and Mamoru face-first on the tarmac. "Auntie Chikage!" Reiko and Kaneko gushed together.

Seeing this, Hinako giggled. "Silly Chikage-chan!"

Laughter filled the table as Mamoru picked herself up. "Anii, there's a problem!" she then reported.

"What sort of problem?" Ataru asked.

Mamoru breathed out. "Reigi-san just called us. Somebody just teleported into your old house some minutes ago. From where, NO ONE has any idea! And two others broke in around the same time. He's wondering if he should get the Kuromoroboshi over there to check things out!"

Ataru's eyebrow arched. He then glanced in the direction of his old family home. His eyes narrowed as he picked up several strangely familiar ki signatures, and then he turned to Chikage. "Who's there?!" he wondered.

"Lum and Ran -- their post-Crossing Over incarnations," Chikage reported, drawing her crystal ball. She swung it in the direction of the old Moroboshi home so she could do a scan. "Plus Jariten and four Avalonians, physical/mental replicas of Lum, Ran, Benten and Oyuki."

Ataru blinked. "Say what . . .?!"

Jay gaped. "Ten's come back?!"

Kay rose, waving for the cheque. "Let's get over there."

* * *

"So Ranma finally decided to leave this place, eh?!" Hiroshi mused.

Daisuke sighed. "Yeah, by the sounds of it."

They were relaxing in the library, along with a good portion of their class, not to mention people from several other classes, including Inu Chigaiko's senior class. It was morning study hall, the class before lunch. Given the nearly eerie quiet of the first day of the new school term -- what with the absence of the morning brawl between Ranma and Kunou, not to mention the Horde o'Hentai being unable to go all out on Akane now that the engagement between herself and Ranma had been thrown out the window -- the members of Ranma's old class seemed to be bracing themselves for a massive explosion.

Yuka and Chigaiko walked up to sit beside them. "Hey, Yuka-chan, any news about Akane?" Daisuke wondered as the two girls took their seats.

"I haven't seen her since I left the Moroboshi place." Yuka tried not to display any emotion stemming from her confrontation with Ranma earlier in the day at the old shrine. "I think Chieko-chan went over to look on them." She rested her chin on her hands. "She should be back . . . "

"Hey! Check out Gosunkugi!" Daisuke hissed.

Yuka, Chigaiko and Hiroshi looked as the frail would-be sorcerer walked into the library. Given the jaunty spring in his stride, the slaphappy smile etched on his face and the sheer glow of LIFE emanating from him, Hikaru's classmates had more than enough reason to be surprised. "What the hell's wrong with him?" Hiroshi asked before he turned to look at his best friend. "Hey, Dai! Have you EVER seen ol' Spooky act anything like THAT?!"

Daisuke shook his head. "Not me, dude!"

Hikaru sat down at a table, drawing out a book. Ignoring the chorus of confused, wary and curious looks emanating from his classmates, he turned to the page he wished to examine, and then he got to work. Minutes passed. People around him were quick to notice their classmate seemed distracted. As to what was distracting him, no one had an idea. Daisuke gazed on his friends. "Yuka, you sure Akane hasn't been to school at all today?" he wondered.

"I'm sure." Yuka then perked as the sound of many chatting voices echoed from the hallway. "What the hell's that?"

Hiroshi, Daisuke and Chigaiko followed her out. Stopping in the hallway, they gaped on seeing a crowd surrounding a cheerfully smiling Tendou Akane. "Is that . . .?" Hiroshi asked before he took a look at the new arrival's flower-print shirt and stylish slacks. "Oh, man!" he groaned. "Don't tell me Akane got herself caught in front of that magic mirror Ranma ran into!"

"Kimiko-chan," Chigaiko whispered.

Kimiko ignored the people around her as she focused her psi-senses on the one she had come to see. Passing Chigaiko and her companions by without a word of greeting, she peeked into the library. "Hikaru-kun?!" she called out. On spotting the would-be sorcerer in question, she grinned as she made a beeline for his table. "I have lunch!" she then announced.

Hikaru looked up from his book, and then the whole world around him went totally pink. "Kimiko-chan!" Stars sparkled in his eyes as he zipped up to grasp her free hand, as a chorus of violins began to play a romantic aria in the background. "Oh, Kimiko-chan! I was just thinking about you!"

Akane's twin blushed. "Hai, I know." She placed the bentou on the table, and then she gently touched her own reddening cheek as Hikaru's desiring gaze focused on her. "Oh, Hikaru-kun, did any mean boy try to hurt you today?" she asked. "I was SO worried about you, especially with that awful Kunou person and what he's been trying to do with my poor sister . . . "

Hiroshi tried not to gag. "Who wrote THIS corny dialogue?!"

"Who IS that, anyway?!" Daisuke wondered. "You'd figure any double of Akane'd act somewhat LIKE her, for Heaven's sake!"

Yuka glared at him. "And what EXACTLY is Akane-chan SUPPOSED to act like, Daisuke-kun?!" she frostily wondered.

Daisuke gulped as he ducked Yuka's incensed stare. Suddenly, an explosion knocked down the back doors leading into the library. Sure enough, Kunou Tatewaki stormed in, his eyes locked on the horrid sight of HIS beauteous tiger being manhandled by that uncouth Gosunkugi. "_**HOLD!**_" he bellowed, swinging his bokken out to strike the impudent junior student down. "_**I GAVE NO BLESSINGS TO THIS HIDEOUS UNION, GOSUNKUGI! UNHAND THE BEAUTIFUL TENDOU AKANE THIS INSTANT OR FACE THE BLUE THUNDER'S WRATH!**_"

"Hikaru-kun, did someone say something?" Kimiko wondered, oblivious to the oncoming kendou-ka moving to strike her boyfriend down.

Hikaru shook his head. "I didn't hear anything, Kimiko-chan. C'mon, let's go outside and have lunch! I'm starving!"

"Hai!"

Kimiko snared the bentou, and then she nearly wrenched Hikaru's arm out of its socket as she lead him out of the library. Kunou, totally unused to being simply IGNORED like that, froze in place as his mind rolled over what he just witnessed. He quickly recovered, turning to pursue. "AH! So the devious Gosunkugi joined forces with the villainous Saotome and the monstrous Moroboshi to keep my tigress under their dark spells, has he?! I SHALL NOT HAVE IT!" He quickly moved to pursue. "HAVE AT THEE, BEAST!"

"_**HAPPOU-GOJUU-EN-SATSU!**_"

Kunou screamed as his fighting aura was sucked out of him, and then he dropped to the floor as Ninomiya Hinako walked up. "Now, Kunou-kun, I don't think the students here appreciate having their study hall interrupted by your mindless diatribes." The teacher planted a firm foot on the kendou-ka's head. "Besides, Gosunkugi-kun and that double of Tendou-kun DO seem a nice couple, don't they?" She tittered, glancing in the direction of the other boys in the room, many of whom she knew were part of that squad of delinquents who were ready to ambush and most likely RAPE Akane when she came to school. "Well?!" Her eyes flashed as she held up her fifty-yen piece. "DON'T they?!"

The boys shuddered before slumping in defeat. "Sensei, you're cruel!" one fellow, a long-time member of the Horde o'Hentai, groaned.

"Tough!" Hinako moved to leave. "Life itself's cruel! If I catch anyone trying to harass Gosunkugi-kun about his relationship, they'll wish they never heard of Tendou Akane by the time I'm finished with them!" she vowed.

She headed off. The boys watched her go, and then they began to mutter among themselves. Gazing on them, Yuka was quick to note that many were NOT pleased by this turn of events. Fortunately, their fear of Hinako's powers would prevent them from going too hog-wild over this matter. "Well, I'm glad something's back to normal around these parts!" Hiroshi mused. "Eh, Dai?!"

Daisuke nodded. "Yeah. It is a relief, isn't it?!"

* * *

"Is THIS the place Onii-tama lived in?!"

"What a dump!"

"Kaho's happy that Onii-chama's living in Welcome House now!"

As Ataru, Chikage, Jay and Kay stepped into the old Moroboshi home to see what was going on, Hinako, Kaho, Mamoru, Reiko and Kaneko waited by the front gate. "Ugh!" The younger of the Noukiite twins winced as she waved a hand over her nose. "The stench of those uo-t'ich is everywhere!"

"Um, Kaneko-chan?!"

"Hai, Auntie Mamoru. What is it?!"

"What's a 'uuoh-tichu?!'"

"'Uo-t'ich,' Auntie Mamoru." Kaneko stifled a giggle. "It means 'dog people.' That's what we normally call the Urusians."

"Kaneko-chan's people don't like dogs?!" Hinako wondered.

"Hai!"

The sisters exchanged a look. "What happens when they meet Marie-chan and Michael?!" Kaho wondered, covering her mouth.

Reiko smiled. "Oh, it's okay, Auntie Kaho!"

"Why do you say that?!" Mamoru asked.

"Well, Earth dogs are related to Earth wolves and foxes, right?"

"Um . . . y-yeah, I think so!" the athlete stuttered.

"On Noukiios, wolves and dogs are as separate as dogs and cats are here," Reiko explained. "We call wolves _ip'i_. They're really cool when you see them, but you _don't_ ever want to get one angry at you!"

The sisters stared at the twins, nodding. "Oh!"

Chikage peeked out the front door. "Hinako-chan."

"What is it, Chikage-chan?"

"Come in here, please. We need you," the sorceress beckoned.

Hinako took the Staff from Reiko before she followed her sister inside. Ascending to Ataru's old room, they stepped in. Hinako stopped on seeing Ataru kneeling beside some small glass tube, those two nice men from the Men in Black standing beside him. Jay was scanning what was in the tube with a tricorder. Seated on the empty bunk bed Ataru once used were two casually dressed women, one brown-haired, the other a redhead. The brown-haired girl looked as if she was about to break down and cry. Her friend had a reassuring hand on the other's shoulder. Laid out on the floor by the bed were four people Hinako recognized from the pictures her Onii-tama showed her some time ago. All of them were passed out, a blanket spread out over them. Before Hinako could think of their names, a whispered warning from Bou-san echoed in her mind.

_They're Avalonians?!_ she wondered, and then she blinked as Chikage beckoned her to stand beside the tube.

"How bad is it?" Ataru wondered.

Jay looked at his tricorder. "He's in a bad way." He slipped the device into his jacket. "What happened to him?"

"The Ip'ihu attacked him," Seiko muttered.

Ataru and the SCAA agents gazed on her. The former sighed. "Must have been some fringe group, like the people who turned Onishuto into a radioactive parking lot. Mainstream Ip'ihu would never condone attacks on innocent children unless they're directly related to members of the Urusian colonial militia." Before Seiko could voice a response, Ataru turned. "Hinako-chan?!"

Hinako walked up. She then shuddered, her eyes tearing, on seeing the scarred body frozen within. "Onii-tama, is that . . .?"

"Yeah. You think you can ask Bou-san to do something to help him?"

She shakily nodded as she held the Staff up. The focusing crystal glowed for a moment as streams of energy showered Ten's body. Some seconds later, the shower ceased. Hinako drew the Staff back. "Bou-san says she can't help Ten-chan, Onii-tama." She sniffed. "Bou-san says all those boo-boos hurt him too much. If he's taken out of the tube, he'll go to the Very, Very Bright Place."

"Wonderful." Kay sighed, glancing at Seiko. "Your call."

Seiko gazed on her cousin, and then she took a deep breath. "Hinako-chan, is there ANYTHING your friend can do for Ten-chan?"

Hinako blinked, and then she canted her head as the Staff whispered something. "You think so?!" She stared at the glowing crystal, and then she listened to the answer before nodding. "Uhn! Hina knows what to do now!"

"That being?" Chikage asked.

In answer, Hinako hefted the Staff into the air. The focusing crystal glowed bright white as an opaque beam of energy lanced through the ceiling and straight into orbit over Japan's most infamous town. The room was bathed in blinding light for a moment, causing everyone to squeeze their eyes shut or cover their eyes with their hands. As soon as the light began to fade, Ataru shook his head clear before he glanced at the floor where Ten's cryo-storage unit should be. It was there no longer.

"Wh-where'm I . . .?"

Hinako gushed, cradling the Staff close to her. "Haaaaaaai!" She turned to Ataru. "Ten-chan's all cured now, Onii-tama!"

"Huh . . .?" The raven-haired boy, appearing to be about five or so, glanced around the empty room before his brown eyes focused on the two men in the black business suits. "Ah! Kay-san! Jay-san! Am I on Earth?!"

"That you are, kiddo! Welcome back!" Kay reached over to give Ten a friendly squeeze on the shoulder. "Feel okay?!"

Ten stared at his hands. Fortunately, the Staff had draped his new body in an orange shirt and jumper. "Feel a little weird . . . " He scratched the back of his head, and then he froze as his fingers detected something that should be there but was NOT. "My horn?" A surge of panic seized him, and then he looked around. "MY HORN! WHERE'S MY HORN?! WHO TOOK MY HORN AWAY?!"

His eyes stopped as they locked on the dark-clad, purple-haired woman standing close to the door. Ten froze as Chikage's looks sank into his mind. Hearts then glittered deep in his eyes. "Pretty lady . . . " he crooned, walking over to take a closer look.

Ataru sighed. "Well, at least THAT part of him's back to normal."

He glanced at Kay and Jay. Seiko's eyebrow twitched. "Darling."

Ten spun around to see the man in the Noukiite clothing. "Ataru?!" he gasped, walking up to stare at him. "How'd you grow a beard so fast?! And what are you doing dressed like that?! If Lum-chan sees you like that . . .!"

"Lum HAS seen me like that." Ataru cut him off, and then he indicated Seiko. "And, much that I hate to bring you down to Earth, Jariten, it really no longer matters what she happens to think about me. In the meantime, my sisters and I'll leave you to get reacquainted, not to mention registered with Kay's people." He glanced at Kay. "We'll be downstairs."

Kay nodded. "Right."

Ten watched as Ataru, Chikage and Hinako stepped out of the room. He then perked as Seiko knelt beside him. "What's with him . . .?" His voice trailed off as his eyes fixed on hers. "Lum-chan . . .?" He then turned as Sakiko came up to stand beside her sister. "Ran-chan . . .?"

Sakiko knelt beside Seiko. "Hai, it's us, Ten-chan."

Ten glanced at Sakiko, and then Seiko, and then back to Sakiko again before he screamed out, "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, ANYWAY?!"

"It's a long story, Ten-chan." Seiko then leaned over to draw him into her arms. "But it's so good to see you alive and safe!"

Sobs soon took her voice away. Ten stared at her before his own eyes watered as Seiko's relief overwhelmed him. In a minute, both were holding each other tight, weeping as the anxiety accumulated over the last two months washed away. Sakiko places her hands on their shoulders, and then she soon found herself drawn into a group hug with her sister and her cousin.

Kay and Jay exchanged a look, smiling.

* * *

"Oh, Hinako-chan?"

"What is it, Onii-tama?"

"Where exactly did the Staff get the new body for Ten?"

Hinako stared quizzically at the Staff. "Hina's not sure, but Bou-san told Hina the body was there and it had no soul in it." She stopped as the Staff whispered something to her. "Oh, Hina understands now!" She then stopped herself. "But how can that be?"

"What is it, Hinako-chan?" Kaho wondered. She, Mamoru, Reiko and Kaneko had stepped into the house after their relatives had left Ataru's old bedroom. They were relaxing in the old living room.

Hinako stared at the cheerleader. "Bou-san told Hina that the big-big ship there could only make Avalonians as young as Hina is. But Ten-chan's even younger than Hina, yet there was a body on the big-big ship there for Hina to use to let Ten-chan be with Lum-san and Ran-san again. A BOY'S body, too! Hina really doesn't understand how . . . "

Ataru took that in, and then he perked on feeling Chikage's hand squeeze his shoulder. Glancing at the young sorceress, he noted the look on her face before he nodded. "Well, we can ask Miree about it later," he stated.

"Why save him, Papa?"

Eyes locked on Reiko and Kaneko. The looks on the Noukiites' faces spoke volumes about how they currently felt. "Reiko-chan, what do you think the Ch'uoeuk would say if he found out that there're people out there willing to kill children, even younger than you, just because they're Urusian?"

"What about the Noukiite children who've faced the Ch'uoeuk when they shouldn't have, Papa? All because the Urusians couldn't let what we did to them go, back during the Union Revolution and since then," Kaneko countered. "Who answers for what happened to all of them, Papa?"

"What DID happen to them?!" Mamoru asked.

"You know about the famine in parts of Africa?" Chikage wondered.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Imagine that on a planetary scale, multiplied four times."

Eyes locked on Ataru. Kaho shuddered. "And the Urusians did THAT?!"

"Yes," Ataru, Reiko and Kaneko answered as one.

Hinako sniffed. "Why?!"

Ataru took a deep breath. "Because there were people on Uru who just didn't like the Noukiites no matter what, Hinako-chan. Just like there're people here in Japan who don't like the Chinese or the Koreans, even those Koreans who were born and raised here in Japan."

"But that's stupid!" Hinako protested. "They're nice people!"

"Yes, they are. But there're people in this country who don't care about that, Hinako-chan. Just like there're people who don't care about descendants of burakumin just BECAUSE their ancestors WERE burakumin! And . . . " He took a breath. "A lot of people happen to work for the government. Just like there were a lot of people who hated the Noukiites who ran the government on Uru."

Chikage glanced knowingly on her nieces. "And those are the ones Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan, plus all their friends, had to fight."

"Is that what we gotta do one day, Onii-tama?" Hinako asked.

He noted her look. He reached over to squeeze her shoulder. "Hopefully, no. But with the way things in this country are going, Hinako-chan . . . "

He shrugged. Mamoru shook her head. "Bummer."

* * *

"So this is actually a REPLICA of Akane-chan?!"

Hikaru chuckled. "Hai. That she is."

He and Kimiko sat under a tree on the front lawn of Fuurinkan High, their lunch bentou sitting between them. A gaggle of the voodoo sorcerer's classmates, including Yuka, Hiroshi, Daisuke and Sayuri, sat around them. Sensing their curiosity about how could _he_ win the heart of a person who, physically, was Akane's twin, Hikaru gave them a thorough briefing on how Kimiko first met Ranma some months back, and then how -- with the help of Ataru's sisters -- Kimiko had been given a life she can call her own.

At the end of that, his classmates were speechless. Daisuke sighed. "Gos, my friend, you are a lucky bastard, you know that?!"

He slapped the other man's shoulder. Hikaru winced. "I guess I am."

"Are you thinking of coming to school, Kimiko-chan?" Sayuri asked.

Kimiko sighed. "I'm not sure. Ranma-sama . . . " -- she ignored the looks everyone gives her on hearing THAT honorific attached to Ranma's name -- "Did warn me not to be like Kasumi-oneesama, so I might want to try to expand my education. But it'll be hard given the way I came into this world. I don't think the education authorities anticipated someone like ME whatsoever!"

Hiroshi nodded. "Yeah, that'd be a pain . . . "

"_**GOSUNKUGI!**_"

The members of Hikaru's class moaned. "Oh, shit, here he comes!" Daisuke muttered as people watched Kunou storm up, bokken in hand and a determined look etched on his face. "The stupid idiot just does NOT know the word 'quit!'"

Hikaru sighed, and then he perked on feeling Kimiko giving him a reassuring squeeze. Sensing her support, the sophomore stood, straightening himself. His classmates quickly cleared a path for the kendou-ka, though several remained close to ensure Kunou didn't go hog-wild on Hikaru. "You wanted to see me, Kunou-san?" Hikaru asked, he crossing his arms.

Kunou glared the sorcerer down, his lips twisting into a sneer. "You will address me as 'Sempai,' you cur! How DARE you lay your unworthy hands on the beauteous Tendou Akane?! How DARE you presume that you can avoid the Blue Thunder's edict when it comes to being in her presence . . .!"

"I hate to bust your bubble, but you're wrong on two counts!" Hikaru chuckled, his show of spine catching everyone short. "Akane-san declared your oath null-and-voice yesterday. Every girl in the class were witnesses."

"Lies!" Kunou proclaimed. "The lovely Akane was under a spell . . . "

"Wrong!" Hikaru indicated Kimiko. "And second, this is not Akane."

Kunou blinked. "What?!"

"It's true." Hikaru nodded as he reached down to grasp Kimiko's hand. "This is Akane-san's adopted twin sister, Tendou Kimiko. She's actually a minor kami who was trapped by an evil wizard in a doll the pig-tailed girl found at a ryokan some months ago."

Everyone stared at Hikaru, all of them acting as if he had just grown a second head. Yuka, Sayuri, Daisuke and Hiroshi were quick to notice the light smile on Kimiko's face, and then they nodded understandingly. No doubt, Hikaru and Kimiko had planned ahead for this very moment. Kunou stared incredulously at Hikaru, and then he turned to Kimiko. "The pig-tailed girl freed you?!"

"Yes, she did," Hikaru answered on her behalf. "The pig-tailed girl and Akane-san took great pity on Kimiko-chan, so when the chance came, they tricked Saotome into creating a clone body of Akane-san's so Kimiko-chan here could have a body for herself to use . . . "

Kunou blinked, and then he howled, "VICTORY!" Fireworks exploded behind him as thunder rumbled through the air. "To believe that my beautiful fighting tigress and my fiery pig-tailed goddess actually tricked that dark sorcerer into doing what THEY bid him to do!" His bokken stabbed into the sky as a flash of lighting arced overhead, causing everyone to tense. "Now I, Kunou Tatewaki, the Blue Thunder of Fuurinkan High, shall be victorious and claim the hands and hearts of my _three_ lovely maidens of battle . . . "

"Um, Kunou-san, there's a problem!"

The kendou-ka stopped to glare at Hikaru. "What do you mean?!"

"Well, when Kimiko-chan was given her new body, Saotome learned he had been tricked by Akane-san and the pig-tailed one," the voodoo sorcerer stated. "Well, you KNOW how much Saotome hates you! He . . . " Hikaru then indicated Kimiko with a wave of his hand. "He made it so that no matter how much you try to win Kimiko-chan over, you CAN'T! The only way you could even hope to win Kimiko-chan over is to go find Saotome and defeat him!"

"The same applies to Akane-sama and the pig-tailed one," Kimiko added. "No matter how much you try to attack them -- or ME! -- it'll fail. The only way you can free them is to kill that horrible, horrible Saotome Ranma!"

Silence fell as Kimiko's words swirled through Kunou's mind. "Oh, by the way, Kunou-sempai, you better know that Ranma-kun transferred out of Fuurinkan High School yesterday," Yuka helpfully added, holding up a finger.

"WHAT?!" Kunou's battle aura flared, causing everyone to step fearfully away from him. "So! Saotome thinks he can escape the Blue Thunder's wrath?! He actually thinks he can keep the Blue Thunder's chosen ones away from his side?! NEVER! NEVER! I SAY THEE NEVER!"

With that, he stormed off to the school building. The others watched him go, and then Daisuke sighed. "Somehow, I really don't think Ranma's gonna appreciate us heaping that particular problem back on him again!"

"He won't," Yuka muttered.

Kimiko chuckled. "Wait until he learns that Ranma-sama is no longer on her parents' family register." She wrapped an arm around Hikaru's, turning to gaze longingly at him. "Hikaru-kun, shall we finish lunch?"

Hikaru nodded. "Hai, hai!"

Everyone looked on them as they sat. "So if Ranma's been struck off his family register, what happens to him now?" Hiroshi asked.

"That . . . " Kimiko impishly shrugged. "Is a secret."

Hearing that, everyone fell flat on their faces!

* * *

"Can you guys really do this?!"

Rinrin chuckled. "Sure we can!" The members of the Tendou family, plus Miree and Chieko, were currently relaxing around the sitting room table as the scientist explained all the changes she planned to make to the third floor of Welcome House's rotunda. Yotsuba sat to Rinrin's right, she resting against Shinshi. "It's our land, after all! Anyhow . . . "

She pointed to the first room counter-clockwise from the stairwell. "The spare room here'll be Miree-san's." Rinrin gazed at Miree. "If Negako-aneki wants to visit the Island from now on, she could stay with Aniki and Ranma-aneki in their bedroom on the first floor."

"Why won't she come live on the Island full-time?" Miree asked.

"Ane-chama suffers from hydrophobia," Yotsuba explained before she turned to the Tendous, a knowing chuckle escaping her. "'Sides, if Shi-chama and his family move out, what happens to Ane-chama's friend?" she then wondered.

"You're going to make Ojii-san live with Negako-san?" Nabiki blinked. "With Kimiko-chan and most likely Chigaiko-san living there alongside Negako-san? You think that's a good idea?!"

"Oh, I'm sure Aneki'll keep him in line." Rinrin laughed, making a dismissive wave with her hand. Her finger moved to the next room displayed on the computer screen. "My room'll stay the same, but I'll move the main door to be perpendicular to Miree-san's front door. I can use the extra space for storage if I want. No problems there. Now, for the big changes . . . "

Her finger shifted to Yotsuba's room. "We'll expand both Yotsuba-chan's and Shirayuki-chan's rooms out five metres. Yotsuba-chan's room'll wrap clockwise to cover the wall space of my lab, plus we'll throw a second floor onto it over half of the new portion. Yotsuba-chan, you and Shinshi-kun'll stay on the third floor, opposite my lab. The ladder to the roof'll be there, but there'll be a safety fence put in just in case. I KNOW Aniki'll want that 'cause you like going on the roof all the time."

Yotsuba sighed. "Yotsuba thinks Ani-chama worries too much!"

"That IS Ataru-kun's privilege AND responsibility as your older brother, Yotsuba-chan," Kasumi intoned as the others laughed.

"ANYHOW . . . " Rinrin's voice picked up to get everyone's attention back to the matter at hand. "Nabiki-chan'll take the new room on the fourth level. It'll big enough for you to have your own private sitting area, plus you'll have a door to the roof of Yotsuba-chan's part of the room so you can sunbathe. Um . . . " She then stared at the middle Tendou daughter. "Do you need anything special put into your room, Nabiki-chan?"

Nabiki smiled. "Well, if you can put in some computer and telephone links directly into my room, I'd certainly like that."

"I HOPE you're not going to do some of the things you've done in Fuurinkan when you transfer to Stargazer West," Kasumi warned.

Nabiki laughed. "Oh, RELAX, Onee-chan! I don't need to worry too much about that anymore!" She waved her sister down with a sigh. "Like I said, this is crunch year for me and I'll need every advantage I get."

Rinrin stared curiously at the older woman. "You're thinking of going to America when you go to university, right?"

"Most likely." Nabiki then gave Rinrin a knowing look. "Why? What school've you got in mind, Rinrin-chan? MIT or Caltech?!"

"Haven't thought about it yet since it's still a few years away." Rinrin then pointed to the computer screen. "Anyhow, the new space under Nabiki-chan's bedroom, plus Yotsuba-chan's old bedroom space, can be used as a common area or we could install a guest bedroom if you're interested in having one available for your friends. We could save that for the future if you want."

Nabiki hummed. "No, let's put in the guest bedroom now," she suggested. "If we need it, it'll save up construction time and costs."

"Okay."

Rinrin then tapped instructions on her machine. The diagram was changed to show two bedrooms on the third floor level. "What about us, Rinrin-chan?" Akane asked as she pointed to herself, and then to Kasumi.

"We'll expand Shirayuki-chan's room to mirror what we're doing to Yotsuba-chan's room." She pointed out details. "The room next to Shirayuki-chan's room is the boy's washroom, so we'll seal the window off completely. For safety's sake, we'll put in an emergency door that'll exit directly onto the roof of the upstairs part of Aniki's and Aneki's new space so that, if there's a fire, you've got a way to get to safety." Her finger traced over the changes. "We'll have three bedrooms here, with Shirayuki-chan's old space as the common area. Shirayuki-chan can take the fourth floor. You and Kasumi-aneki'll have the two bedrooms on the third floor."

"Will Shirayuki-chan mind having her room shifted around?" Kasumi wondered. "These are a lot of changes to make, Rinrin-chan."

"And is this rotunda going to hold up?" Nabiki added. "Even if it is your property, there are building standards . . . "

"Oh, relax!" Rinrin waved the middle sister down, and then she pointed to the diagram. "The House is modular, even if it sure doesn't look like it. Everything'll be fine in the end. They anticipated expanding the interior of the rotunda when they built it in the first place."

"That's a relief," Akane breathed out. "Ne, Onee-chan, why don't you take this room . . . " She pointed to the new room opposite the boy's washroom. "And I'll take the one right under Shirayuki-chan's room. Ne, Rinrin-chan, do you think you can put a door to connect my room to the room under Nabiki's space? In case Yuka and Sayuri visit?"

"Sure I can!" Rinrin tapped controls on her machine, and then she turned to Yotsuba and Shinshi. "You sure you won't mind this?"

"I've got no friends to speak of right now, Rinrin-chan. Save for those who're already living at or will live at Welcome House." Nabiki's twin brother then gazed on Yotsuba. "How about you, Yo-chan?"

The would-be detective smirked. "Yotsuba won't mind."

"Alright, then!" Rinrin continued to play with the keys.

* * *

"Um, Ranma-san, have you seen Sakuya-san anywhere?"

Ranma looked up from the novel she was reading to see Serizawa Mikiko standing at the door to her room. "She left with Haruka-chan an hour ago to do something, Mikiko." She saved her page, and then she rolled to her feet. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

"Um, n-no, not really, but lunch is ready." Mikiko fretted as she and Ranma walked into the common room. "Ataru-kun, Hinako-san, Kaho-san, Mamoru-san and Chikage-san've been gone for some time. I hope things're alright."

"They better be," Ranma mused as they sat down beside Kawamura Himiko; the former captain of the Tomobiki High girl's swim team was watching the news. "If any of the clods there even LOOK the wrong way at Hinako-chan or the others, Ataru'll go medieval on all their asses."

Himiko gazed on the redhead. "Would he really?"

"Bet on it." Ranma then perked as Shirayuki walked in, a tea tray in hand. "Hey, Shirayuki-chan, what's for lunch?!"

The chef placed the tea tray down. "Nee-sama will definitely like Hime's special lunch," she proclaimed. "Hime made her tofu omelettes with sliced vegetables and ricotta cheese. Perfect for growing girls and boys."

"Well, by the looks of it, Shirayuki-san, we're gonna be having loads of seconds with the amount of people gone," Himiko warned.

"Soo desu no." Shirayuki smiled as she headed back to the kitchen.

Negako stepped in the room, followed by Aria and Karen. "I see lunch is almost ready." The grandmaster took her seat.

"Is this it?" Ranma glanced around the room. "Where's U-chan?!"

"Gomen nasai, Onee-chan." Karen looked apologetic. "Ukyou-san went over to speak with Tampopo-san about what happened this morning."

"Ah! Oh, that's a relief!" Ranma breathed out. "Lessee. Ataru's gone to Tomobiki with Hinako, Kaho and Mamoru . . . "

"Chikage is with them," Negako reported.

"Right." Ranma nodded. "Chigaiko's at school. Kimiko's no doubt with Gosunkugi right now. Hope the dopes don't give her a hard time. Yotsuba, Rinrin and Miree are at the Tendous." She then looked at Aria. "Aria-chan, have you see Jonna or Orin today?" she asked.

"We're right here, Ranma-sama," Jonna announced as she and Orin stepped into the room, they taking their seats to both sides of Aria.

Aria reached over to hold one of Orin's hands. "Nee-ya."

Karen smiled. "It's good Aria-chan's made a new friend, ne, Onee-chan?"

"Yeah, it is." Ranma chuckled as Mikiko proceeded to pour tea for everyone. "Has anyone see Marie-chan? She hasn't got lost . . . "

"Marie went on a walk to Hikarigaoka Park with Michael," Negako reported before she perked. "Ah, she just passed through the front gate. Sakuya and Haruka are . . . " She paused, her eyebrow arching. "Shirayuki!"

"Hai desu no, Nee-sama?!" the chef called back from the kitchen.

"Make extra food. We will have guests today!"

"Hai desu no!"

Karen stared quizzically at the grandmaster. "What guests?"

As if in response, the door opened. "Tadaima!" Marie called out as she and Michael stepped inside, followed by Sakuya and Haruka.

"Sakuya-san, you're just . . . " Mikiko looked over, and then her eyes shot out of her head on seeing the woman in Sakuya's company.

"Mikiko, wha- . . .?" Himiko stared at her shocked friend, and then she looked herself before noting the woman in Haruka's company.

Sakuya slipped to the side to allow her guest a clear view of the people seated in the room. "Shirayuki-chan, we have guests!"

Haruka did the same with the woman accompanying her. Silence fell as the older women stared at Himiko and Mikiko, and then they both nearly keeled over. Sakuya and Haruka helped Serizawa Tomomi and Kawamura Mami remain steady as their daughters raced into their embrace. "MOM!" Himiko and Mikiko screamed, breaking down into tears as they sank to their knees, holding their mothers for all their worth. Watching them, the others in the room could only smile.

* * *

"Everything settled with them?"

"Yeah, it's all taken care of." Jay nodded as he sat across from Ataru in the old Moroboshi home living room. The interviews with Ten and the replica-bioroids had taken an hour. "Found out the story -- or as much of it as I could -- concerning those replicas of Lum and the others."

"That being?" Ataru asked.

"They're living targets. Specially built by the Niphentaxians at Nassur's request so that if one of that guy's enemies decided to target Lum or the others to get at him, they'd be the ones who'd eat lead." The young SCAA agent rolled his eyes before he sighed. "Funny thing is, I just CAN'T see a guy like Nassur doing something like THAT!"

"Unless he never truthfully realized what those girls were," Ataru countered, scratching his beard. "If what I understand of Vosians is true, if Nassur couldn't scan any brainwaves from those four -- and if he didn't take the time to scan them with a tricorder OR if they're fitted with jammers that'd haze a tricorder scan -- he'd have no choice but to think that they were very sophisticated androids. After all, they don't look the least bit like Yehisrites, do they?" A knowing smirk crossed his face.

"That makes sense. I'd hate to break it to the guy if or when he ever comes this way again." Jay then perked as Kay came down.

The older SCAA agent sat beside his partner. "So what other business have you got for us today, Ataru?" Kay then asked.

"Quite a bit," he warned. "I've got three refugees from Phentax Two who've been converted to Avalonians. One of my new girlfriend's friends was cursed by water from the Springs of Zhòuquán-xiang in China, so we were forced to steal two Avalonian bodies from that factory up in orbit to help them out. Two of the so-called 'victims' of last week's bombing at the school turned up alive and well, plus they're also Avalonians. And THAT, my friends, doesn't begin to include the fact that the bioroid factory itself is here."

Kay shrugged. "I've never even heard of these Avalonians. How long have the Niphentaxians been keeping them a secret?"

"Some decades, maybe a century." Ataru then took a deep breath. "And the worst news of all is that Oogi himself is here."

Jay and Kay paled. "Oh, fuck!" the former spat out. "Damn, when it rains, it fuckin' pours! We DON'T need that moron here!"

"When was the last time you saw the esteemed president of the Niphentaxian Union, Ataru?" the latter wondered.

"Lumukyou," Ataru reported. "When I last saw him, he had just been disintegrated by the Staff of Gihan just before three billion of his followers also took the Magic Carpet Ride to Eternity. So I've really got no idea what shape he's in, but Miree -- she's one of the refugees from that planet I told you about -- has pretty much confirmed that he's still among the living."

Jay shook his head. "Oh, cute!"

"What church is she from?" Kay asked.

"Hollywood. Ditto with both her daughters," Ataru reported.

"Well, that's a moderate sect, so we've got no worries." Kay rubbed the side of his head. "Zed's NOT going to like this!"

Jay snorted. "Got that right."

"Darling?"

They turned as Seiko walked into the room. "Problem?" Ataru asked.

"I . . . " The Oni-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran balked on seeing the cold neutrality crossing her ex-fiancé's face, and then she relaxed. Any sort of confrontation between her and Ataru would serve no purpose, especially given that four of his sisters and both his daughters were outside waiting for him. And given that both his daughters were Noukiites -- this, of course, didn't mention what either Chikage or Hinako would do if their brother was threatened -- Seiko knew that even if she did lose control of her temper, things wouldn't go well for her, Nendo-kata powers or no. Taking a deep breath, she gazed on the SCAA agents. "Um, could we have some time alone, please?" she asked.

"Sure." Kay nodded as both stood. "We'll take care of those two girls who nearly died last week, Ataru. Where are they?"

"Talk to Chikage." Ataru nodded outside. "She'll help you."

"Right." Kay gave Seiko a concerned look before they both stepped out.

As soon as the door closed behind the agents, Ataru took a deep breath before he gazed on Seiko. The latter shuddered as she returned his look, and then she bowed her eyes. "Why are you so mad, Darling?" she whispered.

Silence responded. Sensing he wanted her to explain herself, Seiko walked to the window, gazing outside. She saw Chikage chatting amicably with Kay and Jay. Hinako was teaching Reiko and Kaneko how to play patty-cake while Mamoru and Kaho hovered close to Chikage. Taking a breath, she hoarsely asked, "Are you afraid that I'd actually hurt them?" She gazed once more on Ataru.

"It wouldn't be the first time you and your family would seek to hurt my family and I," he responded. "Nor the first time your race strove to place mine at a disadvantage for some selfish reason. Oh! Forgive me." He held up a finger. "You're not Urusian, Izumo-san, but Nendo-kata. I didn't mean to imply that anyone of the Great School would ever cast such disUnity on another sentient race. Or maybe . . . " He lowered his hand. "You're angry that I decided to throw my lot in with the Noukiites against the Urusians."

Seiko shook her head. "I'm not angry about that, Darling." She sighed as she looked at him. "But I am very curious as to why you did that. Even if m-my . . . " she stuttered before breathing out, "Even if the Urusians HAVE tried to oppress the Noukiites over the past few centuries, those people DID use an anti-matter bomb that murdered my parents, nearly killed me and Mother knows how many more in Onishuto. They DID kill Rei . . . "

His eyebrow arched. "Why do you care about Rei?! When Lum first came to Earth, she was happier than hell to be away from that walking stomach!" He nodded up. "I can see why your sister would be concerned about him given Ran's feelings for the idiot, but why would you care?"

"Because he didn't deserve to DIE!" Seiko snapped.

"And all those people on Noukiios DID?!" He bolted up, his anger radiating like waves of exploding plasma from his body. "Didn't you even ONCE ask yourself what was going on?! You said back at Tampopo's that your father tried to brush off what was going on between your people and the Noukiites, but he didn't fully convince you! Didn't it even occur ONCE to you that maybe you should've tried to figure out what was going on?! Didn't you worry that maybe, just MAYBE, your people were doing something very WRONG?!"

Seiko stared in shock at him. Ataru scowled before he turned away. "Hell, no! Of course not!" He threw up his hands. "The very idea of the daughter of one of the major clan leaders on your planet, who was also blood-descendant of Uru's last emperor and thus -- if the Urusian people wanted it, of course! -- could've become the new Empress, actually trying to concern herself about LESSER people?! Oh, my GOD!" He spun on her, clapping his cheeks in mock-horror. "To even SUGGEST such a thing!"

"Don't you dare!" Seiko snarled. "I'm no Imperialist! I never was!"

Ataru gazed on her. "Not according to Pochik Ando," he ruefully stated.

Seiko blinked, shock overcoming her outrage as Ataru placed himself at one end of the room. "How do you know Ando, Darling?"

"I met him the second weekend after you left in a place where Onee-chan had taken me so I could learn the Art. A place beyond the bounds of normal space and time. He was leading a special strike team back in time to assassinate key leaders on Noukiios in hopes of turning the war back to Uru's favour." He took a deep breath before turning back to her. "I hear that, at the same time I ran across your delightful friend, the . . . "

"He was NEVER my friend!" she spat out.

"Oh?!" His eyebrows arched. "How was I supposed to know that?"

Silence fell. Seiko then looked away, hugging herself. "What did he tell you?" she finally asked, her voice ashes.

"Oh, he told me all sorts of things," he replied. "Confessed that he always had an interest in you. At least . . . " He held up a finger. "Ando didn't like the idea of Rei marrying you. But then, when he found out about our so-called 'engagement' . . . " Ataru ruefully chuckled as he lowered his arms. "Oh, he didn't care at ALL for that. Not because of all the girl-chasing I did before you left Tomobiki." The smile dropped from his face. "But because he felt it quite improper that a man of a 'future slave race' to the restored Urusian Empire would even THINK of having close relations with the Imperium's first Empress in almost two centuries."

Seiko quaked, closing her eyes. "Why do you think I never saw him as my friend?" she hoarsely whispered, eyes brimming with tears as she tried to make some headway toward forging some sort of reconciliation, some type of understanding, with Ataru. "Darling, I was never of that line of thinking! Yes, I did some stupid, moronic things when I was here. I admit it! I'm sorry those things happened! But . . . " She shook her head, turning to gaze pleadingly at him. "You won the Tag Race, Darling! I DID respect that!"

He looked at her. "Clearly, Ando wasn't of the same mind. Neither was that old, slobbering pervert he called a father." He crossed his arms. "Ditto with Azu Des, Tenwan Cal and all the others of the so-called 'Imperial Round' I helped capture for the Noukiites and the Inquisition to have their way with the weekend after I killed Ando. Those that poor fellow from Okusei didn't nail with his fusion bomb in Onishuto, that is."

Seiko stared at him, and then she timidly asked, "You killed Ando?"

"Slit his throat, then I dumped him into a convenient time-tunnel that'll ensure his body remains adrift in limbo unto Eternity." He nodded matter-of-factly. "As for the rest of his crew, after they were interrogated, Onee-chan killed them with the heart-blast touch. After what they saw I did to Ando, they were a lot more respectful of 'lesser' people. So when we ended their lives, we made sure they got nice graves."

Silence fell as Seiko tried to take all that in. She then gazed intently at Ataru. "There's something more to this, isn't there?"

"What do you mean?"

"Darling! You've shrugged off insult after insult from everyone around you! I can't possibly believe that you would react to a simple racial slur from a sub-creature like Ando to kill him!" she snarled.

Ataru took a deep breath, and then the rage in his eyes faded. Seiko blinked confusedly, frozen still as he walked up to her. He placed a hand on her cheek and leaned up to kiss her forehead. She remained in place. "Darling . . .?" she whispered as she looked into his eyes.

He stepped back. "I was worried that the Psi-Unity part of the Crossing Over hadn't worked out like it should."

Seiko looked nowhere in particular as she tried to interpret what he just said, and then she looked back at him. "How do you know?"

"About the Great School?" He shrugged before sitting on the floor. "My older sister, Nokoko -- she's Muchi's and Kinshou's first child -- was sent to my uncle Komeru when she was three or so to be raised by him. For three years, we were deliberately made to believe that we were cousins, not brother and sister. When Onee-chan was finally told the truth on her sixth birthday, she ran away from home -- and wound up in the Outland dimension. There, she encountered a lost school of Nendo-kata. Nine in all as I recall. Because the Outland's certainly no place for a human to live, she had to merge and Cross Over with that school's matriarch. She's been there ever since."

Seiko sat in front of him. "Then why isn't she here? If she's the eldest-born of your generation, she should be the Matriarch, not . . . "

"Internal clan politics." He rolled his eyes. "If Onee-chan came back too soon, Sakuya-chan and the others . . . " -- he nodded outside -- " . . . would've been left out in the cold. Hell, even with Grandma dead, there're those in my family who're uncomfortable about having children born out of WEDLOCK take charge of the Clan as a whole. So . . . " he breathed out. "To ensure nothing bad happens to Sakuya-chan and the others, Onee-chan has to stay away. It's . . . " He closed his eyes. "Hard, but bearable."

Her eyes misted. "Oh, Darling . . . "

"It's okay." He smirked, a shrug twitching his shoulders. "Hell, you know me. Always willing to buck every social trend in this country of hypocrites! Remember when Megane tried to rag me out when we were making that movie just before you ran across Memory under Mendou's cherry tree?!"

Seiko smirked. "As I recall, I was a little out of it then."

"At least you got spared an earache from that jerk's mouth!" Ataru then shook his head. "He was an asshole, wasn't he?!"

She nodded. "I suppose you could call him that."

Both laughed as the memories of the "pseudo-war" came back. Seiko then reached out with her hand to touch Ataru's knee. "Why?"

Silence fell as he considered what to say, and then he took a deep breath. "Ando killed Grandma," he hoarsely whispered.

Seiko's skin paled as he stood, moving to gaze out the window. "The night of the sixth day of the first Tag Race, Ando and a small team used their spacializers to teleport into Grandma's farm on Rishiri-tou. By the time Brother Sunfire and his friends, much less any of the Kuromoroboshi, could figure out what was happening, it was too late. A fast-acting, nearly untraceable poison tailor-made for Grandma had done its work." He took a deep breath. "At first, her death seemed natural to the special investigators the Holy Inquisition sent from Jiyuu to look in on what happened. Then Negako-oneechan came back from her travels and took a look herself. She . . . "

"She found out it was murder. And that someone from Uru . . . "

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Then why didn't . . .?"

"Because they didn't have proof." He looked at her. "Much that the Zephyrites do have a reputation when it comes to chasing after 'heretics,' the Cabal of Archbishops understand what sort of things could result from calling a Holy Crusade, even if it's meant to avenge the premeditated murder of a Righteous Gentile." Turning back to gaze out the window, he sighed. "So they decided to wait for the right moment. Then, when the chance came, the Inquisition would be sent in to deal with matters. Well . . . " A shrug rolled his shoulder. "Thanks to Rei's moronic uncle and his covert support for the colonial militias on Machibusu and elsewhere, that chance came."

Seiko smiled, an understanding nod turning her head. "The Zephyrites never struck me as the types to engage in proxy wars, Darling."

"Why do you think the Cabal went along with it?"

A chuckle escaped her. "That's scary."

"Agreed."

"Darling?"

"What is it?"

"Why go after all the others?"

Ataru moved to sit beside her. "You know the _Kashin_ was captured by the Noukiites the week before Onishuto was destroyed, right?"

She nodded. "Hai. Dad really took it hard. He loved that ship."

"Well, the Inquisition helped the Noukiites." He drew his hand back. "Once they captured the ship, people got into its secure memory banks to find out everything they could about what might have happened had I lost the first Tag Race." Taking a deep breath, he gazed regretfully at her. "Your dad knew about Ando's operation against Grandma."

Silence. Seiko blinked, she staring wide-eyed at Ataru. "He . . .?"

He nodded. "Hai. I was told sometime after I dealt with Ando."

"Darling . . . "

Ataru took a deep breath, looking nowhere in particular. "At that moment . . . " His voice turned hoarse as tears brimmed in his eyes. "I never felt so . . . so BETRAYED!" he spat out before he gazed on her. "I liked you dad, Lum! I liked your mom, too! I was SO envious of you, you know that?! That you had two such wonderful, caring people as your parents! Look what I had! A selfish bitch for a mother and a lazy fool for a father, both of whom loved to blame me for EVERYTHING that went wrong in their lives!"

His fist squeezed. "And then to find out . . . " He stood, taking a couple steps away from Seiko. "That your father KNEW about what happened to my grandmother?! He voted FOR the operation to occur, Lum!" He waved nowhere in particular. "He and everyone else on your planet's ruling council VOTED to MURDER the only part of my family -- this being before I met Sakuya-chan and the others -- who truthfully, honestly cared for ME! What the HELL was I supposed to think after hearing about THAT?! WHAT?!"

He slumped against the wall, tears trailing down his cheeks. Seiko immediately walked over to draw her arms around him. He returned her embrace, squeezing his eyes shut as the emotions arising from the events of the past two months stormed through him. She remained silent, daring not to speak anything that might rub Ataru the wrong way. Though deep in her own mind, Seiko also wept at the level of trickery her people . . .

Her people . . .

No.

She was Urusian no longer.

Redet Lum was dead.

She was Izumo Seiko.

She was Nendo-kata.

Sworn enemy of those sub-creatures and Purveyors of disUnity . . .

Including Redet Lum's father . . .

Who would bring harm to countless innocents . . .

Including the man in her arms.

The person she still loved more than Life itself.

They pulled apart, gazing into the other's eyes. Seiko reached up to wipe his cheeks clean. "Darling, you had every right to do what you did." She tried to smile. "By Urusian law and custom, you, as the blood-descendant and heir of a Head of House, had every right in the Universe to avenge her murder, by whatever means possible. Zephyrite law demands that the blooded murder of a Righteous Gentile be answered with a Holy Crusade in return. I'm glad that you and the government of the Holy Republic decided to limit the reprisals to those who deserved what was coming to them. And . . . " She shrugged. "By Nendo-kata custom, defending your Great School from the threats of such sub-creatures . . . " She kissed him. "There is nothing wrong with that, Darling."

Ataru gazed at her with a smile, and then he reached over to gently grasp her hand. Shifting that so he could kiss her palm, he gave her a warm look. "Thanks, Seiko-chan," he whispered, drawing her close.

"Darling?"

Both perked, turning to see Sakiko standing at the doorway to the living room. The sad look on the other Nendo-kata's face spoke volumes. Ataru pulled away from Seiko to allow Sakiko to slide into his embrace. No words were said as Seiko added her own embrace. They remained still for a moment, and then they pulled apart. Taking a deep breath, Ataru gently squeezed Sakiko's hands. "I'm really sorry about Rei, Sakiko-chan. I may not've liked the guy very much, but he . . . " His voice trailed off.

Sakiko nodded. "I know. That's the sad fact about wars, especially ones rising from all the years of hatred and mistrust that were generated between the Urusians and the Noukiites. At least it's over now . . . " A pause as her eyebrow then arched. "It IS over now, isn't it?"

"Hopefully, yes. With the finding of Heaven's Gate Bridge, the Noukiites have achieved their primary goal: To avert any Urusian Imperialist restoration and forever discredit the foundations towards any anti-Noukiite feelings that wound up prompting things like the colonial militias and all those absurd territorial claims on Okusei, Tunchusei and Kurrusei. The secondary goal . . . " He held up two fingers. "Which is the one I'm very happy about, as are the Zephyrites, is to put a total end to all forms of spacializer use. You guys have to admit that using a time-travel device to 'correct' someone else's behaviour is pretty selfish, ne?" He glanced knowingly at Seiko.

Seiko nodded. "Not to mention using those devices to murder someone."

"Right." Ataru lowered his hand. "You can bet that those goals, atop the renunciation of all Urusian first-contact claims on Earth, will be what the Noukiites insist on before any final peace treaty is made."

"I take it you insisted on that point, Darling?" Seiko asked.

He gazed knowingly at her. "Sei-chan, it WAS the Urusians who insisted that I be the Terran tag race champion, remember?"

"Lucky for Earth that happened." Sakiko giggled, and then sobered as she stared on Ataru. "But it isn't really over, is it?"

He returned her look, nodding. "Hai. There's still one problem."

Seiko perked. "Who?"

"Oogi."

Silence descended over the room. Sakiko sighed. "Wonderful."

* * *

The three stepped into Ataru's old bedroom. Ten sat on the bunk bed. Kneeling on the floor beside the transformed Urusian-turned-Avalonian was the replica of Benten. Lum's replica sat to the opposite side. The doubles of Ran and Oyuki were by the window, holding hands as they gazed on the surrounding cityscape. As soon as Ataru and the Izumos stepped in, everyone gazed on them.

"Darling!"

To Ataru's disbelief, all FOUR of the Avalonian replicas had spoken that word. Before he could react, four typhoons of lovable alien bioroid teenager slammed into him, nearly knocking him down as they deluged him with a storm of hugs and kisses. "Hey! Hey! HEY! Cut it out, already!" he pleaded. Sensing that the Avalonians certainly did NOT want to let him go anytime soon, he relented as he allowed them to remain close. "Damn . . . "

Seiko and Sakiko exchanged a look and then they laughed. "Well, Darling, you DID wish for a harem, didn't you?" the latter mused.

Ataru winced. "Me and my big mouth . . .!"

"Oh, don't be so shy, Darling," Oyuki's replica, Mienai, playfully cooed as she pulled away from him, giving him a sultry, doe-eyed stare. "After all, unlike our templates, we KNOW what a good person you are."

"After all, Darling, what Hensou here sensed through Lum . . . " Benten's double, Kamen, indicated the replica of Lum. "We ALL knew."

"Really?" Ataru then sighed. "Right."

"Waaaaai! Now Onii-tama has Avalonians to play with!"

Everyone spun around to see Hinako standing at the doorway. Behind her were Mamoru and Kaho. Also there was a very familiar ghost-cat. "Kota-chan!" Ten screamed out as he leapt off the bunk to race into Kotatsuneko's embrace. "Kota-chan, what're you doing here?!"

The cat-spirit shrugged. Hinako blinks as the Staff translated his subtle message to his alien-born friend. She then turned to Ataru. "Onii-tama, Kotatsuneko-san says that he's really, really, really happy that Ten-chan came back." A pause as Kotatsuneko added something more, and then she carried on, "And Kotatsuneko-san says that he hopes that Ten-chan won't be sent away. It got pretty lonely at times over the last couple weeks when he had no one other than your old principal and vice-principal to talk to."

"I think this time, things should turn out for the better." Ataru leaned down to stare at Ten. "Though I DO hope that you'll be a little more careful, Ten. After what happened last week at the school, not that many people here in Tomobiki'd like it if they learned you, much less Seiko-chan here . . . " He indicated Seiko. "Actually survived the whole fight with the Noukiites."

Ten blinked confusedly. "What happened, Ataru?"

Kotatsuneko explained it to the young boy. Hearing that, Ten shuddered before he demanded, "You mean to say that Ryuunosuke's boyfriend and those other girls got killed because of what Megane and his dopes caused with the space-taxi and all of Earth's oil?!" He then waved his hands as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "_**THAT WAS ALL MEGANE'S FAULT!**_"

"Jariten, I think trying to put blame on something like that's kinda dumb now," Ataru warned before he took a breath and gazed on the lovely replica-bioroids of his ex-fiancée and her best friends. "Speaking of which . . . "

"We gotta make them look normal, right, Anii?" Mamoru asked.

"Hai, hai!"

Hinako perked, listening to something the Staff told her before she nodded. "Okay! Hina'll make it all better!"

She held it up. "Hinako-chan, what are you . . .?!" Kaho gasped.

The Staff flared to life. Everyone cried out as Hensou was bathed from head to toe in bright white energy. A second later, the energy vanished, revealing a raven-haired Japanese girl with blue-grey eyes, she dressed in a button shirt and knee-length skirt. Her long hair was tied into two thick French braids wrapped from behind her ears to come together at the top of her head. Ataru and Seiko exchanged a look. "Nobade Shinobi lives again," the former mused with a chuckle as he gazed back on the transformed Hensou.

Hensou perked before she stepped into the bathroom to gaze on herself. "Hai, Darling, I guess I do look like her, don't I?" she called out before coming back to give Hinako a thank-you kiss. "Arigatou, Hinako-chan."

Hinako blushed, giggling cutely. "Well, Saeru-san, would you care to help these other ladies?" Ataru asked.

"Hai, hai!"

* * *

Ten minutes later, everyone stepped out of the Moroboshi home. Kamen and Mienai were dressed in polo shirts and slacks while Ran's double, Damasu, wore similar clothing to Hensou. Save for the elimination of the obvious alien traits on the other bioroids -- Kamen's elongated earlobes, Damasu's fanged canines and tapered ears and Mienai's frozen hair and crystalline eyes -- the changes to their looks were quite minimal; Mienai still had platinum hair while Damasu had her hair darkened to a more-natural chestnut shade.

As soon as everyone had stepped out of the house, Ataru got Hinako to fix up the front door with the Staff. He then turned to his transformed former fiancée. "You sure you won't have any problems, Seiko-chan?"

"Oh, relax, Darling. We'll be fine." Seiko leaned up to peck his cheek, and then she waved to Hensou and the others. "Kay and Jay'll come to our apartment tomorrow to get everything straightened around with them."

Ataru smirked. "Well, don't be total strangers, alright."

Mamoru perked. "Anii, aren't we going to the hot springs?"

Ataru snapped his fingers. "Damn, that's right!"

"Darling, how can you think about going to the hot springs with Oogi hovering over out heads?!" Sakiko demanded.

Mamoru shrugged. "It was Negako-anee's suggestion. After all, we don't know spit about what's going on with that jerk. We can't hit him head-on if we don't really know what we're really up against, ne?"

Seiko nodded. "True. It's a pity I never really thought about dealing with that sub-creature before all this happened. Well . . . " She winked at Ataru. "Be assured that THIS time, Darling, you won't be fighting Oogi alone. Anyhow, we best get going back to our place!"

"Hai!" the others chimed.

Ataru and his sisters watched as the Izumos, Ten and the others headed off. As soon as they were sufficiently out of hearing range, Kaho reached over to tug Ataru's shirtsleeve. "Onii-chama?" she asked.

"Hmm? What is it, Kaho-chan?"

"Is Seiko-san going to be alright?"

He considered that, and then he smiled. "Hopefully, yes. For too long, her life was dominated by the wishes of others who never saw her as a _person_. All she was to people like them was a future empress, goddess, idol star . . . " A snort escaped him as he rolled his eyes. "Maybe she DID realize that deep down. Maybe that's why . . . " He closed his eyes. "Oh, Lum . . . "

"Why she fell in love with you," Mamoru finished.

Ataru nodded. "Yeah!" He stared at his sisters before he waved them with him. "C'mon, let's get home. I'm starving and I want to see everyone else's reaction when they meet Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan."

Laughter filled the air as they headed off.

* * *

"You must be really disappointed right now, Lufy."

The Yehisrite-born pilot blinked as she absorbed that comment. "Nah, I'm not disappointed, Eluza," she said, gazing at the image on her cabin's private view screen. "Frustrated, yeah. But we haven't been able to find even the smallest fragment of the factory and we've been looking for six hours. If it managed to survive the planet blowing up, it's gotta be out there somewhere."

The woman who was speaking to the shipmistress of the RSS/C _Konggh'cha_ was Ellsian by birth. Eluza possessed purple eyes and rose-pink hair she normally combed to the small of her neck. A shipmistress in the Republic of Sagussa Navy, Eluza was the commander of Lufy's first posting, the special missions warpsloop RSS _Hasei'cha_. Currently, the _Hasei'cha_ was in Noukiite space, its crew having been assigned to secretly aid the Dominion during its brief but victorious war against the Urusian Union.

"But where could it have gone?" Eluza wondered.

"That's what we're trying to figure out. We've picked up what seems to be a warp trace, but disruptions in local electromagnetic fields because of Phentax Twelve's destruction are making it hard for us to follow the trail."

A sigh. "And given that keeping track of the bioroid factory was never a priority, it'll take a lot of persuasion to make the idiots in Intelligence alter the search patterns for the Rovers to track that thing down."

"Especially if Carmen's spooks found out why I _want_ to find the thing."

The _Hasei'cha_'s shipmistress ruefully laughed. "True, true." Eluza had been very disappointed when, a year after Catty (the warpsloop's senior doctor) bonded with Noa, Lufy had applied to be transferred to Pathfinder Troop Six as the _Kiboo'cha_'s full-time pilot. While she had not really concerned herself about the various romantic liaisons between the members of her crew, that it had come to the point where one of the _Hasei'cha_'s three Gladiator pilots had actually transferred OFF the ship . . .! And that added to the fact that another of the warpsloop's pilots, the unnamed Daishi'cha #337, had disappeared from Sagussa itself shortly after Ataru's visit . . .!

"How's Catty Ray taking it?" Eluza asked.

"Hard, though she's got that damned android logic mask of hers to hide it behind," Lufy replied before jolting on hearing the buzzer to her private cabin sound off. "Who's there?!" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

The door opened, revealing Priss. "Hey, Luf!" Troop Six's first officer hailed as she stepped into her friend's cabin, and then her eyes focused on the woman in the view screen before Lufy. "Yo, Eluza! How're things with you?"

"Quite well, even with one pilot still missing and another one defecting to your team," Eluza quipped with a wink.

Priss laughed. "What's the problem?" Lufy asked.

"We might've found out where the factory disappeared to," Priss replied.

"Where?" Eluza asked.

"Earth," Priss said. "While I had Ayumu scan the debris field for any sign of the damned thing's warp signature, I tapped into the local comm nets to find out more about what the hell went down in Lumukyou sometime back."

Eluza and Lufy nodded understandingly. The destruction of Phentax Two's capital city and the mass slaughter of three billion of the planet's residents two weeks before was something that, while not a top priority for the Sagussan Intelligence Ministry, had caught the interest of certain people. Especially when one factored in the viewpoint held by the leaders of the Niphentaxian Union's "one true faith" concerning Sagussa's first Daimon'cha. "Is there a provisional government forming now?" Eluza asked.

"It's coming together," Priss confirmed with a nod and a grin. "Moderate Lumites -- the ones who call Ataru-sama the 'Goddess' Beloved Darling' and all that -- with Hollywoodites and several minor faiths, plus a sizable group of atheists who're finally coming out the closet now that the people've decided that punishing apostasy as a CAPITAL crime is downright stupid."

"That's a good sign," Eluza mused.

"Agreed. Managed to overhear a secret communiqué between Suisei t'ndai-Reslei and one of her representatives on Phentax Two concerning what might've happened just before all those people got one-way tickets to Eternity."

"Who's Suisei?" Lufy wondered.

"Senior Hollywoodite leader; she's based right now on Phentax Twenty-three," Priss explained. "Turns out that in the week before everything went to Chaos in a hand basket in Lumukyou, President Oogi ordered that ALL Avalonians be sent to the factory on Phentax Twelve, even the ones who were working as slave labour on the ships in the Niphentaxian Navy. A lot of Lumite leaders from across the spectrum raised a big snit over it."

Eluza closed her eyes as she allowed her razor-sharp mind to roll over that; being able to quickly resolve potential problems at the snap of the fingers was an automatic prerequisite for any special warfare commander. Priss and Lufy's commanding officer, Sylia, was the same. "The possibility was there that Oogi was prepared to use the factory to support the Urusians against the Noukiites," the _Hasei'cha_'s shipmistress then stated. "So we might have to keep an eye out for the damned thing here . . . "

"Don't have to," Priss cut in. "Lumite leaders on Phentax Two have re-established contact with their observer force on Earth. There's been a pretty nasty development in Tomobiki." Her lips twisted on her mentioning the name of Moroboshi Ataru's old hometown. In classical Sagussan, "Tomobiki" (properly Romanised as "Toghmoghbiki") translated as "place of fools and madmen;" according to the ancient myths of the long-dead Fourth Republic, Toghmoghbiki was the stronghold of Sagussa's prince of devils, the Master of Entropy. "Just a week ago, some Islamic terrorist decided to blow up Tomobiki High in reprisal over that oil-theft incident involving the Intergalactic Space-Taxi Company, Ataru-sama and his classmates. There were some fatalities."

"Including?" Eluza prompted.

"Aisuru Satoshi, Urayamu Akira, Daremo Hiroyuki and Shitto Koosuke. Also known as Megane, Chibi, Kakugari and Paama."

Eluza's and Lufy's eyes went wide. The latter then blinked as something came to her. "It's over Earth," she breathed out.

"Most likely," Priss confirmed with a nod of her head.

Lufy took that in, and then she grimaced. "That's where we're going!"

* * *

"Bwiiii . . . "

Making her way through the farmer's market, Momose Tamako paused on hearing that squeal. Taking a moment to empathically scan her surroundings, the raven-haired tomboy focused on a small black piglet painfully staggering down a side alley. Her eyes narrowed for a moment as she focused her mental powers on the small animal. They then widened as she detected something that should NOT be emanating from a simple farm animal. "A boy . . .?" she whispered. Quickly paying for her purchases, she headed off in pursuit.

Stepping into the alley, she placed herself two metres behind the piglet, who seemed completely unaware that he was being followed. _Yes, clearly a boy . . ._ Tamako mused to herself. _In great pain. What happened to him?_ Pausing for a moment as she considered what she should do, the raven-haired Avalonian nodded determinedly before she reached down to scoop the piglet up. As soon as her fingers made contact with his sable fur, images began to flow into Tamako's mind. She automatically moved to prevent the full typhoon of pain, depression and shame emanating from the transformed young man -- Ryouga? Yes, that was his name: Hibiki Ryouga! -- from overwhelming her. Still, she could not ignore what the poor fellow had just endured . . .! Was it only two days ago? It was so hard to tell with this one, the Avalonian grimaced as she cradled him in her arms. His time-sense was so terribly out of whack.

Why?

The transformed Ryouga shuddered as he felt warm, soft arms and hands cradle him. He then looked up to gaze on a smiling teenage woman's face framed by shaggy black hair and pierced with sullen, smoky blue eyes. Realizing that yet ANOTHER pretty girl had just found him, Ryouga squealed, his hoofs trying to scrape and kick himself free of her grasp.

No! Not another one! After Akane, after Akari . . .

Akari . . .

Akari . . .

NO!

Tamako gasped as she felt Ryouga's depression submerge to depths she couldn't begin to imagine, his body glowing a sickly green as a curious energy aura instantly encompassed him. Realizing that he was about to let go with some sort of attack, Tamako dropped her purchases as she hefted Ryouga into the air. Just in time; with a pained squeal, the transformed martial artist let go with a Shishi Hookoodan that roared into the afternoon sky. Seconds later, a burst of energy flared over Tomobiki, safely away from damaging any buildings. Ryouga collapsed in Tamako's hand, a tired moan escaping him. The Avalonian remained still, and then she lowered her hand to prod the transformed piglet. _It's as if he wants to die._ She cradled him. _What happened to him?!_

"Tamako-chan!"

She looked up to see Kurosu Kanami race into the alley, concern burned on her sister Avalonian's face. "Oh, Kanami-chan, gomen!" Tamako apologized with an embarrassing laugh, and then she turned back to the dazed Ryouga.

The taller woman slowed as her eyes focused on the transformed martial artist. She then gave Tamako a curious look. "Who's he?"

"Hibiki Ryouga," Tamako explained. "Some wandering martial artist. I sensed him when I was in the market. But . . . "

Kanami's eyebrow arched. "How'd he get transformed into a piglet?"

"I haven't probed his mind to find out. He's . . . "

The other nodded. With their powers, Avalonians possessed considerable advantages over non-psi species. Fortunately, the long-dead scientists who launched Project: Avalon fourteen millennia ago ensured that the bioroid race would always be governed by a strict code of ethics when it came to using their powers. If such hadn't existed, Kanami and Tamako both knew, the Niphentaxians would've been in enormous trouble the day they discovered the factory. But that was beside the point, both sighed as they gazed on the piglet in Tamako's hands. "He's been alone most of his life," Kanami quickly noted. "Only a couple people have ever showed him real kindness . . . "

"And he accidentally hurt one some days ago," Tamako added. "That's why he's suicidal now. He fears he may have killed her."

"Did he?"

The raven-haired Avalonian shook her head before she gazed on her taller sister. "Hard to tell. Well, he does need help . . . "

Kanami nodded. "No logical reason we shouldn't help him. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind once they're fully apprised of the situation. Is there a way to revert Ryouga-kun back to his natural form, Tamako-chan?"

"Can't say . . . wait!" Tamako tensed as more images flowed into her mind. "Ah! Ryouga-kun is 'cursed.' Some sort of metaphysical affliction, I believe. It was forced on him when he travelled to a valley in China a year ago. It's difficult to ascertain any sort of proper time-sense with Ryouga-kun. I don't understand why. Anyhow, cold water triggers the 'curse.' Heated water restores him to normal." She looked around. "We should locate his personal belongings. He normally has them in his possession."

Kanami hummed before she reached over to gently stroke the fur between Ryouga's ears. The transformed piglet jolted, his eyes blearily opening to gaze on whoever was touching him. As more of his mind reverted to an alert state, images flowed into Kanami's mind. "Alright!" She pulled her hand away, turning to race off. "Be back in a minute," she called out.

Ryouga blinked, and then he grunted with contentment as Tamako's free hand stroked his back. "Do you like that, Ryouga-kun?" the raven-haired Avalonian wondered as she turned him around to gaze on her. "By the looks of it, you haven't had a very pleasant week, ne?"

_Not really . . . _he moaned before he perked, dulled danger senses coming to the fore. _Wait a minute! How'd you know who I am?!_

Tamako giggled in embarrassment. "Oh, it's alright, Ryouga-kun. I'm telepathic and empathic. That's how I was able to sense your distress, not to mention learn your name and ascertain the exact parameters of your curse. It's all right. You've nothing to fear from me."

Ryouga blinked, blinked again, and then he shook his head. _Is this a dream . . .?_ he wondered. Meeting a very nice girl who wasn't the least bit bothered by his curse. Well, there was Unryuu Akari, of course . . .

Akari . . .

Oh, no . . .!

Squealing, he slumped in Tamako's hand. A hand quickly rested on his forehead. "No! No, Ryouga-kun! It's alright," she gently soothed. "From what I've been able to sense from your memories, this Akari person is alright."

Ryouga blinked, shakily lifting his head to gaze into her eyes. _Alive . . .?_ he moaned, a faint spark of hope flaring in his heart.

"Hai." Tamako nodded before she perked on sensing Kanami approach. In a minute, the taller Avalonian was back in the alley, a large backpack with umbrella in hand. "Oh, there you are, Kanami-chan! Any problems?!"

"Iie. This was a couple blocks over." Kanami then gazed at Ryouga. "Hopefully, no one stole anything while you were separated from it."

Staring at the taller woman, the transformed piglet blinked, and then he turned back to Tamako. _Is she like you?!_ he wondered.

"Hai, Ryouga-kun, I am," Kanami answered before she perked. "Oh, gomen. We haven't properly introduced ourselves." She politely covered her mouth before waving to herself. "My name's Kurosu Kanami. This is my sister, Momose Tamako." She waved to the other Avalonian currently holding the transformed wanderer. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ryouga-kun."

They bowed. Glancing at one, and then the other, Ryouga tried not to pass out. TWO pretty girls, clearly very good friends if the "sister" reference Kanami made hinted at anything -- he was quick to note that there was NO family resemblance between them. Could they be adopted sisters? -- treating him with kindness and respect, almost . . .? Reverence?!

What did he do to deserve something like THAT?!

Tamako: "Oh, dear! I think Ryouga-kun's a little overwhelmed."

"He seems to be that way, ne?" Kanami grinned. "Well, let's get back to our apartment so we can give him a chance to be normal, then we'll introduce him to Yukimi-chan, Hiro-chan and Namie-chan. I think they'll like him."

"Of course they will." Tamako reached down to pick up her shopping. "Besides, Yukimi-chan needs the vegetables for dinner."

"Hai, hai!"

They headed for their apartment. Remaining in Tamako's hands, Ryouga was seized by indecision. On the one hand, what happened some days ago at Unryuu Akari's farm still loomed over his soul like Damocles' sword. On the other hand, making the acquaintance of Kanami and Tamako was like . . .! Why, it was like the night Akane found him immediately after his second confrontation with Ranma post-Jusenkyou. Even better, Kanami and Tamako knew immediately what his curse was all about. And best of all, they didn't even CARE!

Were the Fates finally smiling on him for a change?

* * *

"Tadaima!"

"Oh, Onii-sama . . .!"

Ataru stopped on hearing Sakuya's singsong voice. Turning to gaze warily on the eldest of his half-sisters, he was quick to notice the knowing look on her face. "Um, is there a problem, Sakuya-chan?" he asked with a faint chuckle, he taking a fearful step away from her.

She walked up to him, piercing him with a very intensive gaze. "Onii-sama, when were you finally going to tell us about our nieces?" she purred, one hand pointing in the general direction of his and Ranma's bedroom.

Hearing her question, Hinako, Mamoru and Kaho, they standing behind their brother, exchanged knowing smiles. "Well, they're kinda hard TO explain, Sakuya-chan . . . " Ataru shrugged. "I mean, after all, they . . . "

"Onii-sama, I'm too YOUNG to be called 'auntie!'" Sakuya cut in.

"B-but . . . "

"Oh, so you would have preferred to have Ataru return from Sanctuary little more than a mental vegetable, Sakuya?"

Sakuya jolted before she spun around to glare at Negako. "YOU KNEW?!"

"Yes." The grandmaster was unperturbed by Sakuya's outburst. "Besides, the others seem quite willing to accept Reiko and Kaneko."

Sakuya fretted. "Onee-sama . . .!"

"I am certain that Shirayuki would love to try out several of her more spicier recipes with Reiko and Kaneko," Negako added. "Noukiites, I discovered sometime ago, have quite a fondness for spicy food."

"But, Onee-sama . . . "

"Sakuya-chan, are you afraid that people might actually think you're old?" Ataru walked up to embrace his sister from behind. As Sakuya stared at him, he leaned up to whisper in her ear, "There's not a wrinkle on you."

"Onii-sama . . . " Sakuya stopped. "There isn't?"

"Not a one." He shook his head. "Besides, Ranma likes the girls, too. Do you really think it'd be prudent for me to deny her anything, Sakuya-chan?"

"Um . . .!" Sakuya shuddered before she made herself relax. "No, of course not!" She pulled away from him, turning to gaze into his eyes. "But what happens when all this mess with the Urusians settles down, Onii-sama? Are the MiBs going to let you keep them? People HAVE been talking about closing the doors on all of them finally, you know!"

"That applies only to the Federation states, Sakuya-chan," he cautioned. "Noukiios is breaking away from the rest of that lot, so it won't apply to them in the long term. Besides, given that Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan are bioroids cloned from DNA taken from the graves of several of Noukiios' greatest heroes, I don't think they'll have an easier time of it if they went back home."

"Why not, Anii?!" Mamoru asked.

"Grave-robbing is a capital crime on Noukiios, Mamoru," Negako explained.

The other sisters nodded. "Oh!"

Himiko and Mikiko then came up, accompanied by their mothers. "Ataru-kun, there you are!" Kawamura Mami beamed as she grasped his hand. "Is it true that you adopted those sweet little girls who came in with Chikage-chan?!"

"Hai, hai, Mrs. Kawamura, I did." Ataru rubbed the back of his head before he indicated Sakuya. "Now, all I have to do is convince Sakuya-chan here to accept them and I'll be fully in the clear!" He winked.

"Onii-sama!" Sakuya cried out.

"Oh, Sakuya-chan, stop that!" Mikiko gently scolded, walking over to squeeze the other woman's shoulder. "They're both darlings and I know they love you very much! Why are you being such a stuck-in-the-mud about it?!"

An unintelligible answer escaped her. "Mikiko-chan, that's enough!" Serizawa Tomomi wagged a finger at her daughter. "Give your friend time."

Mikiko ducked her mother's look. "Hai, Mom!"

"Did you or the guys from the SCAA have any problems trying to put your daughters' lives back in order?" Ataru wondered.

"Well, Kay-san said there were two ways we could do this," Mami reported after taking a deep breath. "We decided that instead of treating them as legal orphans and adopting them into our families, we'd just have the death certificates revoked and go on from there. After all, according to Chikage-chan and Negako-sensei, Himiko-chan and Mikiko-chan didn't die at all."

Negako's eyebrow twitched on hearing "sensei" applied to her. "Outside of the powers this body has, I don't feel any different than I did before Alhamzi blew up the school," Himiko added as she exchanged a look with Mikiko.

"I sense a 'but' in here somewhere," Ataru noted.

Mikiko nodded. "Hai, there is. Kay-san and Jay-san recommended that for the time being, we should stay away from Tomobiki."

"Why?!" Kaho asked.

Mikiko nodded. "Because of the way we came back, Kaho-chan."

Ataru nodded. "That makes sense. There're people out there who'd gladly do anything, even kill, to find out how to literally be reborn into something like an Avalonian. The advantages you girls have now . . . "

Mikiko sighed. "We know."

"But we're not sure where we could send them." Tomomi shrugged. "Both our husbands have very good jobs that haven't been affected by the downturn in the economy, so we don't want to risk anything that'd threaten that . . . "

"Understandable." Ataru then blinked. "Hey, wait . . . "

Sakuya stared at him. "Onii-sama?"

He turned to the survivors of the previous week's bombing. "How'd you two like to come to Stargazer West College on the Island?"

The others currently attending that institution stared at him before grins crossed their faces. "That's a great idea, Anii!" Mamoru gushed, nodding excitedly. "Himiko-san'd be a shoe-in for the senior swim team for sure!"

"But where would we stay?!" Mikiko asked.

"At Welcome House, of course!" Sakuya gazed knowingly on her. "We're practically having the rotunda rebuilt right now, so we can slap in some extra rooms for both of you! There're no problems there!"

Himiko's eyebrow arched. "You sure?"

Mamoru nodded. "Of course we're sure!"

"This won't cost anything, will it?" Mami asked.

Ataru shook his head. "Not a single yen, Mrs. Serizawa."

"Tadaima!"

"Oh, Rinrin-chan, you're back!" Sakuya gushed as Rinrin and Yotsuba stepped into the old shrine. "Just the person I'm looking for!"

"Something wrong, Sakuya-chan?" Rinrin asked before she saw the two older women standing beside Himiko and Mikiko. "Oh, you must be Himiko-san's and Mikiko-san's mothers!" the teen inventor then declared with a smile.

Sakuya indicated the other girls. "Rinrin-chan, we need new rooms knocked into the rotunda for Himiko-san and Mikiko-chan."

Rinrin perked. "Eh?! Oh, that'll be easy! Ne, Aniki, you think I should throw in some more space for Jonna-san and Orin-san?"

"That'd be prudent. Hinako-chan, you want Jonna-san to stay with you?"

He stared at his youngest sister. "Hai!" Hinako gushed.

"We might as well do the same for Aria-chan and Orin-san," Sakuya stated before she stared at Rinrin. "Okay, Miss Genius, let's get those floor plans out so we can make everyone feel right at home!"

"Hai!"

Rinrin headed to the coffee table. Most of the others followed her, people chatting excitedly away. Yotsuba remained close to Ataru. "So you finally managed to pull yourself away from Nabiki-san's brother, eh?"

She jolted. "Ani-chama . . .!"

He laughed. "Oh, relax!" He reached over to squeeze her shoulder, giving her a warm smile. "I just want to make sure you'll be alright with this guy. Even if he is a masculine version of Tendou Nabiki . . . "

"Whom Ane-chama has problems respecting," Yotsuba cut in, batting Ataru's nose playfully before she breathed out. "Will you RELAX?! Yotsuba's a big girl! Besides, Yotsuba doesn't like the idea of some creep coming along to take advantage of Shi-chama 'cause of what Shi-chama is!"

They stared at each other. Ataru sighed, drawing her into an embrace. "Oh, okay, I won't bother you about it anymore! Alright?!"

She kissed his cheek. "Checky!"

"Papa?!"

Yotsuba spun to see two very young girls -- both looking like blue-haired, fair-skinned Klingons -- standing a metre away from them. Ranma stood behind Reiko and Kaneko, a knowing smile on her face. "Waaai!" Yotsuba gushed as she whipped out her camera. "Cute alien girl checky!" she announced, hopping to every possible angle to get pictures.

Reiko and Kaneko exchanged a look, and then they turned to Ataru. "Papa, is Auntie Yotsuba ALWAYS like this?!" the former asked.

Yotsuba instantly froze, her jaw drooping somewhere near her knees as she stared wide-eyed at the twins. "'Auntie . . .?!'" she sputtered before she slowly passed out. "That's -- definitely -- NOT -- checky . . .!"

Ataru sighed. "You get used to her after a bit, girls."

Ranma laughed.

* * *

"Bweee . . .?"

"Oh, I do hope Ryouga-sama is alright," Unryuu Akari mused, holding the parasol close to her as Katsunishiki lumbered down the street in the general direction of Nerima. Seeing the giant pig, most passers-by stopped and gawked. Even for a haven of weirdness like Tomobiki, looking at such a massive animal dressed in the formal loincloth of a sumotori was, simply, a unique experience. "I just can't BELIEVE the others would do something like that to him! And when he was a piglet himself?! Can you, Katsunishiki?"

The pig grunted, inwardly grateful that he couldn't talk so he wouldn't be forced to explain his brothers' actions to his mistress. Much that any of the rikibuta belonging to the Unryuu beya would NEVER think of upsetting Akari, what some of the younger ones had sensed about their mistress' mate days ago HAD to be redressed in the harshest way possible.

It was simple logic, after all.

A happy mistress means a happy beya and happy rikibuta.

An upset -- worse, a HEARTBROKEN! -- mistress . . .!

Katsunishiki tried not to sigh as Akari guided him onto the main street leading out of Tomobiki into Nerima. Taking the turn, the giant pig deeply inhaled, and then he stopped. Akari gazed down at her prized champion. "Is there something wrong?!" she asked.

Katsunishiki lowered his head. His snout flared as a familiar scent registered deep in his mind. Turning around -- an impressive feat on a sidewalk framed by a busy street and someone's fence line for an animal as large as a small truck -- the pig began to trace the scent down the street. "Oh, you got Ryouga-sama's scent!" Akari patted her champion's neck. "Must be recent! Find him, Katsunishiki!" she ordered as she pointed down the street.

He oinked in the affirmative as they headed downtown.

_**To be continued . . .**_


	14. 6th Part C: Reality's Surprises

"I am truly disappointed to hear that, Nodoka."

Nodoka winced as Isao's gaze raked over her. Both sat in the reception lounge of the latter's office, located atop a skyscraper in the heart of Tokyo's Marunouchi district, close to the metropolis' main railroad station. "I am truly sorry about this, Father," she apologized with a deep bow. "I had hoped that, regardless of what legal action the government had taken on my so- . . .!" Her voice then choked as she remembered what Ranma had told her at the Moroboshi home earlier in the day. "My child's behalf . . . "

"Do not SAY that!" Isao snapped, the icy rage in his voice causing Nodoka to freeze in place. "Isn't it obvious, Nodoka?! This whole insane story about those cursed ponds in China altering BOTH my grandson's mind as well as body is just that: A STORY! How could you have blinded yourself to the truth, girl?! You know that monster Happoosai is friends with this Moroboshi Negako! Why didn't you make yourself see that Moroboshi is manipulating Ranma to stand against us, all because of her friendship with Happoosai?!"

"But, Father . . .!"

"ENOUGH!" Isao roared.

Silence fell as Nodoka remained frozen in place. She dared NOT raise her head to gaze upon her father, do ANYTHING that might serve to rile Isao further. Her very existence as a daughter of Asagaya Isao, a member of the Asagaya Clan, hung in the very balance. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Isao then closed his eyes. "Return to your home. When the time comes, we will confront this Moroboshi woman -- or whatever she is! -- directly! We WILL bring Ranma into the family! By FORCE if necessary! Go!"

"Hai!"

Nodoka rose, she swiftly exiting the lounge. After the door closed behind her, Isao took a breath. "No . . . " he hissed as his eyes focused on a painting of his late wife Nana, hanging on a nearby wall. "You WILL be avenged, Nana! You will be finally avenged . . . "

A buzzer sounded off on the phone sitting on the table beside his chair. "Asagaya-dono?" his secretary called out over the intercom.

Isao relaxed. "What is it, Etsuko-san?"

"Hoofuku Reiji-sama is here to see you, sir."

The patriarch of the Asagaya Clan perked. "Send him in, please."

"Right away, Asagaya-dono."

The door opened a moment later to reveal a man who appeared well past his prime. Dressed in robes reminiscent of what Buddhist monks in Korea typically wore, he has next to no hair on his head, save for wisps of pure white over his ears plus a moustache and goatee. His dark brown eyes glimmered with an icy fire that would make most people believe he wasn't in full command of his senses. Isao knew much better. Hoofuku Reiji was the patriarch of a minor ninjutsu clan whose distant ancestors had been Shaolin monks who had migrated from China during the time of the Fujiwara Regency in the latter part of the Heian age. His family was related to the Moroboshi Clan only by marriage; his younger daughter Jiko had married the brother of the late Moroboshi Nagaiwakai, Hana Seinen, decades ago. From that marriage came one daughter, Hana Naho.

It was a marriage the elderly Hoofuku patriarch had NOT approved of whatsoever; the Hoofuku Clan had opposed the Moroboshi Clan -- and by extension, the Imperial Household and the Japanese government as a whole! -- in the last phase of the shinobi wars during the 1950s. That was when Nagaiwakai had first made contact with the alien race known as the Zephyrites. The power that Nagaiwakai had been able to gain from that first contact had been enough to put down the rebellious ninja clans in the name of the Shoowa Emperor. That was an act Reiji or his clansmen had never forgotten nor forgiven. Seinen and Jiko later paid for their "crimes" with their very lives.

As for Naho, her ultimate fate remained a total mystery to this day.

"Konban wa, Isao-san," Reiji greeted his host with a respectful bow.

"Konban wa, Reiji-san," Isao returned the greeting with an equally respectful bow. "Did you learn what happened to Genma's friend?"

"The soulsword happened," Reiji replied as he sat in front of Isao.

Isao perked. Having associated with the Hoofuku over the last couple of weeks, the Asagaya patriarch had become aware of the basic fighting manoeuvres in the Moroboshi Clan's in-house school of ninjutsu. "How did that happen?"

Reiji explained. Hearing what just happened to Tendou Souun in his last attempt to "unite the schools," Isao laughed. "That fool's no different than Genma!" he exclaimed before composing himself. "Is Souun doomed to die?"

"No, he will eventually recover. If left alone, I'd say it would take several weeks. Two months at maximum." An icy smile then crossed Reiji's face. "It CAN be shortened if the right treatment is administered, Isao-san."

Isao's eyes narrowed. "What do you have in mind?"

Reiji's grin widened. "Something that will serve both our ends, my friend. We both agree on this: Neither of us wants an alliance or anything like it between Saotome Ranma and Moroboshi Ataru, to say anything of those bastard bitches Ataru's spineless father sired on the side. Are we agreed on that?" Seeing Isao nod, Reiji then relaxed. "I have an idea that will forever sever whatever bonds of friendship presently exist between your grandchild and Nagaiwakai's loon grandson." He then smiled again as he moved to add, knowing well that Isao would LOVE to hear this point: "At the same time, Isao-san, it will guarantee the final demise of the last living heir of Happoosai."

The Asagaya patriarch gazed on his guest. "Do go on, Reiji-san."

* * *

On ground level, standing near the outer border of the Imperial Palace grounds, was a lovely teenage girl with short-cut black hair and deep blue eyes masked by a pair of sunglasses. She was dressed in a dark blouse and knee-length skirt, a black choker with a chrysanthemum around her neck. Hanging from one hand was a bag full of goodies she obtained from shops in Harajuku before her powers locked in on her target and led her across town. Her eyes were fixed on the top of the building where Asagaya Isao had his offices. While trailing the likes of Hoofuku Reiji could be dangerous if one didn't take precautions, Inaba Ayano really had nothing to worry about. Even if he knew about Nagaiwakai's connections with the Zephyrites, the Hoofuku patriarch couldn't conceive of him being tracked by someone possessing Avalonian abilities. Thus, he couldn't shield himself from her empathic probes.

Too bad for him.

Ayano's cell phone then rang. She reached into her skirt pocket to pick it up. "Moshi-moshi. This is Inaba," she hailed.

"Hello, Ayano-chan," a mature woman's voice called back over the line.

Ayano blinked. "Naho-sama!"

"Are you keeping an eye on Grandfather now, dear?"

Ayano nodded. "Hai. He's still meeting with Nodoka-san's father."

"Good. As soon as that's done, track Grandfather down to wherever he might be staying at this time. When you learn that, call me with all the information, and then you can go back to your friends. I can deal with matters concerning Grandfather from that point on."

Ayano nodded again. "Naho-sama, shouldn't Negako-sama be told . . .?"

An amused laugh. "Ayano-chan, believe me: Negako-chan already knows."

Ayano took that in, and then she nodded. "Hai."

* * *

In her bedroom in Nerima, Negako looked up, her eyes angling over in the direction of downtown Tokyo. "Yes, Naho, I already know."

* * *

_**Lonely Souls  
**_By Fred Herriot  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

* * *

**THE SIXTH PART, "C" SIDE - REALITY'S SURPRISES **

"Here, please."

"Hai."

A signature was jotted down, and then a hanko stamp was imprinted beside it. "Okay, last one." Yumoa Reigi drew up the final sheet in the pile of papers to place it before Kasumi. "Sign here and here, please."

He indicated the spaces. "Hai." The Tendou matriarch jotted her signature down, and then she stamped it.

Reigi took the sheet back to scan the paper before nodding. "Okay, then. I do say that congratulations are in order." He slipped the sheet with the other papers in his briefcase before facing his host. "I'll have these filed with the applicable agencies before the close of business today, to be made effective as soon as possible. Still, pretty much as of now, you and your siblings are free once and for all from anything your father might've arranged on your 'behalf.'" His lips twisted scornfully as he uttered that word. "Not to mention the fact that everything that was legally his before today is officially yours to do with as you please. After taxes, of course."

"We're not worried about that, Yumoa-san." Kasumi shook her head. "I'll contact a real estate agent today. He's been interested in this property since shortly after Mother passed away. We should be able to sell it off quickly."

"Well, if you need any help concerning finances, you can contact me here." Reigi drew out a business card to hand it over to her with both his hands. "I understand that Ataru-kun's sisters have offered your family the chance to stay at Welcome House for the time being."

"Hai. I don't like the idea of imposing on them, of course . . . "

He made a dismissive wave. "It's alright, Tendou-san. Welcome House was initially built on the premise of allowing children who, for whatever reason, had to be separated from their parents for an indefinite period of time. That also includes young adults wanting to make a start with their lives away from any negative influence from their parents."

Her gaze turned inward for a moment. "Such as what Father tried to do."

"Hai." He gave her a sympathetic look. "I have a good appreciation of what you're feeling right now. Until now, you've never really contemplated making such a radical choice like this. Am I right?" His eyebrow arched. Seeing her nod, he breathed out, "Tendou-san, please don't let this decision weigh you down or negatively influence you in the future. You're not doing this just for yourself remember? There are your sisters and your brother to worry about, too. Don't they deserve the chance to go out on their own, take control over their lives? Of course they do. You do, too. You've put in so much time and effort into keeping this place standing. You've sacrificed so much on your family's behalf. Well, here's the reward for all that hard work."

He waved to his briefcase. "Granted, it wasn't gained in a way that would win the ultimate approval of your father. But whose fault is it really when it comes to what happened between him and you? Much less your family as a whole and Saotome Ranma?" he continued. "The older generations these days tend to forget that along with the rights they're due to receive because of their experience, they have RESPONSIBILITIES to the younger generation, especially their flesh-and-blood. And one of those responsibilities is to acknowledge that the time must come when the children have to leave the nest and chart their own lives. And to prepare them, parents have to train their children TO be ready to face that time. Your father never did that for you, Kasumi-san. You, Nabiki-san and Akane-san had to pretty much learn that on your own."

She grimaced. "Still, when he recovers from what Negako-san did . . . "

"Then he'll have no choice but to face up to what he's done wrong."

Kasumi considered that before she hesitantly nodded. "Hai, that's true. I just wish it didn't have to happen THIS way."

Reigi shook his head. "**He's** the one who forced you and your siblings into this situation, Tendou-san. As I said, it is not your fault by any stretch of the imagination. Ataru-kun didn't allow Kinshou or Muchi to get away with what they did to him once he was allowed to see the sum total of what their actions cost not only him, but also other parts of his family. Ranma-san didn't allow Genma, much less Nodoka, to get away with what they did to her once she was allowed to fully comprehend what they were willing to force onto her shoulders. The good thing about your family's situation is that the damage your father did to you is easily corrected. Count yourselves very lucky."

Kasumi gazed at him for a moment before she breathed out, "She . . . "

"Tendou-san . . .?"

The eldest of Souun's daughters perked on hearing her guest. "Gomen nasai, Yumoa-san. I heard you call Ranma-chan 'she.' Even now . . . " She flustered. "I can't think that about her, not after all she's been through!"

"That's a good attitude to have." He then took a deep breath. "Tendou-san, that Rinrin-chan and Yotsuba-chan are now pressing to allow you and your family to come live with them at Welcome House is understandable. Laudable, even. But understand also that my primary concern is the welfare of not only all the girls at the House, but Ataru-kun, too. I know about this weird psychic bond that brought Ataru-kun together with Ranma-san all those years ago. I know that bond's drawing them closer together as we speak. And I know that despite all her denials to date, your sister Akane still harbours very deep feelings for Ranma-san. That's understandable given what they've been forced through since the day they met. But please understand that ensuring Ataru-kun's happiness is MY primary concern. And if it turns out that the key to Ataru-kun's happiness lies with his forging a willing, open and freely accepted relationship with Ranma-san, then I will do everything in my power to ensure that relationship happens." His voice softened as he added, "After all, given all the garbage they've been forced through in their lives, don't they BOTH deserve a chance at achieving their own sense of happiness, Tendou-san?"

"If it is freely chosen and freely accepted, I can accept it and wish both Ataru-kun and Ranma-chan the best," Kasumi conceded before she took a deep breath. "And I'm sure Akane-chan will accept it in the long run, too."

"That's good." Reigi took a breath as he prepared to leave, and then he jolted. "Oh, I forgot! Ataru-kun's daughters arrived from Noukiios earlier today. So if you see two girls Hinako-chan's age looking like blue-haired Klingons, don't be surprised about it."

Kasumi rose to escort him out. "I'll try not to be."

The financier took his leave. Kasumi then walked over to the telephone to put in a call to Midorikawa Hayato, the real estate agent who had kept a close eye on the Tendou property for some years. After arranging for him to come visit, she moved into the kitchen to make some tea. As she warmed up the kettle, her mind ran through the conversation she just had with Reigi. At that moment, something came back to her. "'Daughters' . . .?" she whispered, her eyes going VERY wide. "Ataru-kun has DAUGHTERS?!"

"What's this about daughters?!"

Kasumi spun around to see Nabiki staring at her from the doorway. Pausing as she tried to think of what to say, the eldest of the Tendou children then took a deep breath. "It's something Yumoa-san just told me, Nabiki-chan."

* * *

"No, no, Reiko-chan! Do it like this!"

Ranma relaxed. Stepping forward with her right leg, she calmly executed a twisting hand block-and-parry she learned when she was even younger than Reiko. She and the twins were in Hikarigaoka Park, having come here to spend some time together after a late lunch at the Moroboshi home. Watching her, the elder twin nodded, and then she slowly mimicked her future mother's movements. Carefully observing the Noukiite's moves, Ranma nodded. "Definitely a lot of yoga training," she muttered as Reiko returned to a relaxing stance.

Just as Reiko was about to repeat the move, a voice hailed, "Onee-sama!"

Ranma turned as Sakuya walked up, ice cream cones in hand for the martial artist and the Noukiites to enjoy. "Thanks!" Ranma said as she took two of the cones to hand them to Reiko and Kaneko. "This okay with you guys? You don't mind having milk products, do you?"

"This is from an ut'he, right?" Kaneko asked.

Sakuya blinked confusedly. "'Uuttohe?!'"

"She means 'cow.'" Reiko smiled before she gave her sister a scornful look for not stating the term in Japanese.

"Most likely." Ranma nodded before licking her own cone.

Kaneko started to slurp the vanilla and chocolate mountain in her hand. "It's good," she then commented with a smile.

"Don't they have farm animals on Noukiios?" Sakuya asked.

"Not much," Reiko lamented. "Most aya -- milk, I mean! -- that I've drunk comes from plants. I'm not used to animal milk."

"You mean things like soy milk?" Ranma perked before she nodded. "Yeah, I guess that would've been a problem on Noukiios, eh?"

"Sickening," Sakuya hissed, and then she started. "Onii-sama!"

She waved. The twins turned to look, and then they squealed, "Papa!"

Before he could react, Reiko and Kaneko bowled him over with hugs. "Hey, how're my favourite seuet?!" he asked, ducking to boost them off their feet and allowing them to wrap their arms around his neck as he joined the others.

Watching this, Sakuya felt a brief flash of jealousy rip through her, and then she calmed herself. Staring at her future sister-in-law, Ranma tried not to grin as she reached over to give Sakuya's hand a supportive squeeze. The eldest sister started, and then she gazed at the transformed martial artist. Ranma winked before she walked over to allow Kaneko to slip into her arms. "Ne, Kaneko-chan, can you tell me something?" Ranma cooed, allowing her forehead to rub against the young Noukiite's. "What does 'seuuetto' mean?"

"'Se-u-et,' Mama!" Kaneko scolded, enunciating it a syllable at a time.

Ranma gave her a long face. "It means 'flower blossom.'" Ataru passed a hand through Reiko's hair. "It's a normal nickname parents on Noukiios give children. Since the syllables in Nouki-e match better with Korean sounds than Japanese, it's easier for me to speak it without having to slip in unwanted vowels. It's almost as bad as English . . . hey, Sakuya, what's wrong?!"

Ranma spun around to see a pained look cross Sakuya's face. "You okay?!" She reached over to squeeze the taller girl's shoulder.

Sakuya blinked, and then she sighed, her eyes misting as she walked over to lean against Ataru. "Onii-sama, how long WERE you in that damned place?!" She squeezed her eyes shut as she wrapped arms around him. "It should've been us! We should've been there for you . . . "

Ataru blinked, and then he lightly smiled as Ranma walked around to take Reiko into her arms, thus freeing his to return Sakuya's hug. "I didn't want to drag you into that mess, imooto-chan," he whispered, squeezing her tight.

Sakuya bolted back from him. "Onii-sama no baka!" she snapped, her fists quivering as he ducked her annoyed look. "We're your FAMILY, for Heaven's sake! You don't have to play this damned Lone Ranger act around us, you know!"

"So that means I can feel at liberty to destroy Aria-chan's innocence?!"

Sakuya jolted. "Onii-sama . . . "

"Sakuya-chan, I KNOW you can take this sort of thing!" Ataru pointed to himself. "I know Haruka-chan can take it! I know Chikage-chan can take it, too . . .! Hell, Chikage can take pretty much ANYTHING tossed at her! But what about Aria-chan?! What about Kaho-chan?! What about Hinako-chan?!" He waved with his free hand in the direction of the Moroboshi home as he stared pleadingly into her eyes. "Does letting you in on what happens to me -- especially the bad stuff -- mean that I have to spill it to all of them? Is that really fair to them in the long run, Sakuya-chan? Yes, you're my sister, but they're my sisters, too! I can't forget THAT, you know!"

Sakuya shuddered as she reached over to squeeze Ataru's hands close to her heart. "Gomen ne. I don't mean to sound selfish, but . . . " She paused for a moment. "I just want all those bastards to stop hurting you, Onii-sama!"

"I want that, too!" He embraced her. "But I don't want them to hurt me THROUGH you, Sakuya-chan! Or any of the others! There are people out there willing to do that, you know!" he warned, shifting her to stare into her eyes.

Silence fell as the eldest of the sisters considered that. She leaned her forehead against his chin. "I think the sooner we get back to the Island, the better," Sakuya whispered. "At least there, we'll be on home ground!"

"But do you want to drag all those dorks to the Island?" Ranma wondered.

Sakuya gazed on her future sister-in-law with a sigh. "It's not fair."

"Life rarely is," Ataru warned.

* * *

"'DAUGHTERS?!'"

"Yep." Nabiki nodded before sipping her tea. "Twin girls, both around seven years old. Their names here in Japan are Moroboshi Reiko and Moroboshi Kaneko. They were two of a group of special esper warriors -- part of a group called the Lost Stars -- the Noukiites used against the Urusians."

Seated around the coffee table, the other Tendous paid rapt attention. "How'd Ataru adopt them anyway?" Shinshi asked. "And is this adoption going to stick now that things are souring pretty much between us and the Onis."

"Won't be a problem." After hearing from Kasumi about Ataru's adopted children, Nabiki got on the phone with Negako to get the lowdown. "The Noukiites are breaking away from the Galactic Federation. That's this group of planet-states living close to us. The Onis and several other races Ataru-kun's run into since Lum first came to Earth are part of this group. It's the FEDERATION the United Nations doesn't want to deal with anymore. Since the Noukiites are breaking off from the group . . . "

"Sort of like an outer-space version of the U.N., right?" Akane asked.

Nabiki nodded. "Roughly the same idea."

"So when did Ataru-sama meet Reiko-san and Kaneko-san?" Kimiko wondered.

"Just right after the _fun_ he had on Phentax Two," Nabiki replied. "We remember what he and Negako-san said about what happened there, don't we?" On seeing the others nod, she continued, "Well, in the wake of what happened, he almost had a full mental breakdown. Not so surprising after experiencing the deaths of three billion people, eh?" Another chorus of nods from her siblings, and then she carried on, "Well, Negako-san realized right away that she was in no position to help Ataru-kun recover from this. And Ataru-kun was very adamant on the idea of getting the younger sisters involved, even someone like Chikage-san. Fortunately, it was around this time that the Noukiites wanted someone to help train the Lost Stars. The Noukiites contacted the Zephyrites about that, the Zephyrites contacted Negako-san to ask for her help and the Lost Stars were brought to Sanctuary so she could do her magic on them."

Kimiko's eyebrow arched. "Who are the Zephyrites, Onee-sama?"

"The local galactic superpower. Turns out, they're the ones who've settled the planets in the solar systems closest to us."

Kasumi nodded. "Oh, that's right! The night Lum-san and her friends were sent home, this large ship showed up to escort them away."

Nabiki nodded. "That was a Zephyrite ship. It also turns out that because of a famine some decades ago in the colonies the Zephyrites have closest to us, Ataru-kun's late grandmother managed to forge some very strong ties with their government, ties that came to benefit Earth in many ways. Especially when it comes to the Men in Black. And . . . " She held up a warning finger, the smile slipping from her face. "It was because of those ties that Nagaiwakai-sama was murdered by the Onis during the First Tag Race."

Shinshi gaped. "Whoa . . .!"

"When did Ataru-kun learn this?" Kasumi asked.

"Second weekend after Lum was sent back home, while he was training in Sanctuary with Negako-san," Nabiki replied, and then she sighed. "So that explains how Ataru-kun decided to side with the Noukiites against the Onis. And by extension, the Niphentaxians."

"Are you going to reveal this to your friend in Tomobiki?" Kasumi asked.

Nabiki shook her head. "No. First of all, like I warned you the day Tomobiki High got bombed, Onee-chan, it's hard for me to predict what Mendou's reaction to all this will be -- not to mention how that'll ultimately reflect on everyone here in Nerima. Or over on Promised Island. Secondly, there's this wonderful habit the people of Tomobiki, especially people our age, have when it comes to weird occurrences and how they love to blame the whole mess on Ataru-kun regardless of the facts. And after he basically told the whole town to go kindly screw themselves last Monday . . . "

"They'll do anything to get back at him," Shinshi finished.

His twin nodded. "Exactly. Then you factor in his sisters, his daughters, his training . . . " A pause. "And the Cyborg."

Kasumi shuddered. "Plus Ranma-chan and her neko-self."

"Right."

* * *

"Eh?! They used a neuralizer to make us stop chasing Ataru-kun?!"

Shinobu stared wide-eyed at Minako as they stepped through the gates of Tomobiki High after last classes. "Hai, they did." The rose-haired Avalonian nodded. "I can understand why, though. From what I sensed, some of the _boys_ . . . " -- one could coat a street with the scorn dripping from her voice -- "Well, they were about to ask some pretty ugly questions about that girl. And in front of Ataru-kun's DAUGHTERS, too?!"

Shinobu took that in before she shuddered. "I suppose I could see that. Most of the boys in our class can be such pigs at times!"

"So I sense. Ditto with Tomomi and Kyooko." A thoughtful look then crossed her face as she gazed on her friend. "Still, I think this whole business with Lum might do those guys a load of good. After all, there ARE loads of nice girls in school. And with Lum 'dead,' so to speak . . . "

She made finger-quotes with her hands. "True," Shinobu replied, and then she perked on seeing a familiar cat-ghost walking in her direction, a small boy perched on his back. "Ah, Kotatsuneko-san!" she called out, waving.

Minako looked, slowing down as a curious sensation surged through her, her eyes locking on the boy. "What the hell . . .?"

Shinobu gazed on her new friend. "What is it?"

"That's an Avalonian he's carrying!"

"WHAT?!"

"Ah, Shinobu-oneechan! Hi!"

Shinobu spun back, peering intently at the boy. Wait a minute . . . why, didn't he look somewhat like . . .? "Ten?!" she gasped.

Kotatsuneko ducked, allowing Ten to leap off his back and into Shinobu's arms. Laughing, the two shared an embrace before Ataru's ex-girlfriend gave the boy an once-over. "So they had to disguise you, eh?!" she mused, taking in Ten's black hair, brown eyes, lack of horn-bud, fanged teeth and pointed ears.

"Well, according to Lu- . . . " He caught himself. "Sorry! According to Seiko-chan, my body kinda was ready to bite the dust when I was teleported here. Lucky for me Hinako-oneechan had Bou-san with her to give me this body."

He pointed to himself. Shinobu's eyes spiralled. "Wait! Slow down, Ten! What are you talking about?! What happened to you?!"

"Oh, it was the Ip'ihu! They're real bad Noukiites who don't like Urusians at ALL! Anyhow, they attacked my ship near Toshitto. But four friends of Nassur-chan rescued me, and then they brought me here to get Ataru's help to fix me up! So we teleported here through the Tritonians' Central Warp Chamber, and then Seiko-chan and Sakiko-chan showed up, and then Ataru and some of his sisters show up, along with Jay-san and Kay-san, too! Hinako-oneechan uses Bou-san to give me my new body and . . . !"

Shinobu laughed. "Ten! Ten! Stop for a moment!"

The Urusian-turned-Avalonian/Terran gazed nonplussed at her, and then he scratched the back of his head. "S-s-sorry about that, Shinobu-oneechan!" He flustered. "I kinda forgot that you don't know a lot of things!"

"Well, no matter what, you're here and you're safe." Minako gave Ten a warm squeeze of the shoulder. "That matters more, ne?"

Ten gazed at her, blinking. "Hey! You're an Avalonian, too!"

Minako held out her hand. "Half; my dad's Terran."

"Uh . . . oh, right!" Ten shook her hand as introductions were made.

"How do you know about the Avalonians?" Shinobu asked as they made their way down the street, Kotatsuneko falling in behind them.

"Other than I'm one now?" Ten asked. "Well, just before the Ip'ihu attacked my ship, I met four of them. They're replicas of Lum-chan -- her name's Hensou -- Ran-chan -- she's Damasu -- Benten-chan -- that's Kamen -- and Oyuki-chan -- she goes by Mienai. That dork Oogi -- do you know about Oogi, Shinobu-oneechan?" he asked. Seeing her nod, he carried on, "Well, Oogi made them on special order for Nassur-chan. He's a friend of Lum-chan's; he taught her how to use her powers. Anyhow, they were all linked to their templates to ensure they could, if they had to, step in and take their places in case one of Nassur-chan's enemies tried to go after them. But after Oni- . . .!"

Minako gaped at him. "They were living TARGETS?!"

"Nassur-chan didn't know they were bioroids!" Ten waved his hands. "He couldn't sense their brainwaves and he couldn't scan 'em, so all he could think of them was that they were androids, like the ones the Zeiwanites make!"

Shinobu gazed at Minako. The older Avalonian had an intent look on her face. "Where are those girls now, Ten?" Minako asked.

"They're with Seiko-chan, Sakiko-chan and the others." Ten pointed down the street. "Everything's okay with them, if that's what you're really worried about. Hinako-oneechan used Bou-san to make them all look human and all that."

Minako gazed at him. On sensing his honesty, she nodded. "That's good."

"I take it using Avalonians as expendable bodyguards was something the Niphentaxians did with your people," Shinobu noted.

Minako nodded. "Many times. According to Mom, that is."

Shinobu squeezed her shoulder. "Gomen ne, Minako-chan."

"Oh, hey! It's cool!" Minako reached up to give her friend's hand a reassuring squeeze, and then she stared ahead. "Let's just hope that with the factory in orbit over Earth, my mom's people aren't suffering anymore."

"With the Church of Lum all but gone?" Ten stated. "Count on it."

Shinobu perked. "What do you mean, Ten-chan?"

"That's part of what Ataru's been doing since we left Tomobiki," the young boy assured her. "Other than helping the Noukiites fight our people, not to mention him adopting those two Noukiite girls . . . "

Ataru's former girlfriend gaped, and then she looked nowhere in particular as that message sank in. "He actually FOUGHT with the Noukiites . . .?" she whispered before shaking her head. "I know he's sympathetic to their cause and all that -- he practically told us that on Saturday, just after Lum and Ran came back! -- but to actually FIGHT with the Noukiites . . .!"

"He had no choice."

The girls looked at Ten. "What do you mean, Ten-chan?" Minako asked.

"Ataru's grandma was killed by an Urusian during the first Tag Race."

Silence.

Shinobu paled. "Jesu Cristo . . . "

Minako gaped. "Did he tell you that?!"

Ten sniffed. "He told Seiko-chan. Sakiko-chan overheard him, then they t-told me." He sniffed again, wiping his eyes. "It's no wonder he's so mad now! Why'd they go and do that to his grandma, anyway . . .?"

He curled in on himself, clinging close to Shinobu as he began to sob. Gazing on Ten, Ataru's ex-girlfriend quaked, and then she offered a silent prayer to the soul of Moroboshi Nagaiwakai as she moved to comfort the young boy. A warm hand squeezed her shoulder. She perked, and then she smiled at Minako as they turned a corner, heading towards a row of multi-floor townhouses. Shinobu, like the others who knew what happened to Lum and Ran, had been told where Kitahara Yukimi's apartment block was located.

Speaking of which, the mistress of said apartment block was busy emptying her mailbox as Shinobu, Minako, Ten and Kotatsuneko approached her front gate. "Oh, Shinobu-sama! Konnichi wa!" Yukimi grinned before her hazel eyes locked on Minako. "Who . . .?!" Those eyes widened as her psi-senses confirmed what the rose-haired girl actually was. "Oh, Fates . . . "

Minako tried not to burn with embarrassment as the other Avalonian gazed at her. "Ah . . . um, h-hello . . .!" She faintly waved.

Yukimi turned to Shinobu. "Shinobu-sama, do you realize that . . .?!"

"Minako-chan's an Avalonian." Shinobu chuckled. "Hai, I learned that when I met her yesterday morning. Um, is Seiko here . . .?"

One of the upper floor windows then opened, revealing a dark-haired Urusian-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran. "Konnichi wa, Shinobu!" Seiko hailed with a wave as she leaned on the windowsill. "Thanks for bringing Ten-chan back!"

Shinobu sighed. "Seiko, we've GOT to have a long talk about Ataru-kun!"

* * *

"AH-CHOO!"

"Bless you, Onii-chan! Are you alright?!"

Ataru moaned as he rubbed his nose. "Someone's talking about me, I bet," he muttered before nodding thanks to Karen, and then he turned to Rinrin. "Okay, Rinrin-chan, how're we going to do all this? And will it all be ready by Sunday afternoon when we go back to the Island?"

"This is easy stuff, Aniki!" The inventor waved him down, and then she pointed to her computer screen. "Here's what we'll do . . . "

The others crowded around. "Now, Jonna-san and Orin-san don't want to take up too much room, so we'll just expand Hinako-chan's and Aria-chan's rooms five metres. In Aria-chan's case . . . " Rinrin pointed to the diagram of the second floor. "All this'll do is fill in the space right above Aniki and Aneki's bedroom, counter-clockwise from where Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan'll live. Hinako-chan's new space'll form a foundation for the expanded room on the third floor connecting into Yotsuba-chan's space."

Marie gazed at Jonna and Orin. "Are you sure that'll be enough room?"

Miree's daughters nodded. "We don't have much with us. It'll do," Jonna answered. "Besides, it keeps us close to Hinako-sama and Aria-sama."

The others smirked. Rinrin slid her finger to the diagram of the third floor. "Anyhow, for Himiko-san and Mikiko-san, what we'll do is take the spare bedroom and repeat what we're planning for Yotsuba-chan's space. The main floor'll wrap clockwise around the boy's furo room and sit right atop Aria-chan's and Orin-san's expanded space, plus part of the twins' bedroom. As for Miree-san, we'll give her a new bedroom on the fourth floor, right over the stairwell to the main floor. Is that okay with you, Miree-san?"

"A private loft, you mean?" The Hollywoodite priestess then nodded. "Yes, that sounds rather cozy, Rinrin-chan. I'll take it."

"Are you sure we can do all these changes, Rinrin-chan?" Ranma asked. "I mean, even if this place is modular in construction . . .?"

Rinrin waved her down. "Oh, relax, Aneki! As long as we don't go too far over the tip of the rotunda, we'll be fine. Besides, it keeps us all together IN the rotunda. If we couldn't do this, that means all of you . . . " Her eyes fell on Miree, her daughters and the two survivors of the previous week's bombing. "Would have to live in the commons."

"That's the main part of Welcome House, right?" Himiko wondered.

"Yeah, it is." Rinrin tried not to groan. "Whoever built that place didn't really put some careful thought into things like phone lines, the bathrooms, the furos, kitchens and all that. Ne, Shirayuki-chan, you remember the first time you went into the kitchen by the lobby?"

The mauve-haired chef blanched. "Hime NEVER wants to think of that horrible place ever again!" She patted her heart.

"I remember seeing that shortly after I met you girls." Ataru shook his head before he glanced at Ranma. "Cripes, I was tempted to get somebody to knock the whole damn building down and have them rebuild the place."

"That bad?" the martial artist asked.

"Think of Kasumi-san's kitchen after Akane got through with it the first time she tried to cook for you . . . " -- a dramatic pause -- "Then magnify the damage to the tenth degree! You'll get the idea then."

Ranma winced, and then she stared at Shirayuki. "Shirayuki-chan, you make VERY damn sure Akane doesn't go into your kitchen when those guys move to the Island full-time, okay?" She wagged a warning finger at the chef.

"Hime'll remember, Nee-sama." Shirayuki then sighed. "Still, Hime is a little worried about Kasumi-san . . . "

"Why's that?" Sakuya asked.

"Well, Kasumi-san has been cooking for her family every since her mother died, Sakuya-chan." Shirayuki shrugged. "She might not like the idea of being forced to sit in the dining room when Hime cooks . . . "

"Whoa! Hold on for a moment, Shirayuki-chan!" Ranma held up a hand. "First of all, we're doing this to help Kasumi BREAK AWAY from slaving for her family all the time. There's a big difference between cooking because you love to cook and cooking because you feel it's your duty to your family to cook! Ever since her mom died, all Kasumi's ever really done is cook and clean after the others in her family. She never really LIKED doing all that stuff, especially when you figure out how lazy her stupid old man was! YOU, on the other hand . . . " She pointed to the chef. "Cook because you enjoy and LOVE to cook. We all notice it, Shirayuki-chan."

Shirayuki stared wide-eyed at the martial artist. "Nee-sama . . .!"

"Ane-chama's right, Shirayuki-chan!" Yotsuba cut in. "Yotsuba noticed it when Kasumi-anechama made lunch for Yotsuba and Shi-chama. Even though Kasumi-anechama's lunch was pretty checky, Yotsuba thinks it wasn't checky compared to ANYTHING Shirayuki-chan makes!"

The chef's cheeks flamed. "Yotsuba-chan . . . "

"Hey! Hey! Girls, go easy on her, huh?!" Ataru quickly cut in to moderate. "We don't want to butter her up too much now, do we?!"

Sakuya dramatically pointed to the ceiling. "Yes, we DEFINITELY must avoid kimch'i rice puddings in the future."

Shirayuki jolted before she turned away to sulk. "Hime hates it whenever everyone tells Hime about her kimch'i rice puddings!"

Two hands tugged at her skirt. "Ne, ne, Auntie Shirayuki, can we try them?!" Reiko asked as she and Kaneko stared hopefully at her.

Gazing at her nieces, the chef nodded. "Hai desu no!"

Everyone laughed.

* * *

"Who is he, Kanami-san?"

"Hibiki Ryouga, a wandering martial artist from somewhere close to Tokyo." Kurosu Kanami then held up a finger in warning. "That is, I _think_ he's from somewhere close to Tokyo, Shinobu-sama. It's hard to tell."

"Why's that?" Minako asked, nodding thanks as Kashima Namie poured her a new glass of lemon tea. "He's not roonin, is he?"

Kanami shook her head. "He's got the most horrible sense of direction you could ever imagine, Minako-san. And it seems to be linked to some sort of metaphysical teleportational ability. One minute, he's in Nerima. Next minute, he's in Chicago, then Paris, then . . . "

"Talk about being forced to become a Wanderer!" Sakiko shuddered, she exchanging a knowing look with Seiko before she turned back to the dark-haired Avalonian. "How long has this problem been affecting him, Kanami-chan?"

"His whole life, Sakiko-sama," Kanami replied. "Even worse, his mother and all his siblings also suffer from this 'directional curse.' He hasn't seen any of them, much less his father, for quite some time now."

"So why'd you and Tamako-san bring him here?" Shinobu asked.

People spared a glance through the open door into one of the guest bedrooms. There, lying on a futon, Hibiki Ryouga slept, a damp cloth folded neatly on his forehead. His clothes and backpack were currently undergoing a thorough wash in the apartment's laundry; Kodama Hiro was keeping an eye on things there. "I sensed him in the farmer's market when I was doing some shopping for dinner," Tamako explained. "I never sensed such levels of depression and loneliness in all my life, Shinobu-sama. So when Kanami-chan and I gave him a brief mind-scan to learn what happened to him, we decided the best thing to do was to bring him here, give him a chance to rest."

"Is he in trouble?" Seiko asked.

"No, Seiko-sama, but some days ago, he got himself into a terrible fight with his girlfriend's sumo-trained pigs."

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the tomboyish Avalonian. "Sumo-trained pigs?!" Minako parroted Tamako's words. "You SURE about that?!"

Tamako nodded. "Quite positive. Even stranger, Ryouga-kun himself has a metamorphic 'curse' that transforms him into a small piglet when he's exposed to cold water. Heated water transforms him back to normal."

"Can people DO that here?!" Ten asked.

Recognition then flashed across Shinobu's face. "Why, that sounds an awful lot like the curse Saotome Ranma has!" she declared.

"Darling's girlfriend?" Sakiko asked, ignoring Seiko's pained wince.

Shinobu nodded. "In that case, Ranma-san was able to turn from a boy to a girl. Hey, maybe Hibiki-san might even know Ranma-sa- . . .!"

The front doorbell pealed. Yukimi headed to the window to glance towards the front gate. Her eyebrow then arched. "You said that Hibiki-san was attacked by sumo-trained pigs, Tamako-chan?" she then asked.

"Hai, Yukimi-chan, I did. Why?" Tamako asked.

"Well, there's a pig outside the front gate now who's about the same size as Rei-sama's transformed self." Yukimi pointed out the window. "And it's wearing a sumotori's kesho-mawashi. And there's a young lady with it, too!"

Tamako and Kanami walked over to look themselves. "That's Unryuu Akari!" the latter declared. "She's Ryouga-kun's girlfriend!"

"I'll let her in," the former announced as she headed out.

* * *

"So you really have no idea why your pigs attacked Hibiki-san?"

"Iie." Akari nursed a cup of tea as she sat at the table. Due to his girth, Katsunishiki was forced to remain outside, though Kanami was now delivering a large salad for him to snack on. "I mean, beforehand, all the boys treated Ryouga-sama so kindly. It just took me by surprise to see them pounce all over him when he was transformed . . . "

She sipped her tea, her voice failing her. "Well, if what we sense of your companion outside is true, your charges love you very much, Unryuu-san," Yukimi mused. "Perhaps they got jealous of your boyfriend . . .!"

"JEALOUS?!" Akari shrieked, bolting to her feet.

Shinobu gave the pig farmer a sympathetic look. "Many pets have been known to do that for their owners, Unryuu-san."

"I . . . " Akari stuttered, and then she sighed. "I never thought of that, to be honest. I mean, I have trained them to be fierce when they step into the dohyo. It's what they have to do, after all. But to . . . "

Tamako gently squeezed the other woman's shoulders. "It's alright, Akari-san." The raven-haired Avalonian smiled as she moved to refill Akari's cup. "After all, this might be just an isolated incident."

Akari gazed on her, nodding. "I hope so . . . "

Kanami stepped back into the kitchen. "Is he hungry?" Yukimi asked.

"He's got an appetite," Kanami mused. "Then again, I've never dealt with pigs before, especially one the size of a truck." Taking her place at the table, she then gazed concernedly at Akari. "I hate to break this to you, Akari-san, but there's a problem with your stable."

"A disease?" Seiko wondered.

Kanami shook her head. "Iie. I was barely able to sense some of Katsunishiki-san's thoughts when I fed him just now. He knows what made his brothers attack Ryouga-kun. In fact, he supported what happened."

"What?!" Akari shrieked. Sensing Tamako's hand on her shoulder, she took a deep breath before asking, "What happened, Kanami-san?!"

"Simple," Kanami replied. "When Ryouga-kun returned to your farm some days ago, the pigs sensed the empathic auras of a considerable number of young women all over him. They . . . " She paused. "Your stable concluded that those other women, whoever they were, had tried to seduce Ryouga-kun away from you. Thus, they . . . " She paused again.

"Sought to defend Akari-san's honour from what they perceived as a very serious threat to her continued happiness," Minako completed.

"Hai."

Akari paled. "Ryouga-sama wouldn't . . . "

"Oh, no! Of course he wouldn't!" Kanami chuckled, she giving the pig farmer a wave. "You've got quite the gentleman as a boyfriend, Akari-sama! But . . . " She shrugged. "Clearly, he recently ran into a group of women sometime recently whose empathic auras are quite overwhelming. It was feeling THAT which made all your rikibuta freak out."

"They assumed someone was trying to steal Ryouga-kun away from Akari-chan, you mean." Sakiko then sipped her tea before glancing at Akari. "I think you've got quite a loyal stable of would-be samurai, Akari-chan!"

Akari flustered. "That's about it." Kanami then perked. "Eh?"

"Where'm I . . .?"

"Ryouga-sama!" Akari gasped.

Eyes turned to the bedroom as Ryouga sat up, automatically catching the cloth that had been on his forehead. Fortunately for the wanderer, Yukimi and her sister Avalonians had been able to locate some clean pyjamas for him while his clothes went through the wash. Opening his eyes, he looked around the strange room, and then he turned as Akari glomped him. "RYOUGA-SAMA!"

The wanderer acked, staring in disbelief at his would-be wife before he finally sputtered out, "A-a-Akari-ch-ch-chan . . .?!"

"She just came in a few minutes ago looking for you, Ryouga-kun." Tamako stood by the doorway. "Would you like some tea?"

"I . . .!" Ryouga moved to answer, and then he shuddered as Akari's sobs tore his attention back to the pig farmer. Staring at her, the wanderer then wrapped his arms around her. Seeing this, Tamako smiled as she stepped out.

* * *

"So can this be done by the weekend?"

"Oh, quite easy enough, Kasumi-san." Midorikawa Hayato nodded as he gathered his papers to load them into his briefcase. "I must confess that it's a terrible shame things had to happen THIS way . . . "

The Tendou matriarch smiled. "You don't view this as a victory?"

The real estate agent chuckled. "Please, don't think of this transaction as THAT, Kasumi-san!" He closed his briefcase. "Yes, I've tried to persuade your father to let go of this property, especially after your mother's passing. After all, maintaining a plot of land like THIS would be a considerable drain on any family's budget, especially here in Tokyo. And, even though I am loath to speak of this, your sister Nabiki HAS engaged in some blatantly illegal transactions to help your family keep this property . . . "

"Well, she won't have to do that anymore," Kasumi noted.

The older man nodded. "Hai, true, true. So where exactly are you and your family moving to, if you don't mind my asking?"

Kasumi held up an objecting finger. "As long as you don't allow this to fall unto the ears of Principal Kunou or his son."

"You have my silence," the real estate agent vowed.

She chuckled. "We'll all be moving to a youth hostel on Oomure-jima. It's in the Sagami Sea, near Odawara. We've been invited there by the family of Moroboshi Ataru -- and PLEASE, Midorikawa-san, don't tell anyone about Ataru-kun's involvement in this!" she added with clapped hands.

"Well, I heard from a very good friend of mine that his family did purchase a desecrated shrine in Kasuga-chou to act as a home for his sister Negako. My friend's worked for years to get rid of that particular plot of land. Then Moroboshi-san shows up and . . . "

He shrugged. Kasumi grinned. "Ataru-kun recently befriended my younger sister's former fiancé. After the falling out between Ranma-kun . . . " -- the eldest Tendou daughter kept to the more "masculine" honorific since scant few in Nerima knew the truth about what befell her -- " . . . and his parents, he decided to join Ataru-kun and his family on Oomure-jima. To show there are no bad feelings, Ranma-kun persuaded Ataru-kun's sisters to allow us to come to Oomure-jima after Father was . . . " Her voice trailed off.

Hayato nodded. "Hai, I understand. Well, I'll contact the potential buyer and we'll have everything set up as quickly as possible."

"By this weekend?" Kasumi asked.

"Certainly! That'll please my client very much."

"That's nice. Oh, may I ask what'll happen here after we're gone?"

"Both the house and the doojou will be demolished to make way for smaller townhouses. Most likely, a convenience store might be added since this part of Nerima doesn't have much in the way of quick-stop shopping areas. I . . . " The agent then looked apologetic. "Well, I do realize you have put in a lot of work to keep this place intact, but . . . "

"No, it's alright." Kasumi shook her head. "Actually, to be frank, this is quite a relief for my family and I. I certainly wouldn't want to inflict anyone with the amount of responsibility maintaining a home like this demands."

He nodded. "That's understandable. Much that this building does have some history in it, it's not enough to see it declared an historic property and turned over to the Culture Ministry to see it preserved."

Kasumi shook her head. "Personally, I think that after all that's happened under this roof, this place would NEVER deserve something like that, Midorikawa-san. So, when can you come by to finalize everything?"

"Friday morning?" Hayato proposed.

"That's fair enough."

* * *

The real estate agent was escorted off the property. Kasumi returned to the sitting room to see Shinshi at the table, appearing rested. To the older sister's eye, her magic-born brother was dressed in stylish jeans and a polo shirt. _Yotsuba-chan DOES possess a sharp eye for detail_, Kasumi mused as she sat beside him. "Konnichi wa, Shinshi-chan. Do you feel a little better now?"

Shinshi nodded. "A heck of a lot better, Onee-chan. So how did things go with Midorikawa-san? No problems about selling the property?"

"Hai. It'll be finalized Friday and we'll be out of here by Saturday," Kasumi reported. "Let's just hope the modifications to Welcome House'll be ready when it comes time for us to move there. Rinrin-chan warned me that the House's main building is a lot more run down than the rotunda."

"It should be alright." Shinshi stretched, glancing around. "I guess everyone else is still asleep. Where's Chieko-san?"

"She left an hour ago. I think her mother was worried about her staying the whole day away from school," Kasumi mused.

"That's good. Let's hope she won't get into trouble with the teachers when she goes back to school tomorrow morning."

"True . . . " Kasumi perked on hearing footsteps, looking up as Nabiki and Akane stepped into the sitting room. "Konnichi wa, minna."

"Everything's all set?" Nabiki asked as the sisters sat down.

"All ready to go. We'll be on the Island full-time by Saturday night."

"Pity it couldn't happen sooner," Akane lamented.

"'Cause of Kunou-chan?" Nabiki asked.

"Hai. Wouldn't THAT blow the wind out of his sails?" A grin then crossed Akane's face as she crossed her arms. "His precious 'fierce tigress' moving out of the city to another prefecture where he couldn't chase after her. And add that to him losing his pig-tailed goddess, too . . .?"

Shinshi smirked. "Especially losing Ranma-chan to a guy like Ataru?"

No one noticed Akane's pained look in response to his comment connecting Saotome Ranma to Moroboshi Ataru. "Oooh, THAT would hurt!" Nabiki chuckled. "Maybe I should remind Kunou-chan about that sometime this week . . . "

"Nabiki-chan, please don't," Kasumi calmly scolded. "Ataru-kun and his family are already doing a lot for us. We shouldn't . . . "

"Oh, Onee-chan, RELAX! I was just kidding!" Nabiki waved her sister down, and then she perked as something washed through her. "What the . . .?"

"What?" Shinshi gazed at his sister before he jolted. "Hey . . . "

Akane stared concernedly at them. "You guys alright?"

"Oh, we have visitors." Kasumi gazed at the entrance, and then she stood to see who was standing at the front gate.

Akane watched her go, and then she turned to her other sister and brother. "What is it?" she asked as she placed a hand on Nabiki's shoulder.

"Avalonians . . . " Nabiki whispered. "Two of them. Both not bonded."

"They're as surprised at our being here as we are about them," Shinshi added as he glanced towards the front gate.

Everyone then turned to look as Kasumi stepped back inside. Following the Tendou matriarch were two girls dressed in the dark blue seifuku of Tomobiki High School. One was a girl with long brown hair in a high ponytail while the other had electric blue hair extending to her waist. Akane watched as the visitors' eyes darted over the room for a moment before they focused on Nabiki and Shinshi. Once eye contact was made, the visitors then relaxed as they took their seats opposite Akane's sister and brother.

Silence fell as they gazed on each other, and then the blue-haired girl softly declared, "You weren't born this way, were you?"

"Ah . . . " Nabiki caught herself, shaking her head. "No. My brother and I were just converted very early this morning."

"I don't recall Mom telling me that the factory was programmed to create male bioroids," the pony-tailed girl noted, gazing at her companion for a moment, and then she turned back to Shinshi. "Unless . . . "

Shinshi pointed to himself. "Actually, it was because of a device called the Staff of Gihan that this body was made for me."

The visitors' eyes widened. "Gihan's Staff?!" the blue-haired girl gasped. "How in Buddha's name did THAT damned thing get here?!"

"Brought here by three refugees from Phentax Two who came here via the factory itself," Nabiki reported, and then she jolted as something came to her. "Oh, geez! I'm sorry!" She waved to herself as introductions were made.

"So how did you girls come to be here?!" Kasumi asked.

"We were born here." Yoshino Tomomi smiled. "Twenty years ago, a group of Avalonians came to Earth to make contact with a Zephyrite missionary colony. Our mothers eventually scattered themselves from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Actually . . . " She blushed, pointing to herself before she continued, "Those on Hokkaido, like my mother, were close to the mark; the colony was on Rishiri-tou living with Moroboshi Ataru's grandmother, Nagaiwakai."

"So you've come here to look for Ataru-kun, right?" Nabiki wondered.

Ikusawa Kyooko nodded. "Hai. When the factory came into orbit over Earth, our mothers sensed it. The link between them and the factory was broken when we . . . " -- she indicated herself, and then Tomomi -- " . . . were born, but our mothers can still sense it."

"Are you guys afraid the factory or whoever's in control of it now might take your mothers away?" Shinshi asked, he sensing deep fear in the visitors.

"Well, we doubt the factory can be able to lock in on us since we ARE half-Terran," Tomomi noted. "And yes, we are afraid that even now, whoever controls the factory might have at his disposal some means that could take our mothers away. And if that happens . . . "

"It could easily kill our fathers since our mothers are all psi-bonded to their husbands," Kyooko finished for her companion. "Not to mention badly hurt us because a subtle bond exists between ourselves and our mothers."

Kasumi covered her mouth. "Oh, my!"

"What do you hope Ataru-kun could do to help you guys?" Nabiki asked.

"Our ultimate goal is to break the factory away from any influence by the Niphentaxians." Kyooko sighed. "We learned from Ataru-kun's old classmates in Tomobiki he's already made headway in dealing with the Niphentaxians . . . "

"You've got that right!" Shinshi noted. "Ataru-kun was on Phentax Two when the Staff of Gihan was set off and killed three billion people . . . "

The visitors paled. "Ataru-kun was THERE . . .?!" Tomomi gasped.

The Tendous grimly nodded. "Do you think he'll want to go fight the Niphentaxians again after that, Onee-chan?" Akane asked.

Nabiki sighed. "He'll really have no choice in the matter, Akane-chan. Think about it. This whole 'church of Lum' thing on Phentax Two declares that Ataru-kun is nothing more than the 'great evil.' That means that until the day comes when this whole church is done away with, Ataru-kun's going to have to keep an eye out for potential assassination attempts from people who actually think they're doing their 'goddess'' bidding."

Shinshi frowned. "Just like what Ranma-chan went through after she got cursed and was chased out of China by Shampoo."

Kasumi shook her head. "Saddening."

"And there're all of Ataru-kun's sisters to worry about, too." Nabiki held up a knowing finger. "What better way to target him than through them?"

"Would they do that?" Akane wondered.

"Most likely."

Kasumi turned to Kyooko and Tomomi. "Do you girls want to visit Ataru-kun today? He doesn't live too far away from here."

Both visitors nodded. "Please?"

"I can take them over there, Onee-chan," Shinshi volunteered.

Nabiki gave her brother a knowing look. "Hell, you just want to go over there to be with Yotsuba-chan!" Her eyebrows wriggled.

Shinshi gave her an even stare in response. Kasumi tried not to fall over laughing. "I'll go with you," Akane volunteered, standing.

"Are you going to try to talk to Ranma-chan?" Kasumi asked.

The youngest Tendou paused. "Hai, Onee-chan." She then gazed at the ceiling. "Whether or not I'll succeed, though . . . " she then added.

* * *

"A wedding dress party?!"

Everyone sitting around Yukimi's coffee table gazed on the pictures of the recent party Ryouga took part in when he visited Promised Island. "Hai!" the wanderer said, an embarrassing blush crossing his face at the comments many of the people around him just made about his playing the preacher. "The girls came up with this idea just after they met their brother. But the first time they did this, Chikage-san wasn't involved." He pointed to a picture of the sorceress, dressed in her dark-hued gown.

"Chikage-oneechan . . . "

Eyes locked on Ten. The young boy was gazing on another picture of Chikage, hearts glittering in his eyes. "Uh-oh!" Sakiko mused as she gazed knowingly at Seiko. "Ten-chan's got another girl he can chase around. Remember what he was like around Sakura-sensei?"

Shinobu shook her head. "I definitely remember that!"

The Izumo sisters laughed. Ten ignored them; his attention was still held by the picture of the sorceress. "Ryouga-sama, I hope you're NOT considering the priesthood," Akari said as she gazed concernedly on her fiancé.

Ryouga acked. "No! No! No! No!" He waved his hands. "Of course not! B-but . . . " he stuttered before he waved to the pictures. "The girls needed someone to play the priest this time since Ataru's older sister Negako was in Nerima when I went there. They asked me to do it and . . . " He stopped. "Well, wh-what was I supposed to do?! I mean . . . "

"Well, at least you were being a gentleman about it," Shinobu mused.

"It's not just that, Miyake-san." Ryouga shuddered. "It's Aria-san."

"Aria-chan?" everyone said as they turned to gaze on the couple of photos showing the young Parisian at the altar.

Ryouga nodded. "Yeah! I mean, all she has to do is make that sound . . . " He paused before softening his voice in a bad imitation of Aria's painful sob. "'Kusun!'" His voice went back to normal. "Man, when you hear THAT, your guts just twist up and all you want to do is just make her STOP crying! Not even Ranma or Ataru are immune to it!"

Seiko felt a painful chill warp through her as her eyes focused on the pictures of Ataru with Ranma. Sakiko stared at her sister, and then she reached over to give her a supportive squeeze. Seiko started, and then she faintly smiled. "Well, I suppose that clears up all that!" Akari mused as she helped Ryouga collect the pictures and stuff them back into the small photo album Yotsuba had given the wanderer before he left Promised Island. "If you'll all pardon us, I want to get back to the farm with Ryouga-sama."

"Are his clothes all through the wash?" Yukimi wondered.

"Last batch is going through the dryer now," Kodama Hiro reported.

"I see." The apartment block manager then turned back to Ryouga and Akari. "Would you like to stay for dinner, then?"

The pig farmer blushed. "We don't want to impose . . . "

Yukimi waved her down. "Oh, relax! It's no imposition!"

Ryouga stared at Akari. "Can't refuse free food, Akari-chan."

Akari's blush deepened. "W-well . . .!"

* * *

As excited chatter picked up, Seiko headed up to her bedroom. Shinobu watched the other woman head off. Excusing herself, she followed the Urusian-turned-Nendo-kata. Reaching the doorway into Seiko's bedroom, Shinobu paused on seeing her former rival sitting on her bed, gazing out the window at the darkening afternoon sky. "Are you okay, Seiko?" Shinobu asked as she walked in to sit herself at the other's desk.

Seiko took a deep breath. "Should I be?"

"I guess seeing those pictures must've hurt bad."

"Hai, they did." The other woman nodded. "Even now . . . "

"Is it true?"

"About what?"

"What Ten-chan told me?" Shinobu asked as she crossed her arms. "About one of your people having killed Ataru-kun's grandmother?"

Seiko stared at her, slowly nodding. "Awful, isn't it?"

"Hai. Why did it happen?"

"How much do you know about the Zephyrites?"

Ataru's former girlfriend shook her head. "Not much."

"Well . . . " Seiko began. "Think of them as a model theocracy. I know . . .!" She paused, giving the other woman a knowing smile. "I can sense that you're very passionate about your faith. Imagine a whole RACE like that! A race of nearly a trillion sentient beings, spread over two hundred planets. Add to that, they're also the most technologically advanced race in this part of the galaxy. NO ONE equals them, Shinobu. No one . . . " Her voice trailed off as she pointed to the sky. "Their closest colony to Earth, Jiyuu, is only five light-years from here. Toshitto, Uru's closest colony, is over thirty."

"And you guys . . . " Shinobu stopped on seeing a flash of deep pain in Seiko's eyes. "Excuse me, the Urusians tried to invade us?"

"I know. On occasion, people who are outside the accepted Zephyrite faiths can be given an honorary bishop-like status in one of their churches. Those people are called 'righteous gentiles.' Darling's grandmother was one."

"The people of Israel do something like that. They call them 'Righteous Among The Nations.' Those are mostly people who helped Jews avoid the Nazi death camps during World War Two, like Oskar Schindler . . . "

Seiko shook her head. "Not like that at all, Shinobu."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if a Righteous Gentile -- especially if she's living on a world close to the frontier of Zephyrite space -- feels it necessary, she could call on the power of the Holy Republic to defend her home planet against outside aggression. And that defence could, if it has to, go all the way to what the Zephyrites call a 'holy crusade.'" A pause before Seiko quietly added, "Which is their term for religiously-sanctioned genocide."

Silence.

"That can't . . .!" Shinobu blurted out. On seeing the deadly serious look on her host's face, she paused. "Oh, God . . .!"

"Hai, it's true. It's only happened once," Seiko reported. "And that was against a people who once conquered Uru, Neptune, Fukunokami and Karasutengu and held them captive for three hundred years. But the threat is there . . . "

"And Ataru-kun's grandmother actually had the authority to call that . . .?" Shinobu's voice trailed off before she stared anew at Seiko. "So to make sure their planned invasion of Earth wouldn't result in a total disaster . . . " She paused again, gaping. "Did your father know?!" Seiko nodded. Shinobu stared at her before she turned to look away, a hand reaching up to rub her other arm. "Oh, Jesu Cristo . . . "

"The person who actually killed Darling's grandmother was an old acquaintance of mine. He . . . " Seiko grimaced. "The stupid sub-creature practically BOASTED that I was his _friend!_ That he was damn proud of the fact that he killed Darling's grandmother to make sure that your people would become slaves of the Urusians!" Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head as she added, "Right to Darling's face . . . "

"And your dad knew . . . " Shinobu whispered.

Seiko nodded, sniffing back fresh tears. "Hai, he knew."

"When did Ataru-kun find out?"

"He bumped into Ando the second weekend after he left Tomobiki. The whole part about the ruling council on Uru being in on what happened to Darling's grandmother . . . " A pause. "He found that out later. At that point, he chose to support the Noukiites since that would give him the chance to locate all the people involved in what happened to his grandmother . . . "

"And take his revenge," Shinobu finished.

"Hai."

Silence fell as Ataru's former girlfriend took the time to think over what Seiko told her, and then she asked, "What do we do now?"

"It's done. The people who were involved are either dead, in the hands of the Noukiites to be tried for crimes against the Dominion or else they're in the hands of the Zephyrite Inquisition, facing heresy charges . . . "

Shinobu blanched. "The Zephyrites even have an Inquisition?!"

Seiko nodded. Hearing that, Shinobu gazed nowhere in particular, and then she folded her legs close to her, hugging them with her arms. "God, I'm not sure I'd ever want to meet someone like that!" she hissed before turning to stare at her former rival. "This was part of the thing Ataru-kun's mother had Negako-san erase from his mind, right?" she asked.

"Suppress, not erase," Seiko amended. "And yes, that was the big part. I . . . " She shook her head. "You know, Darling told me this morning that he LIKED my parents. He was envious of me, Shinobu, because I had parents who really cared for me. But . . . "

"Finding out your fiancée's father conspired in the murder of your grandmother . . . " Shinobu quaked. "I can see why he'd get angry."

"Hai." Seiko's eyes turned to the ceiling. "And even worse, Oogi's still out there." She pointed up. "Atop making sure that the Church of Lum could never harm his sisters, Darling went after Oogi to make damn sure that the Niphentaxians couldn't come to the Urusians' aid against the Noukiites. Now finding out about the Avalonians . . . "

"So what do we do?"

Seiko sensed Shinobu's concerned look, and then she sighed. "The big thing we have to do is keep information about Darling's sisters under wraps until the time comes when Darling'll deal with Oogi." She looked out the window at the surrounding cityscape. "Remember, Shinobu, if Darling was willing to do all _that_ to avenge the death of his grandmother, could you imagine what might happen if any of his sisters came to harm?"

Shinobu blinked as Seiko's warning sank in, and then she blanched.

* * *

"A little gift for a suffering friend."

"Ku-chan!" Ukyou blushed as she took the rose from Kumiko. The raven-haired mirror-twin of Ranma's had come to Okonomiyaki U-chan's minutes after the proprietor herself returned from her meeting with Kamekichi Tampopo. "Did Ran-chan call you?" she then asked.

"Hai, she did. Told us everything about what happened between you and that sack of refuse you once had to call a father. After hearing that, I felt that the sooner I got here, the better." Kumiko took a seat by the counter as Ukyou proceeded to place the rose in a flute filled with fresh water. "Did you speak to anyone from the Court of Special Appeals?"

"Yeah. Tampopo-sensei called 'em over to talk to me at her shop." Ukyou then stopped. Staring at her, Kumiko was quick to notice the sense of stunned bewilderment deep in her friend's eyes. "Damn . . . " She shook her head, leaning on her counter. "I got up this morning thinking I was within a hair's breadth of losing everything that had meaning in my life! And now . . . " She tossed up a hand as she shook her head.

"Stunned to see that things can actually go your way for a change?"

"Damn right about that, sugar!" Ukyou admitted. "So how're things with you and To-chan on the Island?" she then asked.

"Settling in well," Kumiko admitted. "Toshiko and I'll do a special entrance exam on Friday to see if we can attend Stargazer West College. We should pass with little problems." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Be in the same class as Ran-chan when she goes there?"

Kumiko shook her head. "It's hard to predict. Probably wind up in the same class as Sakuya-chan, Haruka-chan and Marie-chan, if not the one Chikage-chan is a part of. Ranma's and Ataru-kun's classes are pretty well filled up according to the present class lists."

"Who's with them?"

"Karen-chan's with Ataru-kun."

"Karen?!" Ukyou's eyebrow arched as she recalled who that was. "She's kinda young to be starting off in the third year of high school, isn't she?"

"She skipped a grade because she did advanced studies when she was living with her mother and stepfather overseas," Kumiko explained.

"Really?! I thought Marie-chan was the smart one of that bunch."

"Seems that way, ne?" Kumiko chuckled as she considered the point. "Then again, from what I've heard, she spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital during most of last year. Not sure of the illness, but I think the death of her stepfather had something to do with it."

Ukyou sighed. "Poor kid. Oh, interested in something, Ku-chan?"

Kumiko smirked. "You."

"Oh, no prob- . . . "

Silence.

Ukyou gaped, staring wide-eyed at her friend. "Wh-what?"

Kumiko reached over to tap the chef's nose. "Gotcha!"

Ukyou flustered. "Oh, you!" She swatted the other woman's hand away, and then she proceeded to prepare batter. "Damn, you actually had me going there for a moment! I though you'd be more interested in boys than girls!"

"Don't forget, U-chan, I WAS born a boy," Kumiko reminded her.

"So was Ran-chan."

"Hai, true, true. Oh, I do happen to have something for you."

Kumiko reached into her jacket to draw out a padded envelope to hand to Ukyou. The chef opened it, drawing out a small pile of papers. Gazing at the covering sheet, her jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Business application for Promised Island?!" she blurted out as she stared at Kumiko.

"Toshiko and I figured that, regardless of what happened between you and Ranma, you'd want to stay close even if she's moving out of Nerima," Kumiko explained. "I talked with one of the people who help manage Welcome House. Since you have been, in effect, orphaned, that qualifies you under the founding Imperial Rescript on the settlement of Oomure-jima as a potential resident." She gazed at the table. "Besides, you're our friend too, U-chan. You helped us. Why shouldn't we help you? I'm sure Tampopo-san wouldn't mind at all."

Ukyou gazed on the raven-haired mirror-twin. A tearful smile crossed her face. Hopping over the counter, she dropped into Kumiko's lap to swamp her with a grateful embrace. No words were said as the two held each other closely for what seemed like an eternity. They then pulled apart to gaze into the other's eyes. "Thank you so much, Kumiko-chan," Ukyou whispered before leaning in to give the other woman a warm kiss. Kumiko shuddered, and then her hold on the chef stiffened as she tilted her head. Ukyou's eyes widened as she felt the mirror-twin's tongue gently slink into her mouth. She then relaxed as she pulled herself even closer to Kumiko. They remained in that position for yet another blissful eternity before slowly, reluctantly, pulling apart.

Gazing once more into the other's eyes, Kumiko quirkily smiled. "I guess I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted you, U-chan."

"Guess you weren't, Ku-chan." Ukyou lightly shrugged before she asked, "Are you doing this because . . .?" An eyebrow arched in curiosity.

"Did Ranma ask me to do this? No. Am I doing it out of some sense of obligation to you? Well . . . " She reached up to gently stroke Ukyou's cheek. "As I said, I am grateful for your help when Ranma and Jijii broke Toshiko and I out of that compact and sent us on our way. No denying that. But . . . " A twinkle appeared in her eye. "I do love you, Ukyou. You'll always have a special place in my life. I want you to come to the Island. Live with Toshiko and I at the cottage. Set up U-chan's there. You'll have a lot of customers there waiting for you. Far as I can tell, there's not another okonomiyaki shop on the Island. And as for what happens between us . . . "

They shared another kiss. "I guess we gotta find that out for ourselves, ne?" Ukyou said, straightening herself in Kumiko's lap.

"I guess so . . . "

A telephone rang. Both winced before they gazed at the offending object. "Don't you just HATE that, Ku-chan?!" Ukyou muttered as she slipped off Kumiko's lap, and then she headed over to pick up the receiver. "Moshi-moshi, Okonomiyaki U-chan's, Kuonji Ukyou speaking," she hailed into it.

"They DO ruin the mood, I guess," Kumiko muttered to herself as she rested her elbows on the counter, chin in her palms . . .

She the jolted on hearing Ukyou's surprised voice cry out, "WHAT?! Sensei, are you SURE about this?!" Silence fell over the restaurant as Ukyou took in the message from Kamekichi Tampopo. The chef nodded. "R-right! Did you pass it on . . .?" Her voice trailed off, and then she nodded again. "Okay, Sensei, I understand. Look, Saotome Kumiko's here. She brought in some papers I'd have to fill out if I want to move the restaurant to Promised Island. Are you . . .?" She was cut off by Tampopo's quick reply, and then she nodded. "Okay, I appreciate that, Sensei. How soon can you find out more about this?" Another pause, and then Ukyou nodded yet again. "Sure, I'll come by tomorrow after school to talk to you about it." Another nod. "Right, I'll see you later. 'Bye, Sensei." She hung up.

"What is it?" Kumiko wondered.

Ukyou walked back to the counter, the bewildered look Kumiko saw in her eyes earlier back with a vengeance. "Sensei . . .! Well, she just got a call from a friend," she began, leaning on the counter. "This guy works for a bank that's affiliated to the group Ataru-kun's uncle owns. And . . . " She gulped. "Jeez, my grandfather . . . "

Kumiko stood. Ukyou didn't resist as the other woman boosted her over the counter to plant her in the seat beside hers. Gently holding the chef's hands, Kumiko gazed into Ukyou's eyes. "What about him? Tell me."

"Well, it's . . . " Ukyou bit her lip. "It's my mom's dad. I . . . " She stopped, barking out a shaky laugh before rubbing one of her eyes. "I never knew much about Mom's relatives. And after Dad sent me off to go after Ran-chan and Genma, well . . . " She threw up her hands.

"You lost all contact with your mother."

"Y-yeah!" Ukyou sputtered before taking several deep breaths. Kumiko kept her peace as her friend marshalled her thoughts, and then the chef gazed at her. "Well, Mom's dad didn't like Dad at all. He didn't approve of them getting together and all that. But he wasn't going to just leave it all be, you know. And . . . " A shudder raced through her, and then she blurted out, "When he died, he bequeathed all his property to me!"

Kumiko blinked, one of her eyebrows arching. "How much money are we talking about here, U-chan? A lot?" Seeing a wary look flash in the chef's eyes, she quickly moved to moderate. "U-chan, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it THAT way! But if it's a lot of money . . . "

"About two hundred million yen after taxes."

Silence.

Kumiko stared wide-eyed at her friend. A delighted smile then crossed her face. "U-chan, that's . . .!" She stopped herself as realization dawned on her. "Oh, damn!" She covered her mouth. "Your dad was trying to . . .?"

"Sensei thinks so. According to Granddad's will, I can get the inheritance when I turn twenty. No strings attached. It'd be my money and property, regardless of what happens between my family and I. Guess Granddad figured Dad out a long time ago. However, the only way I can get it ahead of time is when I . . . " She turned to Kumiko, shrugging.

The other woman's eyebrow arched. "Get married?"

"Yeah! Of course, because I'd be underage . . . "

"Your legal guardian -- namely, your father -- would have nominal control of the money," Kumiko quickly concluded before she shook her head. "Damn! And I thought Genma was a backstabbing thief at times?!" she spat out.

"Yeah," Ukyou snorted, leaning her head on her hand, elbow on the counter. "Well, that's something to look forward to, ne?"

"I'll say. What do you plan to do?"

"Well, talk to Sensei about it, then find some way to make sure Dad can never lay his hands on my inheritance." Ukyou headed behind the counter to continue preparing the batter. "Then I'll just sit back and wait for things to happen. After all, I can support myself with the restaurant. And if the Island doesn't have another okonomiyaki shop -- bizarre as I find THAT to be! Doesn't everyone like okonomiyaki?! -- then I'll be able to make a handsome profit even before I get hold of Granddad's money, ne?"

"True." Kumiko nodded, and then her eyebrow arched. "Lucky for you Genma never got wind of that before Ranma did him in. If he did . . .?"

"Yeah, he would've dumped the Tendous like hot potatoes and Ran-chan and I'd have been married in a flash." Ukyou smirked before a thoughtful look crossed her face. "Then again, would it have helped him in the end?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if he tried to get some of my inheritance from my dad . . .?"

Both women gazed on each other, and then they laughed.

* * *

"'The island of promises.' Nice place."

Seven Bake Rose sipped her espresso as she relaxed in one of the sidewalk bistros located on Second Street East, Promised Island's restaurant district. Being on Earth in late winter meant a change of clothes from her preferred battlesuits. A stylish pair of black slacks topped with a ruffled white shirt, which was covered by a cardigan sweater. Knowing natives in Japan would automatically pick her off as "gaijin" -- Ellsians were generally Caucasian in appearance -- Rose elected to enhance that by wearing tinted sunglasses. Sometimes, it was prudent to make yourself vanish in a crowd, the alien mercenary knew. Sometimes, trying to disguise yourself was too much a bother.

Taking out what appeared to be a pocket notebook computer, Rose flipped it open on the table, and then she tapped controls. Despite its appearance, the device was likely the most advanced machine that ever graced this quaint island lying off the coast of the Japanese mainland. Fortunately, given the lack of shoppers frequenting this part of the Island, Rose didn't need to concern herself too much with potential eavesdroppers. Still, she took a careful glance around before getting down to work.

Images appeared before her. First one up was "Mr. Groom" himself. Remembering the nickname everyone from Elle and Uru gave the man, Rose snickered. Did he ever learn what his given name meant in the Urusian language or was that one of the many secrets the Devil's Daughter managed to keep from him before she died the day the Noukiites destroyed Onishuto? Perhaps when the chance came, Rose would pass the information on. Given how much Ataru must hate Lum, all that could do was add another nail to the coffin.

Data on the other members of the Moroboshi family came up. Ataru's parents were both deceased, killed in a terrorist attack on his old high school over a week before. That was a good thing. With the parents out of the way -- that tacked onto the deaths of Lum and her family -- there was no strong authority figure that could plant the necessary seeds of doubt in Ataru's mind when Elle came to Earth to claim her Honey back.

Much to her surprise, Ataru turned out to have a twin brother, Kaeru. The mercenary had learned of Ataru's twin on Noukiios; when he and his family had been welcomed into the Dominion as honorary citizens, Mr. Groom made sure that the late Moroboshi Kaeru had been added onto the family list. The other brother was of no real concern, of course; he had died in an accident on Nakadoori-jima, one of the Gotou Islands off the west coast of Kyushu, when he was only three years old. The one surprise in that affair was that the boy's body had disappeared from the hospital after his injuries were pronounced terminal. All attempts at tracing Kaeru's remains down had proven futile.

Now, to the sisters . . .

Elder sister number one: Moroboshi Negako. Adopted into the family five years ago. Origins and actual parentage were a total mystery. She was currently residing in the Nerima district of Tokyo. Occupation unknown.

Elder sister number two: Moroboshi Nokoko. Muchi and Kinshou's first-born daughter, a year older than Ataru. Turned over to the care of Muchi's elder brother Komeru when Nokoko was three, immediately after Kaeru's death. Vanished without a trace when she turned six. As with Kaeru, all attempts at locating Nokoko to date had proven totally fruitless.

Rose then smiled as the first of Ataru's twelve younger half-sisters came up. _So he got it from his dad, huh?_ the mercenary chortled as the truth about Mr. Groom's siblings flashed in her mind. Twelve girls, all born out of wedlock to twelve different mothers, all of who came to live on Promised Island over the last two years. Ten were Japanese by nationality; Yotsuba Dunn was from the United Kingdom while Aria des Beauchamps came from France. That would change, Rose knew; lawyers working for Ataru's family were busy making arrangements for all twelve of the girls to be adopted into the Moroboshi family. Once that was done, the eldest of the group, Sukeyama Sakuya, would then be formally recognized as the next matriarch of Mr. Groom's family.

_Definitely bring these girls along_, Rose mused as she sipped the rest of her coffee. From what she had been able to ascertain when she inspected the youth hostel located on the western shore of the Island, Ataru had become VERY close to his half-siblings. To shatter that would simply make things worse between Ataru and Elle when they got back together. Of course, these twelve would make the perfect hostages if things should go really sour for the Queen.

But that was the worst-case scenario . . .

No.

Hurting the sisters, especially the more fragile girls like Susumu Marie, Aria des Beauchamps and Saeru Hinako, would be stupid. Best to woo them, and then get their help in making Ataru see reason. Even if Ataru had not stepped on Elle's shadow years ago, the Rose Queen was adamant on the idea of having Honey back. Lum's recent death and the defeat of the Urusians by the Noukiites had been a sign to Elle. And she certainly did not want to put him into the Refrigerator of Love; Elle's love for Ataru, much to everyone's surprise in Baran, didn't come close to falling in THAT vein . . .!

_Oh, Fates! The Queen's got it for this guy but GOOD!_

Rose shook her head as she deactivated her computer, and then she motioned to a waiter for the bill. Was that really such a bad thing? The Kingdom had begun to show grave signs of political, social and economic stagnation as the Rose Queen's behaviour toward her "cute boys" evolved from the darkest of state secrets to barracks scuttlebutt and juicy meat of street hof jokes. With a husband acting as Crown Prince Consort, especially one with close ties to the Holy Republic of Zephyrus and the Dominion of Noukiios, Elle might finally shake off her idiosyncrasies and do what she had been born to do. Everyone in the Kingdom and many beyond would gladly benefit from THAT!

The bill was paid. After slipping her computer into her purse, Rose made her way towards the ferry dock. It was time to get to work.

* * *

"WHAT?! What do you mean, Sasuke?!"

"What I mean, Master, is that Saotome Ranma no longer appears on his family register," Sasuke proclaimed as he faced Kunou in the latter's reading room. "As near as I can discover, this happened Sunday afternoon, just before the fight you and Mistress Kodachi were involved with at the sch- . . . "

"Enough!" Kunou stood, moving to stand by the window. Gazing on the front yard, the kendou-ka hummed in contemplation as he mentally reviewed the information Sasuke just gave him. "So, he has made himself roonin, has he?"

A mirthless chuckle escaped him. "It appears so, Master."

"What of the pig-tailed girl and her mirror-twin replica?"

Sasuke perked. "There's good news concerning them, Master." He smiled. "Mistress Ranma and Mistress Toshiko were granted the right to form their own autonomous branch of the Saotome family by the Court of Special Appeals. Also part of their group is a Mistress Saotome Kumiko." He bowed his head apologetically. "I've yet to ascertain who she might be, Master."

Kunou perked. "The Court of Special Appeals?!"

"The very same, Master."

"I see . . . " The kendou-ka then chuckled, it soon turning into a full-blown laugh. "Oh, the sheer JOY of it all! The pig-tailed girl and her sisters FREED from that honourless wizard's clutches! At LAST can I finally go forth and claim their hearts and ensure victory against that monster who dared think himself BETTER than the Blue Thunder . . .!"

Sasuke held up a finger. "Um, Master, there's a problem . . . "

Kunou spun on him. "SILENCE!" he roared. "Wretched cur, how DARE you interrupt me when I seek to proclaim my victory?!"

"But Mistress Ranma won't be living in Nerima anymore, Master!"

Silence.

"_**WHAT?!**_" Kunou thundered.

Sasuke flustered. "It's true, sir. You see, Mistress Ranma and her sisters have elected to move to a district of the city of Odawara . . . "

Kunou shuddered, and then he bellowed out, "_**WHAT MADNESS IS THIS?! THE LOVELY PIG-TAILED GIRL IS ACTUALLY LEAVING?! I WILL NOT HAVE IT!**_"

The older ninja sighed as his employer railed on. _This is just NOT worth it . . . _he moaned, fighting down the urge to lash out physically at Kunou. _This is just simply NOT worth it! Wait until the Master learns of what Mistress Akane and her sisters are planning to do!_

* * *

"Dear brother, you are SUCH an idiot at times!" Kodachi muttered to herself as she slipped on her leotard. Even given the sturdy construction and thick walls of the Kunou mansion, it was normally impossible to ignore her brother's thunderous ranting, especially when it came to the subjects of Tendou Akane and Saotome Ranma. Shaking her head, she quickly checked herself over to see if anything was missing, and then, with a graceful spring to her open window, Kodachi was off! Another bounding stride and she landed on a telephone pole just outside the mansion's walls. With that, she was on her way, racing in the general direction of Saint Hebereke Girl's High School.

As the wind whipped past, Kodachi took several deep breaths. A package from the Court of Special Appeals, just like the one Ranma's other suitors received, had arrived at the mansion this morning. Since all the members of the family were off at school when it came, Sasuke received the package, and then examined it. Realizing the gravity of what the Court's decision concerning Ranma would mean to everyone who associated with her, the ninja raced off to Saint Hebereke to allow Kodachi to see the package first.

While she cringed at the idea of Ranma officially declaring herself a girl, the martial arts gymnast had to admit that using such a strategy was prudent. That, tacked onto the move to officially shatter every tie to her birth family, plus establish their new family in a place outside Tokyo, should have forced Akane's father to take pause. Not that the fool could possibly hurt Ranma-sama; after what happened that morning, it would be a long time before Souun would be able to force his will -- _Did the idiot even HAVE one?!_ Kodachi mused as she did a pirouette atop a telephone pole, and then headed towards Hikarigaoka Park -- on Ranma, much less his daughters.

Reflecting on what just happened to Ranma, Kodachi tried not to frown as she made a perfect bound to a streetlight located by the front gate of Hikarigaoka, and then she daintily dropped to the ground. Personally, once she finally forced herself to accept that her Ranma-sama and the pig-tailed girl was indeed one and the same person, Kodachi realized that she didn't care a bit about that awful curse. Still, she had to know if Ranma's decision about his legally becoming a woman was either farce or truth.

If it was the former . . .?

What?

And if it was the latter . . .?

What then?

Kodachi stopped, noisily exhaling before her eyes focused on the yatai located some metres away. "Konban wa, Kodachi-san," Yamada Fred hailed with a warm smile as the gymnast came up to take a seat. "Your usual?"

"Hai, Fred-san, please."

He got to work preparing an order of poutine, a Québécois dish he learned about over the Internet. "Aren't you getting cold prancing around town in just a leotard tonight, Kodachi-san?" he wondered as he gave her a curious look.

She flashed him a delighted smile. "I can keep myself warm with exercise, but right now, I need to get some calories into me."

"Hai, hai! Quick as I can."

He got to work. Kodachi watched as he dumped raw French fries into a fryer, and then he drew out a can of gravy and a bag of fresh cheese curds. She then perked on hearing footsteps echo from behind her. Fred looked up, a smile cutting across his face. "Konban wa, Ranma-san . . . " His voice suddenly trailed off as confusion crossed his face. "Wait a minute!" he then declared as he pointed at the newcomer. "You're not . . . "

"Iie, not really." A lovely redhead slipped into the stool beside Kodachi. "Didn't U-chan ever tell you about Ranma's mirror-twins?"

The hamburger yatai vendor blinked, and then he snapped his fingers before pointing at her. "Oh, I remember now! Toshiko, right?!"

"The same! A Ranma Special if you don't mind."

"Hai, right away."

As Fred got to work, Kodachi took the chance to give Toshiko a look-over. Like her brother, the gymnast learned of Ranma's mirror-twins the instant both of them emerged from Mirror Mansion. Knowing one of them was male had sent jolts of anticipation through Kodachi. After all, if she couldn't have the original -- this had sunk into her around the time of her battle with Saginomiya Asuka, the White Lily -- why not go after a replica? Of course, if Ranma's father had even the barest flicker of intelligence, he should have used that magic mirror to clone his son enough times to satisfy all who wanted him.

Sadly, Nabiki's later announcement that the mirror-twins had been disposed of crashed any hopes Kodachi might have had towards claiming even a small part of the awe-inspiring magnificence that was Saotome Ranma . . .

Kodachi caught herself. _Stop that, 'Dachi!_

She then relaxed as Fred placed a plate of poutine before her. "Here you go, Kodachi-san," he declared with a smile. "Enjoy!"

"Arigatou!" She picked up a fork. "Itadakimasu!"

She dug in. "Hey, Yamada-san, what is that, anyway?" Toshiko asked.

"Poutine. French fries, gravy and melted cheese. Care to try some?"

"Hmmm . . .! Sounds great. Okay."

"Here." Kodachi picked up some cheese-coated fries to dangle it before Toshiko's mouth, she giving her a friendly smile. "Try it."

"Aaaah!" Toshiko opened her mouth to munch the sample down. "Hey, this IS good!" She nodded in approval. "Thanks, Kodachi."

"I take it you want that with your order?" Fred asked.

The crimson-haired mirror-twin nodded. "You bet!"

"Hai, right away."

He got to work. As she ate her poutine, Kodachi watched as Fred prepared a huge pile of beef, complete with sizzling onions, tomatoes and lettuce, on his grill. "This is normally what Ranma-sama eats?!" she asked.

Fred nodded. "Yep, that it is! Had to craft it myself when he decided he needed a break from U-chan's and the Nekohanten. Not that I'd personally knock Ukyou-san or Elder Cologne; they're both very good. But limiting your choices to okonomiyaki or Chinese cuisine . . .?"

Kodachi smiled. "Hai, that is true. Believe me, Yamada-san, I truly rejoiced when I heard you'd established your yatai here."

"Everyone did, I guess." Toshiko smirked as she reached into her jacket to draw out a padded envelope no different than what Kumiko had just given Ukyou. "And speaking of which, Fred-san, Ranma asked me to pass this on to you for your personal consideration." She held it out to him with both hands.

"What's this?" He took the envelope, and then he opened it to scan the contents. "Business application for . . .?" He gaped before turning to stare quizzically at Toshiko. "Where the heck's Promised Island, anyway . . .?"

"Real name's Oomure-jima. It's located in the Sagami Sea just off the coast of Odawara. It's where Ranma'll be living, starting this weekend. My other sister Kumiko and I are there already. And I know they don't have anything like this place." She indicated the yatai.

"Ranma asked you to do this?!" Fred asked. At her nod, he chuckled, setting the envelope aside as he turned back to preparing Toshiko's meal. "Much that I how much business he brings to me, but for him to do THAT . . .?!"

"Well, if you want to stay here, that's no problem. This IS your place," Toshiko asserted. "But I'll tell you this: Given how bad the hamburger joint on the Island is, having you demonstrate what REAL hamburgers are about . . . "

She held up a finger. "One of _those_ places?!" Fred asked. On seeing Toshiko nod, he smirked. "Tell Ranma I'll consider it. How big's the island?"

"About six thousand permanent residents, plus the fishermen who dock by the place from time to time. Few tourists come by the area, but there's a small staff of scientists from Kanagawa University who come by throughout the year to make use of the telescope on Stargazer Hill."

"Hmmm . . .!" Fred scratched his chin as he flipped the patty on the grill. "Sounds like a pretty interesting place. Okay . . . "

A very big burger complete with all the trimmings was soon placed before Toshiko. In lieu of a regular order of fries, the mirror-twin got an order of poutine. Seeing the amount of food a "Ranma Special" took, Kodachi whistled before she turned back to her meal. "My, is Ranma-sama capable of eating ALL THAT as a girl as well as a boy?" she asked.

"You bet." Toshiko winked, smiling as she pulled up a hunk of poutine to dangle before the gymnast. "Kodachi-san, say 'aahh!'"

Kodachi opened her mouth. "Aaahhh . . . "

The poutine was slipped into her mouth. As the martial arts gymnast started to munch it down, Toshiko used her chopsticks to flick off the bits of melted cheese that got caught on the skin around Kodachi's lips. Seeing that, the raven-haired woman opened her mouth again to accept the morsels of food. Once they were clean, Toshiko swung the wooden sticks around to sensuously draw them through her lips to give them an extra cleaning. Kodachi watched this, her heart picking up as Toshiko's beautiful sapphire eyes locked with hers.

Her eyes . . .

Ranma-sama's eyes . . .

The same . . .

Kodachi's cheeks heated as she ducked away from Toshiko's penetrating stare. Smiling, the mirror-twin turned back to her meal.

* * *

Some minutes later, two women stepped away from Fred's yatai, heading deeper into Hikarigaoka Park. As soon as they were relatively out of sight from eavesdroppers -- it was a quiet night this evening -- Toshiko reached over to grasp Kodachi's hand. The gymnast perked on feeling that grip, and then she shuddered. "I hope I'm not embarrassing you too much," Toshiko said.

Kodachi sighed before she gave the other woman a look. "If Ranma-sama had been this direct with me anytime before that 'wedding,' I would have gladly done a lot more than simply pursue him, Toshiko-san . . . "

Before the gymnast could react, Toshiko spun herself around so they were standing face-to-face. Kodachi slipped into the other woman's arms as their eyes locked on the other. "My friends call me 'To-chan,' Kodachi-san."

A delighted smile crossed the dark-haired girl's face. "And you can call me ''Dachi,' To-chan." She gently glided a finger over Toshiko's nose. "But do tell me, please: Does Ranma-sama consider me her friend?"

Silence fell as Toshiko considered what to say, and then she slowly exhaled. "I think she can let herself accept you as a friend, 'Dachi," the mirror-twin admitted. "But you have to admit, there are some problems."

"My witless brother being the primary one, I believe."

"Hai." Toshiko nodded as they proceeded to walk to a nearby bench set in a clearing surrounded by a grove of trees. "Much that we'd all wish that your brother -- much that he IS a prime specimen of beefcake! -- would finally get a life and stop chasing people who want nothing to do with him, the chances are there that even if Ranma goes to Promised Island, your brother will follow."

"Indeed, he will." Kodachi nodded as they sat, and then she smiled as Toshiko slid a comforting arm around her. Sinking into that warm embrace, she gazed on her companion. "Even now with the potential embarrassment of his drawing live steel at the wedding hanging over him, he charges ahead without a single care in the world. Tendou Akane, not yesterday morning, proclaimed that she would no longer acknowledge his desires for her and swore it on the memory of her late mother. Tell Tatewaki that . . . "

She shrugged. Toshiko snorted. "I've got no use for Miss Mallets myself, so even if your brother did go after her, I wouldn't care."

"Are you the girl-born mirror-twin?"

She nodded. "Hai. Kumiko was a boy -- we called him 'Komakichi' then -- up to when he fell into the Nyanniichuan when we visited Jusenkyou. This was probably just days before that whole mess with Saffron began, I think."

"Ah, so that's why you're so venomous toward Akane."

"We both are," Toshiko admitted.

Kodachi laughed, and then she sighed. "May I ask you something?"

"About Ranma?"

"Hai."

A brief silence as Toshiko considered what to say, and then she breathed out, "She's a girl in heart as well as body. That's thanks to Jusenkyou, but the full effects of that part of the curse were delayed because of the damage the Neko-ken training did to Ranma's mind."

"And that has, I assume, now been dealt with?"

"On Sunday, just before the big fight with the panda."

"Ah!" The gymnast nodded before she gazed quizzically at her new friend. "So what does bring you to Nerima this evening, To-chan? Other than seeing Fred-san, of course . . . " A sly grin crossed her face.

"Well, seeing Yamada-san was the main reason I did come, though I must confess, meeting you at last is a truly delightful bonus." Toshiko winked, eliciting another delighted laugh from the gymnast. "Kumiko's with U-chan right now trying to persuade her to move to the Island herself. U-chan had a big falling out with her dad this morning. Turns out that U-chan was due to receive a pretty big inheritance from her mom's dad, but if she wanted to get her hands on it earlier, she had to marry . . . "

"And, by the sounds of it, Kuonji-san's father planned to embezzle that inheritance from his daughter," Kodachi finished, frowning.

"Hai. Well, hopefully, he won't be much of a bother anymore. After all the crap she's been through, U-chan doesn't deserve that."

Kodachi blinked. "Bad?"

"Very. Almost as bad as what Ranma herself went through because of the panda." Toshiko then stared knowingly at the gymnast. "Not to mention what things you yourself might've lived through. Ne, 'Dachi?"

The other paled before she composed herself, and then she felt Toshiko's hands warmly squeeze her shoulders. Staring into the crimson-haired woman's eyes, Kodachi lightly smiled. "How, may I ask, did you come to assume something like that, To-chan?" she quietly asked.

"Well, even with all the profane curses she heaped over you, U-chan was pretty explicit when she described you to Kumiko and I." Toshiko drew her hands down to gently grip Kodachi's. "There's been no talk about your mother whatsoever, so I assume she is no longer with us. Your behaviour is quite . . . " -- a wry grin crossed her face -- " . . . well, _eccentric_ to say the least of it. Ditto with your brother, though I think he's a lot worse than you. And I don't think we need to mention your father, ne?"

"Certainly not." Kodachi shook her head. "I admit that I've stepped over the bounds many times in the past when it comes to Ranma-sam- . . . " She caught herself, and then she shrugged, smiling embarrassingly. "With Ranma-san, I mean. In spite of all that, I will also admit that your bro- . . . " She caught herself again. "Gomen. 'Sister,' I mean -- was the first person in a long while who did treat me with kindness and concern. And who wasn't a doctor or a nurse, I should add." She held up a finger in emphasis.

"Or your mother, I assume," Toshiko noted.

Kodachi nodded. "Hai, Okaa-san as well." She reached up to gently wipe her eyes, sniffing. "I miss her so much."

Toshiko drew her close. "I grieve with you."

They held each other for a while, and then they pulled apart, Kodachi shifting herself to lean against Toshiko again. "Well, it seems that you seem to be on your way to getting some control over your life," the latter noted.

"Hopefully, given what the Moroboshis and the Court of Special Appeals did for Ranma-san, she will soon enjoy the same."

Toshiko gave her a curious look. "Does this have something to do with you showing up at that farce of a wedding in a wedding dress?"

"Pretty much," the gymnast admitted. "Sasuke was spying on everyone in the Tendou compound right from the moment Ranma-san and the others came back. When he relayed to me that Ranma-san's fool father was trying to force him into marrying Akane, well . . . " She shrugged.

"And doing it in a wedding dress was just your way of safeguarding your 'eccentric' reputation, ne?" Toshiko quipped, her eyebrow arching.

A wince shuddered Kodachi's body before she nearly froze in place as Toshiko leaned over to gently kiss her cheek. "Sorry."

Silence fell as the gymnast's mind rolled over what just happened. She then gazed into the other's eyes before leaning up to return the kiss on Toshiko's lips. "It's alright. I believe I deserve that." She then gazed nowhere in particular. "Still . . . "

"What is it, 'Dachi?"

"I wouldn't mind being rid of that reputation, to be truthful."

Toshiko considered that before she gave her a smile. "I think I know how to help you towards that end, 'Dachi." She slipped her arm away from the other woman before she stood up, and then she helped Kodachi to her feet. "C'mon."

"Where are we going?" the gymnast asked.

"To see a movie, plus shopping. ONCE we get you into decent clothes."

Toshiko waved Kodachi with her. Kodachi stared wide-eyed at the other woman before a smile crossed her face. "Hai!"

She then raced off after her new friend.

* * *

"I can understand your concerns very well, Ikusawa-san."

"So will you help us?" Kyooko wondered as she and Tomomi relaxed.

Ataru stared at them before he nodded. "Yes, I will. After all . . . " -- a knowing smile crossed his face -- "It's not the least bit fair that your mothers' people are forced to serve a pack of lifeless fools like Oogi."

Miree, sitting to the left of the visiting Avalonians, chuckled. "It is fortunate that your desires now mesh so well with Ataru's."

"How can we do this?" Tomomi then asked. "I only know the basics about what goes on between the Avalonians and the Niphentaxians. Atop that, our mothers don't have much knowledge when it comes to the factory. How can we fight Oogi if he's up in orbit . . .?"

"We will need to take time to ascertain what is exactly going on aboard the factory before determining a proper course of action against Oogi, Tomomi," Negako, she seated between Ataru and Sakuya, stated. "We . . . " -- she indicated the members of Ataru's family plus all the hangers-on, all of them seated in a circle around the old shrine's living room table -- " . . . were in the process of commencing a proper investigation when you and Kyooko came to speak to us. I see no reason to alter that plan at this time."

Yotsuba chuckled. "Funny way to start an investigation. We're all planning to go to a hot spring up north until this weekend!"

Surprise crossed the visiting women's faces, and then Tomomi's eyes widened. "Oh, you mean act normal for the time being, right?!"

Negako nodded. "Exactly. Now, your mothers currently possess no active link to the factory. To ensure there might not be any passive link, we can have Hinako use the Staff of Gihan to sever such links and thus impede any search launched against your parents. With that done, all you two and Minako have to do is what you have always done: Strongly control any urge to make use of your telepathic or empathic powers until such time as the threat from Oogi has been dealt with, and then proceed from there."

Akane, sitting close to Kyooko, perked as she remembered the incident when she first learned of the Niphentaxians. "Negako-san, if these people've bugged the whole of Tomobiki with those listening devices Chikage-san found in Mendou's sitting room, wouldn't the girls' apartment block be likewise bugged?"

She indicated Kyooko and Tomomi. "A reasonable point, Akane." Negako turned to Chikage. "When the girls return to their domicile tonight, ensure their apartment block, plus the area around it, is swept clean."

The sorceress nodded. "Might want to do more than that, Onee-chan," Ataru warned. "If a single blank spot appears in their coverage, it'll be a red flag to these idiots. Random blank spots all over town'd work better."

Kyooko stared at Chikage. "You won't mind this?"

Chikage lightly smiled, crossing her arms. "It's no problem. Those things are ridiculously easy to locate and eliminate."

"Even more, what of the morale of those observers in Tomobiki?" Miree mused. "After all, the chances are very good that most of their relatives back on the Homeworld are dead. How have they been taking all of this?"

Ataru sighed. "We should, for now, assume the worst."

"Why not find all these jokers now and get rid of them as soon as we can?" Mamoru asked as she tucked her legs into her arms.

Ranma shook her head. "Not a smart idea, Mamoru-chan."

"Why'd you say that, Anee?"

"Simple. We don't know where they all are. We don't even know how many of them there are in Tomobiki. If we hit one group, the rest'll all scatter and that makes it worse for us. What if they have people living in the neighbouring areas, like here in Nerima? We have to figure all that out before doing anything against them." Ranma ticked off the points on her fingers before she indicated Miree with her hand. "And Miree-san has a very good point, too. What's their morale now that so many of their fellow believers are all dead? Will they want to fight on or lay down arms? If the latter, it makes this a lot easier for all of us, but the chances are there . . . "

"There'll be some fanatic holdouts that won't want to surrender," Shinshi, who currently had one arm wrapped around Yotsuba, finished.

"And unfortunately, they're living in a fair-sized town which could provide loads of potential hostages," Ataru added. "Not to mention the very faint possibility that some of them might want to tag up with some of Lum's would-be fans, trick them into falling into the Church's side as a way of 'avenging' what happened to their 'goddess' on me."

"Onii-sama, you can't believe that even now . . .?" Sakuya blurted.

"Sakuya-chan, I'm NOT taking that chance," Ataru cut her off.

The eldest of the sisters gazed on him. "Ataru-kun has a good point, Sakuya-san." Tomomi held up a finger. "At school today, after Ataru-kun and Hinako-chan met up with Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan, some of the guys, especially in our class, were grousing a blue streak about all the 'good luck' Ataru-kun's had recently. And this was even AFTER that MiB guy zapped them with a neuralizer to make them leave Ataru-kun alone!"

Mamoru snorted. "Goes to show what idiots they are!"

Haruka tensed. "They were conspiring against Anigimi-sama?"

"No, but you can be pretty darn sure that if the chance comes that might provide them an opportunity to hurt Ataru-kun, they'll take it," Tomomi warned.

Akane gaped. "Why?!"

Ataru smirked. "That's how much Lum's presence affected them."

"There's also the matter of Mendou-san," Kyooko warned.

Ataru tensed. "What about him?"

"Well, the girls in class noted he was absent today," Kyooko reported. "I took a look at the nominal roll and saw that he'd been scratched off the list. The teachers are being really quiet about it, but you can bet his removal'll become common knowledge before long."

"Wait until they find out about Mendou-san getting married to that man-phobe Mizunokooji," Kawamura Himiko muttered under her breath.

Tomomi blinked. "He's getting married?"

Ataru held up an objecting hand. "Yoshino-san, PLEASE don't spread that around! If the girls at school get wind of that . . . "

"It could be as bad as when Rudolph Valentino died?" Kyooko asked.

"Partially. But the bigger problem is people crashing the wedding. As Himiko just hinted, the idea of Sword-for-brains marrying Mizunokooji Asuka -- even given that Asuka ISN'T afraid of being around Mendou -- doesn't sit well with most of the girls at Tomobiki High."

Ranma stared knowingly at him. "And if they DO get married, those idiots at school'd turn around and blame it all on you, right?"

Ataru nodded, his eyes rolling. "Hai."

"So when's the happy day?" Tomomi asked. Then, noting the warning look from Ataru, she waved her hand. "I'm not going to ruin it!"

He winked, grinning. "You better not!"

"It's Saturday after lunch," Sakuya provided, her eyes glittering. "A nice, quiet, private ceremony. It's SO romantic!"

"Sakuya-san, PLEASE don't rub it in!" Serizawa Mikiko moaned.

Laughter filled the living room.

* * *

"There we go . . . "

Rose smiled as she secured the last of the transporter guide beacons into the window-side corner of the third floor classroom. It had been too easy to beak into Tomobiki High; since Fujinami Ryuunosuke no longer lived there full-time, there was no one available to keep watch over the property after hours. For the Ellsian-born mercenary, it was easier still to confirm where Miyake Shinobu currently attended classes: The nominal roll for this particular class was taped to the lectern. Five noticeable names had been scratched off that list, names Rose knew of very well. Four of them were beyond any hope of retrieval, of course; they had died two weeks before. The fifth one was still alive, thank the Fates. Even better, he was easy to retrieve from his mansion if the Queen ultimately wanted to see her last Cute Boy once more.

Stepping back to inspect her work, the mercenary nodded. "Folks here'll be in for an interesting session tomorrow," Rose mused to herself. Then, after cleaning up her gear, she slipped out of the room. In two minutes, she would be aboard her scoutship and making a situation report to Queen Elle. The Royal flagship, the patrol monitor RENS _Rose Emperor_, was a half-day from Earth.

Queen Elle would definitely like THIS news.

* * *

"My diary?"

Shinobu nodded. "Hai." She and Ryuunosuke were relaxing in the living room of the Miyake home, their homework spread out before them on the coffee table. "I was wondering if you've added anything to it since Ataru-kun told us about the Church of Lum on Saturday."

The tomboy blinked as she considers her friend's question, and then she shook her head. "No, I haven't. Then again, I haven't really had much to write about since Oyaji and Nagisa died. Why are you asking, Shinobu?"

Shinobu took a deep breath. "It's because of the Niphentaxians, Ryuu-chan." A pause. "And Ataru-kun, too. He . . . "

"What about Moroboshi?!" Ryuunosuke snapped, cutting Shinobu off as she bolted up. "Why the hell should I care one damned bit about him after all he's done to you, for heaven's sake?! Especially since he left this place . . .!"

Shinobu shook her head. "Ryuu-chan, you don't understand! It's not about Ataru-kun directly! It's about his sisters!"

That comment caused the tomboy to stop. "His sisters?!"

"Could you imagine what might happen if those people find out about Ataru-kun's sisters?" Shinobu then wondered. "Especially about the young ones? They're sitting targets for those monsters to go after just because they're related to Ataru-kun! Do you want to see them hurt?!"

"I . . . " Ryuunosuke paused before she shook her head. "Oh, hell, no! Of course not! But . . . " She sighed. "Shinobu, I really don't think it matters any which way! You heard what Sakiko-chan said about them on Sunday! Three billion of them are dead! I don't think they're going to be in any sort of shape to go chase after Moroboshi now . . . "

Shinobu held up an objecting finger. "How can we be sure, Ryuu-chan?"

Silence fell as they considered that. Ryuunosuke then sighed. "He hurt you, Shinobu-chan," she hissed, her fists clenching and unclenching. "He's hurt you since before Lum came into your lives, then when she left, he basically told you to go screw yourself for all he ever cared! I hate that! I really do! And he's got the fuckin' gall to demand things of you . . . "

"He hasn't demanded anything of us save to leave him alone, Ryuu-chan!" Shinobu cut in with a shake of her head. "And he's got a pretty damned good reason to want us to leave him alone! Twelve good reasons, in fact!"

Ryuunosuke stopped, staring quizzically at her friend for a moment, and then she blinked. "Because of the diaries, right?"

"Right! Now, I don't know how is it those people are able to get copies of our diaries to make new chapters for their so-called 'holy book.' But we know how they just LOVE to twist our words around to make sure their damned party line's kept, don't we? And we both know how much they hate Ataru-kun! Could you imagine what might happen if news of the sisters got to them?! What those people might end up viewing them as?!"

The tomboy shuddered. "That's true, ain't it . . .?"

"Yes, it is. And . . . " Shinobu stopped as she considered what more she should say. "Ryuu-chan, I don't know what my feelings for Ataru-kun are. There are days I want to strangle him for all the things he's done, yet . . . " She paused. "There are days I want to take him somewhere safe and isolated, and live with him forever. I don't know! But right now, Ryuu-chan, he sees US as a threat to his family because of the Niphentaxians and what they do with our most private WORDS! And like it or not, he's got every right to see us that way! You heard what he told us on Saturday! Just because some dictator somewhere tried to have Lum and her family killed, those monsters murdered five million innocent people! Could you imagine what could happen if they went after Ataru-kun's sisters, not to mention those girls he adopted?!"

A chill warped through Ryuunosuke as images of Sakuya, Chikage, Haruka, Hinako, Reiko and Kaneko passed through her mind. While the three older women seemed capable of caring for themselves, the younger ones were vulnerable. And if these Niphentaxians were as fanatic as Seiko and Sakiko both asserted . . .! "Yeah, you got a point," she whispered before staring at Shinobu. "Damn, why can't we get Seiko to try to find these people and let her deal with them? When she was Lum, she was their 'goddess.' Won't they listen to her?"

Shinobu shook her head. "I don't think it'll work, Ryuu-chan. If they're so willing to blind themselves to the truth when it comes to our diaries, I doubt Seiko'll be able to make some headway with them. And look how much she's changed, for God's sake! Would they even BELIEVE her to be Lum even if she telepathically linked with any of them?"

"If she ever WANTED to link with them, that is," Ryuunosuke noted.

The other girl then nodded. "Hai, even if she did! She did say she hated them," Shinobu mused as she turned back to her homework.

* * *

"Sisters . . .?"

Fungi sat in the listening room, gazing at the computer that was at that time linked to listening devices positioned in the domicile of the Sinful Doubter Miyake Shinobu (also serving as the temporary home of the Holy Friend Fujinami Ryuunosuke). Running a hand through his sandy hair, the observer, a man appearing to be in his late teens, grimaced as the words Miyake Shinobu and Fujinami Ryuunosuke exchanged echoed again and again through his mind.

And those words were troublesome indeed.

Not for him personally, of course. He was a member of the Church of Lum in name only. Having Vosian ancestry through his mother's side, Fungi was blessed -- or cursed, depending on one's viewpoint -- with an independent streak in his personality. He joined the Church out of peer pressure, not to mention an understandably profound fear of being labelled an apostate, which was, these days, considered a capital crime in the Niphentaxian Union. And while being part of the Church allowed him to travel off-planet, he could gladly do without some of -- hell, "some?!" Try ALL! -- the rituals his brother and sister worshippers engaged in every day, from dawn unto dusk.

Still, even now, he had to be careful. The news of the Cataclysm had smashed morale among the Holy City's observers to the sub-strata. Fungi's relatives were all right; he wasn't from Phentax Two but one of the colony worlds. None of them had been on the Homeworld when the Cataclysm struck. The same was true with those other observers hailing from the colonies, regardless of personal viewpoints; Fungi wasn't the only one who just paid lip-service to the Church. As for those who DID hail from the Homeworld . . .!

He sighed, tapping controls on his machine. While he grieved for his co-workers' terrible loss, the fact that there existed a dangerous power vacuum in the Union had to be kept VERY prominently in mind. As communications between Earth and Phentax Two were being restored, news flowing from the Homeworld wasn't good. Emergency councils were being established in all the provinces as the sheer scale of the Cataclysm began to sink in. Without direction from the Church, those believers in the colonies, not to mention the Niphentaxian Fleet, were without any firm spiritual guide. Even more, the heretics from the old churches, all of whom survived the Cataclysm unscathed, were undermining the Lumites' authority. Civil war in the Union was a possibility.

And sadly, there was only one sure-fire way to avert such a calamity:

Kill Moroboshi Ataru.

Destroy the "Great Evil."

Fungi took a deep breath as he shifted the files of the audio recordings from the Miyake home into a secure folder accessible only to him. It was the constant in internal conflicts: Find some way to bring outsiders into it. And with the hatred many Lumites felt towards Moroboshi these days, it wouldn't take much for someone to rally the troops in a crusade against the "great evil." Of course, that many innocent people here on Earth would get killed along the way was totally irrelevant to the issue at hand.

Including these sisters Shinobu and Ryuunosuke had just spoken of . . .

Finishing his work, Fungi closed down the computer, and then he stretched before heading out of the listening room. Returning to his living quarters, the observer prepared to retire for the evening. If Shinobu and Ryuunosuke were forewarned about their diaries, chances were good that the other survivors of the "holy company" might have also been warned. If those diaries were sealed off from Niphentaxian observation, it could result in a panic among Church leaders in the colonies and the Fleet. And if any one of them decided it was the Great Evil who was at fault for the silence from the Holy Company -- which it actually WAS, Fungi bitterly mused, though for good reasons . . .!

"Damn mess," he muttered as he slipped under the covers.

Wait until everyone heard what happened to the Goddess herself.

* * *

"Interesting."

Chikage gazed at the image in her crystal ball. It was presently giving her a metaphysical bird's eye view of Fungi. While the young sorceress had yet to discern an easy way to magically pick out all the Niphentaxian agents in Tomobiki, it was possible for her to lock her mystical vision on those possessing a very strong will. And Fungi certainly had THAT!

A smile crossed Chikage's face as she heard, "Hey, who's the cutie?"

Chikage's eyes turned up as Sakuya stepped into the spare bedroom the former had temporarily taken over as her scrying chamber. The latter slipped into the chair across from her sister, her eyes locked on Fungi's softly chiselled face. "Yes, he is quite handsome, isn't he?" The sorceress then chuckled, holding up a finger. "But of course . . . "

"He's not Onii-sama," Sakuya finished.

Chikage nodded. "Naturally."

Both gazed on each other with a chuckle. "So who is this guy, anyway?" Sakuya asked. "I can tell he's not a local."

"Niphentaxian, though not from Phentax Two itself. His name's Fungi dai-Jaedeen. As Miree warned us, those who are members of the Church of Lum rarely if ever make use of family names these days. Some non-Niphentaxian ancestry in this one, I think. He's not a hardcore member of the Church. He only joined because of peer pressure and a desire to avoid being labelled an apostate."

"That's bad?"

"People are put to death on Phentax Two for being such."

Sakuya winced. "Ouch! Perfect incentive to join the church, huh?"

Chikage nodded. "Hai. He one of the observers in charge of keeping a close eye on Miyake Shinobu. Just before turning in for the evening, he overheard Shinobu and Fujinami Ryuunosuke talk about their diaries."

An eyebrow arched. "Diaries?"

"The Church's holy book is based on distorted copies of the diaries of those people who closely associated with Lum," the sorceress explained. "Even if Ani-kun's former classmates wrote positively about him, the people who wrote up the Church's holy book would rewrite the text to ensure that Ani-kun's image as their 'great evil' was steadfastly maintained. Shinobu warned Ryuunosuke that if she were to make new diary entries, she should avoid making any mention of any of Ani-kun's relations. Fungi overheard that."

Hearing that, Sakuya moaned, "Oh, terrific . . . "

"Fungi sealed the audio file of that conversation. From what I could divine, no one will be able to get into that file," Chikage added.

Sakuya considered that, and then she smiled. "So he's on our side?"

The sorceress shook her head. "Not firmly. Being what he is, Fungi must walk a fine line for the next while. Without any control from Phentax Two, the observers here on Earth are unsure as to what they should do. Continue their mission knowing three billion of those they once served are dead? Abandon their mission and return home, thus potentially risking punishment for failing their duty? Abandon their mission and simply fade into the masses, ending all contact with their compatriots back home? What happens in that case? Will more come, this time acting more _overt_ in serving their 'goddess?'"

A groan escaped the eldest of the sisters. "In other words, it's a big mess and resolving it's going to be really, really hard."

"Exactly."

"Oh, cute . . . "

A knock was heard at the door. "Come!" Chikage called out.

The door opened, revealing Miree. "I apologize for . . . " Her voice trailed off as she took in the darkened space, lit only by the square of candles fencing in Chikage's worktable. "Bothering you," she finished before she gingerly stepped over the candles to stand beside Sakuya's chair. "But I wanted a chance to speak to both of you as soon as possible."

"Is there something wrong, Miree-san?" Sakuya asked.

"Yes." Miree then glanced quizzically at the image in the crystal ball before turning to gaze on Chikage. "One of the Lumite observers?"

"Yes, but not a firmly loyal one, fortunately," the sorceress replied. "I believe if he's approached right, he could become an ally."

The priestess took that in. "I see. Well, there are those sects in the Church of Lum who look upon your brother in a more positive light. Instead of the 'great evil,' he is seen as the 'Goddess' Beloved Darling.'"

Sakuya wryly smirked. "Amazing."

"Indeed, it is, Sakuya-san," Miree confirmed with a nod. "And that difference of opinion will give us ample opportunity to ensure that whatever backlash events in Lumukyou produced will not be felt here on Earth."

"Could you actually speak to these people, Miree?" Chikage asked. "Even if they are more sympathetic to Ani-kun, you are still the nominal leader of a 'heretic' faith. Will they listen to what you have to say?"

"Not unless I have one of you with me when I speak to them."

"Do you have anyone specific in mind?" Sakuya asked.

"Aria."

Silence.

"ARIA-CHAN?!" Sakuya shrieked. "Are you out of your mind?!" She bolted to her feet to glare Miree down. "Uh-uh, lady! There's no way in hell that I'd let you put Aria-chan in THAT sort of situation! And you can be assured that Onii-sama won't go for it, either!"

The chief priestess remained calm. "But what if Aria-chan is armed with a device similar to what Hinako-chan possesses, Sakuya-san?"

The younger women gazed wide-eyed at Miree, and then Chikage asked, "Is there such a device available at this time, Miree?"

"Yes, there is. It is called the Genesis Wand of Parah."

"Where is it?" Sakuya demanded.

"On the other side of the galaxy." Miree held up a hand to cut off Sakuya's angry retort. "But, thanks to the Staff, it is accessible. All we have to do is convince Hinako-chan to go retrieve the Genesis Wand and bring it back here for Aria-chan to use."

"And you would go with Hinako to ensure her safety?" Chikage asked.

Miree nodded. "Yes. Jonna as well."

Sakuya and Chikage exchanged a look. The elder sister turned back to Miree. "You better make DAMN sure that Hinako-chan isn't hurt when you go find this thing." Her voice turned very cold as she glared at the older woman.

Miree lightly smiled. "The Staff will guarantee that, Sakuya-san."

* * *

"Is that checky, Shi-chama?"

Shinshi grunted appreciatively as Yotsuba's fingers pulled and kneaded his shoulder muscles. "Oh, that's DEFINITELY checky, Yo-chan!" he cooed as he leaned into her, resting his head in the crook of her neck. Both were sitting on the front porch, gazing at the sky overhead. "If I die right now, lying in your arms, I die in ultimate bliss," he whispered, closing his eyes.

Yotsuba stared at him, and then she smiled, sliding her arms under his armpits to rest her hands on his stomach. Shinshi quaked as her fingers gently tugged his T-shirt, and then began to dance around his navel. "Yotsuba definitely won't like it one bit if Shi-chama suddenly took the Last Checky to Saint Peter's Gate," she playfully purred.

"No, I guess you wouldn't." He then turned to gaze into her eyes. "Oh, Kami-sama! You're so beautiful, Yo-chan."

Yotsuba's cheeks reddened, and then she leaned in to give him a kiss. "You're the most perfect man I've ever met," she whispered in English, and then she flipped to Japanese. "Except Ani-chama, of course!" she added with a wink.

He smirked. Okay, if she wanted to play language roulette, he would go along with it. "Miss Dunn, why is it you're always putting your own brother on such a high pedestal?" he asked in English, grateful that Nabiki was fluent in the language of would communications (not to mention world business!). "After all, much that he HAS done a lot to keep our planet safe from idiots out yonder . . . " He pointed up to the night. "He isn't perfect. Not by far."

Yotsuba blinked, and then she slid her hands up to his chest. "Shinshi, what on Earth makes you think I'd want a perfect boyfriend, much less a perfect big brother?" she asked, returning to her native tongue.

Silence. Shinshi gazed nowhere in particular for a moment as he absorbed her words, and then he gazed on her. "Yotsuba . . . "

"Nobody's perfect." She leaned her chin on his shoulder. Then, after patting his chest, she moved to stand. Stepping onto the lawn, she gazed into the evening sky, and then turned back to look at him. "Do you want to know what Ani-chama's best attribute is?" she asked.

She walked back to sit into his lap. He drew her close. "What is it?"

"He's willing to admit that he's nowhere close to being perfect. And he doesn't want to be someone's idea of being 'perfect.'"

His eyebrow arched. "That's an attribute?"

"Yes. I found out the truth about my real father -- and my relation to Ani-chama -- six months ago when Negako-anechama came to England. Dad -- my step-dad, that is -- and Mom had always been honest with each other about where I came from. I still keep in touch with them, even now. And at first . . . "

She paused. "You didn't want to be associated with someone like Ataru, right?" Shinshi finished as he gazed knowingly at her.

Yotsuba nodded. "Yeah. Of course, when Ane-chama told me about what Ani-chama had been made to forget, much less what was going on between Ani-chama and those twits he called parents . . . " -- here, she rolled her eyes -- "Well, I've never been one who could accept something like that! So I decided Ani-chama NEEDED a sister, someone who'd be willing to give him a chance, give him the benefit of the doubt. So I moved to the Island, then when the chance came, I visited Tomobiki. Guess when I was there?"

Shinshi considered that. "Not the Tag Race; that was only three months ago." A pause, and then his eyes widened as it hit him. "The Pseudo-War?"

"Checky!" Yotsuba then chuckled. "Oh, man, was THAT weird!" A pause. "Well, I had some of the Kuromoroboshi with me to help out with my investigation. I got there while Ani-chama and those goofs were making some sort of school movie in and around Mendou's cherry tree, the Tarouzakura. And there was one time . . . " Her eyes narrowed. "Just before things started going really weird." She nodded before carrying on with the narration, "They were filming a scene and Ani-chama didn't do something right. Right away, Megane -- you know about him, don't you?" She looked at Shinshi. At his nod, she went on, "Well, Megane starts berating Ani-chama about being such an idiot. He told him Ani-chama wasn't living up to what being Japanese was all about. And Ani-chama . . . " She smiled. "You want to know what he said back?"

"What?"

"He told Megane that he just didn't care about all that nonsense. That he knew he wasn't perfect and . . . " Yotsuba stopped. "I don't really recall what else he said, but when I was hearing that, I realized that Ani-chama wasn't ashamed or embarrassed by what he said. And I sensed that he really, really HATED all the things Megane and Mendou and the rest of those clods were grousing about, Shinshi. And . . . " She pointed to some spot on the lawn. "There was Lum sitting there and she said NOTHING!"

Shinshi shrugged. "Well, she was an alien. She lived under very different social circumstances than from what you or I'd know."

"Yeah, true, but the way I saw it back then, Lum supported Ani-chama in what he believed in. And I knew that with Lum supporting him, even with silence, there was just no way in hell that those stupid dorks in Tomobiki could ever try to make Ani-chama into something he didn't want to be. And then . . . " Here, she paused, gazing nowhere in particular.

"What?"

"Well, Negako-anechama told me soon after that the chances were pretty good that if Ani-chama got all his memories back, things'd happen that'd see Lum sent back to her planet." She closed her eyes, clasping her arms in her lap. "And hearing that, I realized that if he was left all alone in Tomobiki, without Lum's support, Ani-chama would've eventually been smashed down by those creeps. And I didn't want that, Shinshi. I didn't want it at all!" She nodded. "Yeah, I know Ani-chama's done some pretty stupid things when he was living in Tomobiki. But after I watched the whole Pseudo-War, then stayed around for a bit afterward, I . . .! Well . . .!"

She blinked as Shinshi squeezed her shoulders. "You decided it wasn't fair that he had no one supporting him." He drew her close to him, sliding his nose on the side of her neck. "And you decided that no matter what, you'd stand by him and give him a real home when he came to the Island, right?"

"Yeah. You know . . . " She leaned her head into the crook of his neck. "I've watched people in Tomobiki, Nerima and a few other places. You want to know something, Shinshi? So many people hide themselves behind these masks they project to everyone. To their friends, their mates at school . . .! And even family. And all these masks create this . . . " She paused, struggling to find the right words to describe what she felt.

"A country filled with lies," Shinshi proposed.

"Yeah! And because of all these lies, people end up getting hurt. You have people like me, born outside the bounds of a wedding. A lot of people in Japan wouldn't have anything to do with me because of that. Why? Just because my real dad was horny one night and my real mom was willing to have fun in the sack without taking precautions? And people turn around and act as if it's MY fault that I was born that way?!" Another pause. "Then there're all the Koreans in Japan. Look what happens to them, Shinshi! They're denied basic rights of citizens today because their grandparents and great-grandparents were shipped here during the first part of the last century to be labourers. Then there're the burakumin descendants. And the Ainu. And . . . "

She shook her head. "It'll take a lot to make any sort of real changes here, Yotsuba," Shinshi warned, gently rubbing her shoulder.

"Yeah, I know." She leaned against him, resting a hand on his heart. "What about you, Shinshi? What happens when people find out the truth about you? Or Kimiko for that matter? You both weren't born 'naturally' but because of magic and alien technology. Wouldn't that make you as much of an outsider as I am? Or the other girls? Or Ani-chama?"

"Yeah, I guess it would." He then grinned. "Well, lucky for us, one wonderful aspect about our so-called 'country of lies' is that there're ways to make those who'd condemn us look the other way when that's really needed. I guess that'll have to stay that way for a while yet." A smirk crossed his face as he stared bemusedly at her. "So, Miss Dunn, you're ultimately saying to me is that you fell in love with me because I'm as much an 'outsider' as you. Right?" he prodded as he gave her a soft stare.

Yotsuba stiffened for a second, and then she relaxed on seeing the amused look on his face. "Well, Mister Tendou, I could admit that was part of it. After all, when I saw you in that room, being tended to by Chikage, Ane-chama and Ani-chama's friend, it didn't take me long to realize that SOMETHING bad was wrong with you." She gazed in his eyes. "Guess I was right."

She winked before kissing him. "Hmmm . . . " he moaned through their kiss. Then, as they pulled apart, he smiled. "Guess you were right."

They slipped into another mouth-watering kiss. That was interrupted by the door. Both watched as a shivering Akane stormed out, racing for the gate. "Akane?!" Shinshi stood after Yotsuba got off his lap. "What's wrong?!"

Akane stopped, turning to give her brother a teary-eyed look before she raced off into the night. Shinshi was quick to notice the flaming skin on her right cheek, something only a well-aimed slap or punch would leave behind. As the youngest of the Tendous raced away, the door then opened again, revealing Marie, Michael at her side. "Akane-san!" she called out. "Come back!"

Yotsuba walked over to her. "Marie-chan, what happened?!"

The other woman took a deep breath. "Oh, it was just awful, Yotsuba-chan! Akane-san tried to have a talk with Aneue-sama, but . . . "

She shook her head, waving to the gate. "Let me guess." Shinshi slid up beside Yotsuba. "Akane tried to talk nice to Ranma, but their mouths got out of control and it became a shouting match. Sans Mallet-sama, of course."

"Almost right, I admit."

The sisters perked. "Ani-chama!"/"Aniue-sama!"

Shinshi turned as Ataru joined them on the porch. "What happened?"

The Moroboshi patriarch-in-waiting shook his head as he gazed towards the front gate. "She asked if she could talk to us both. I went along with it because, regardless of what happened yesterday, Akane and Ranma DO need and deserve the chance to set things straight between them. But . . . "

"What happened?" Yotsuba prodded.

Ataru closed his eyes. "As soon as we were alone, Akane started to beg and plead for Ranma to move back with her family."

Shinshi shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Oh, good grief! That's the LAST thing Ranma needs to hear right now!"

"Why would she ask that?" Yotsuba wondered. "Come this weekend, they're gonna be living with us at the rotunda at Welcome House!"

Ataru nodded. "True. She did try to apologize for some of the stunts she pulled with Ranma when they were engaged. But when Ranma said she didn't want to live anymore with them, Akane got pretty upset. She then tried to blame everything on me." He pointed to himself.

"WHAT?!" Marie and Yotsuba shrieked together.

"Did she try to hit you?" Shinshi asked.

"Not while I had my Lawgiver sitting on my lap and one of my eunuch's swords within quite reach." Ataru winked. "Much that I'd prefer to solve things without fighting, I do know about your sister's problematic control over her temper, Shinshi-san. I wasn't going to just stand there and let her try to beat me down just to make her feel better!"

Shinshi nodded. "So what did Ane-chama do?" Yotsuba wondered.

"She slapped Akane and told her to get out of her life once and for all," Ataru whispered as he gazed at Shinshi. "This time, Ranma made it VERY clear she won't tolerate any further attempts by Akane to force herself on her."

"Akane's pretty stubborn, Ataru," Shinshi warned.

"Even against what Ranma used Sunday night against Genma?"

Maria and Yotsuba blinked confusedly. They then turned to see Shinshi's face pale as the unspoken message in Ataru's words sank into his mind. "Right . . . " He turned to head off. "Look, I'll check up on her. I guess Akane's taking what's happened to Ranma a lot worse than we first suspected. You . . . " He then sighed. "Please tell Ranma-chan that Onee-chan, Nabiki and I understand what she's going through now."

He raced off. "Shi-chama . . . " Yotsuba whispered.

Ataru took a deep breath before he turned to head inside. Marie gazed worriedly at him. "Are you going to be alright, Aniue-sama?"

He stopped, lightly smiling. "Even if we're not . . . " He shrugged. "Fully ready to say it, we are feeling it, Marie-chan." The smile slipped as he gazed wearily at her. "But believe me, neither Ranma or I wanted our coming together to cause anyone pain. Especially like this."

Yotsuba smirked. "Wishful thinking, Ani-chama."

"Yeah. Guess so."

Ataru headed inside. Marie remained still, and then she stepped back inside to get her coat and outdoor shoes. As she moved to exit, Yotsuba's surprised voice stopped her. "Hey, Marie-chan, where the heck are you going?!"

The look her bespectacled sister gave the would-be detective sent chills down Yotsuba's back. "To have a discussion with that selfish woman about the way she's been treating Aneue-sama!" Marie snarled. "Come on, Michael!"

Marie and Michael raced off the property. "Marie . . . " Yotsuba whispered. She then jolted on remembering Ranma's tales about Akane. Put Marie, a girl who wasn't anywhere near the best of shape when it came to anything of a physical nature, in a situation like that . . .!

"Hey, wait for Yotsuba!" she screamed before she raced after her sister.

* * *

A half-hour later, Shinshi stopped at the front entrance of Hikarigaoka Park. His eyes were narrow as he peered into the wooded space. Yamada Fred's yatai was folded up and covered for the night; it was parked in an alcove to ensure it wasn't damaged or didn't become the target of thieves. Relaxing himself as he reached out with his ki senses, he then nodded before heading inside. In two minutes, he was standing beside a wading pool. Glancing at one lit area, Shinshi was quick to spot the lone woman seated on a bench, her back to the pool. As he approached his sister, Shinshi winced on seeing the tears flowing from Akane's eyes. The sound of his footfalls caused her to jolt. She then looked his way. He gazed intently at her, inwardly hoping his face didn't imitate Nabiki's usual "ice queen" look. Akane blinked as she recognized who just came, and then she looked nowhere in particular.

"What happened?" Shinshi asked.

Silence responded, though he was quick to notice Akane's hands clenching. Her lips quivered, as if they were trying to twist into either a sneer or a frown. Shinshi watched her, and then he sat beside her. Akane tensed, and then her hands relaxed as her head drooped. He stayed quiet, giving her a chance to compose herself. Finally, she sniffed. "He hates me . . . "

"Who?" He gazed on her. "Ataru?"

Akane jolted. "Baka! I meant Ranma!"

Shinshi winced. "Akane, you know Ranma's a girl now."

Hearing that, she paused before she shook her head. "N-no . . . " she sputtered, the lack of forceful conviction in her voice telling Shinshi a lot more than what Akane might have wanted him to know. "N-no, he can't . . .!"

"She is," he whispered, slipping a comforting arm around her. Akane stiffened, and then she found herself relaxing as Shinshi drew her close. "She is, Akane-chan. There's no getting away from that now, sis . . . "

"B-but . . . "

He shushed her. "No, sis. You can't deny this anymore. If you keep on doing that, you'll only hurt yourself. Let it go . . . "

Akane tried to mutter something, and then her strength failed as she sank into his embrace. Shinshi held her close as Akane sobbed into his shirt, gripping his jacket as if it was the only thing holding her to a time and world, a way of life, she never wanted to be free of. Time faded away as they remained in that position, and then Shinshi perked on sensing a familiar presence approach from his left. Turning, he relaxed on seeing Nabiki and Kasumi walk up, the worry on both their faces speaking volumes.

Without verbal bidding, Kasumi sat behind Akane, drawing her arms around her sobbing sister. As Akane reciprocated her sister's embrace, Nabiki walked behind the bench, placing her hands on Akane's shoulders in an extra show of support. No words were said between any of them as Akane continued to weep. Finally, after another eternity, Akane's sobs melted into a string of sniffles, and then she pulled herself away from Kasumi. Wiping her eyes, she gazed on her sister. "Wh-what are you doing here . . .?"

Kasumi drew a handkerchief to help wipe Akane's cheeks. "Sakuya-san told us what happened between you, Ranma-chan and Ataru-kun."

The youngest Tendou's eyes widened. "S-s-Sakuya . . .?!"

Kasumi sadly nodded. "Yes. Right now, there are a group of very angry people at that shrine, Akane-chan. They didn't take well to the idea of you accusing their brother of acting improperly towards Ranma-chan . . . "

"SO WHAT?!" Akane bolted to her feet, the sorrow in her eyes vanishing. "Whose business is it of theirs when to comes to what happens between Ranma and us?! They're not Ranma's family! WE'RE Ranma's family!" She pointed to herself. "They've got no right to do ANYTHING . . .!"

"_**ENOUGH!**_"

Akane's voice was cut off, her eyes widening as she stared at Kasumi, who had bolted to her feet. Nabiki and Shinshi remained quiet as the elder of the Tendou sisters took several breaths, her outraged look melting into a mask of pain and disappointment. "O-Onee-chan . . . " Akane stammered, stunned that _Kasumi_ had just screamed at her like that.

"That is _enough_, Akane-chan!" Kasumi hoarsely repeated before taking a deep breath. "You've been given every opportunity in the world to fully make up with Ranma-chan. To finally put a stop to this pointless bickering you two engage in. To correct all the misunderstandings that has cropped up between you two. But every time you've tried to speak to Ranma-chan since she met Ataru-kun and his family, all you've ended up doing is throwing accusation after accusation into her face. No different whatsoever from the time when you were actually engaged. And NOW, you turn around and start accusing Ataru-kun of some of the same STUPID things you once accused Ranma-chan of doing?!"

"WHY NOT?!" Akane roared. "You KNOW what that perverted jerk . . .!"

"_**ENOUGH!**_"

Akane's voice caught in her throat as Kasumi's shout echoed in her ears. "That is ENOUGH, Akane!" Kasumi snapped again, the rage in her voice making Akane wilt. "Yes, I am aware of what Ataru-kun's reputation was like when he still lived with his 'parents' in Tomobiki! That is not the issue here! How DARE you try to paint Ataru-kun with the same sloppy brush those IDIOTS in Tomobiki once used on him after all he's been through in the last six weeks?!" She pointed in the direction of the Moroboshi home. "You were there this morning when Ataru-kun told everyone about what he went through on Miree-sama's home planet. How can you possibly THINK that he'd revert back to the way he was after seeing three billion people DIE before his very eyes?! How can you possibly THINK that he'd try to manipulate Ranma-chan after all the things that Oni forced him through when they were living together?! Especially AFTER all the insane things all of Ranma-chan's would-be suitors -- INCLUDING YOU, Akane-chan! -- tried to force HER through before the wedding?! HOW, Akane-chan?!"

Akane hugged herself. "Ranma killed for me . . . " she hissed, turning away from Kasumi. "He fought for me every chance he could, even after I told him again and again that I didn't want him to do that for me! He gave up a chance at a cure on Toma's island to save me from being CURSED! He stayed with us even with all the times I tried to cook for him, even after all the times I hurt him, even after all the times I tried to chase off all those other girls . . . " Her voice broke before she staggered up against a lamppost. "And NOW he wants to leave us?! NOW he wants to forget I even existed?! Forget the last year even happened?! WHY, Onee-chan?!" She gazed at Kasumi. "Why . . .?"

Kasumi walked over to place a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Akane-chan, you've got to stop thinking of Ranma-chan as a boy," she stated with a shake of her head. "Negako-sensei explained it to you last night . . . "

Akane spun on her, bashing Kasumi's hand away. "SO WHAT?!"

They remained frozen for a moment, and then Akane collapsed against the lamppost, her arms folding against her. "He just gave up . . ." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "After all those times he yelled 'I'm a boy!' -- after all the times people like Herb and Cologne froze him as a girl -- after the times he was forced to act as 'Tendou Ranko' to hide from that damned bitch he called a mother -- even after the times we forced him to wear girl's clothes . . .! _**HE JUST GAVE UP!**_ WHY, Onee-chan?!"

Silence fell as Akane's voice disintegrated into moans. Kasumi drew her sister into another comforting embrace. Akane held tight onto her sister until her wailing turned into muttered words. "He's my fiancé . . .!" she cried out. "I want my fiancé back . . .! Ranma . . . "

"Akane-san?! Is that you?!"

The Tendous perked on seeing two people and a very large animal step into the light. "Ryouga-kun! Akari-san! Konban wa!" Kasumi hailed with a blush on recognizing them, and then she moved to help Akane back to the park bench.

Seeing the sobbing girl he once loved deeply -- and still cared for -- Ryouga walked over to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Akane-san, what happened?!" he demanded before he stared at Kasumi. "Kasumi-san . . .?!"

Kasumi sighed. "Gomen nasai, Ryouga-kun. Akane-chan just had another big fight with Ranma-chan . . . " Her voice trailed off as she remembered something. "Oh, I'm sorry. You haven't been around here for some time. Recently, we've discovered something shocking about Ranma-chan . . . "

"About him actually being a 'her?'"

Everyone stared at the wanderer. "You KNOW?!" Nabiki gasped.

Ryouga then sighed. "Hai, I do." He straightened up, pulling his hand away from Akane. "I bumped into Ranma some days ago at a place called Promised Island. Incredible as this'll sound, I met Moroboshi Ataru and all his sisters at the same time; that's where they live now. Ranma . . . " He paused for a moment. "Just found out the night before about what Jusenkyou really should've done to her, plus how the brain damage from the Neko-ken stopped it from fully happening. Um . . . " He turned to Kasumi, though he was quick to notice the tall fellow standing beside Nabiki. Who was he? "How is Ranma now, anyway? Is she still being treated for what happened . . .?"

"All finally taken care of thanks to Negako-san, Ryouga-kun," Nabiki explained. "Ranma-chan's a girl in her heart and her head as much as her body. Problem is . . . " She gazed at Akane.

Ryouga noted that, and then he nodded. "Right."

Akari shook her head sympathetically. "Poor Ranma-sama. Do his . . . " She stopped, blushing. "Gomen ne. Do _her_ parents know?"

"They are no longer of any concern, Akari-san," Kasumi announced. "Ranma-chan legally severed herself from her parents on Sunday. As of now, she is the head of her own branch of the Saotome Clan, free of any responsibility Genma or Nodoka could demand of her. Further, Genma is dead. He died in a fight with riot police on Sunday night after Ranma-chan decided it was time for that beast to face up to all his crimes."

"Dead?!" Ryouga gasped with a jolt, and then, after thinking about it for a moment, he sighed. "Perhaps that was for the best. All Genma ever seemed to do for Ranma was screw her life up more and more every step of the way."

"How can you SAY that, Ryouga-kun?!" Akane pleaded.

He returned her look with a wry smirk. "C'mon, Akane-san, you should've finally realized it when we all found out about the Neko-ken! What type of father'd dump a boy into a pit of starving cats just to teach him a supposedly 'invincible' martial arts manoeuvre?"

Akari paled. "He did that to Ranma-sama?!"

Shinshi shook his head. "That was the worst of it."

Ryouga stared at Nabiki's magically born twin, and then he turned back to the middle Tendou daughter. "Um, who . . .?" He indicated Shinshi.

"Say 'hi' to the latest result of Dad's attempt at forcing Ranma-chan into marrying into our family AFTER he learned the truth about what Jusenkyou DID to Ranma-chan." Nabiki waved to her twin. "This is my brother Shinshi. He got created after Dad hit me with that cask of Nanniichuan the Jusenkyou guide sent Ranma-chan." Seeing the disbelief cross the wanderer's face, she added, "The cask Ojii-chan drank was ordinary spring water. Dad hid the real cask to make sure he could keep Ranma-chan under his thumb."

Ryouga nearly exploded. "WHAT?! You dad cursed YOU just to force you to marry Ranma?! Who the hell does he . . .?!"

Kasumi placed a hand on the ranting wanderer's shoulder. "It's alright now, Ryouga-kun," she said. "Father's been dealt with."

Ryouga stopped before embarrassingly chuckling. "S-s-sorry . . . "

"It's alright. It's good that you do care, even if you're not capable of being in Nerima as much as you want to." Kasumi then perked as she remembered something the wanderer told everyone. "You've been to Promised Island?"

"Eh?! Oh, y-yeah, I did!" Ryouga flustered as he exchanged a knowing look with Akari. "Real nice place! And the people are something else, especially Ataru-san's sisters!" He then held up a finger. "Only thing I didn't like about it was that statue atop Stargazer Hill! Ugliest thing you ever laid eyes on! Whoever the heck built it . . . "

He shuddered. "We'll be moving there this weekend," Shinshi announced.

"Don't bet on that, brother dear."

Eyes locked on Nabiki. "What do you mean?" Akane asked.

Nabiki sighed as she stared at her. "Like it or not, sis, you screwed up BIG TIME when you started throwing insults Ataru-kun's way." She crossed her arms. "Sakuya-chan says that if we want to feel at home in Welcome House, YOU . . . " -- she pointed to Akane -- " . . . will have to apologize to Ataru-kun for what you tried to accuse him of tonight AND vow that you'll do NOTHING to interfere with his relationship with Ranma-chan!"

Akane jerked, her eyes going wide as Nabiki's words sank in, and then she bolted to her feet. "SAY WHAT?! They have . . .!"

Nabiki's knuckles rapped on Akane's forehead to silence her. "Uh-uh, sis!" The former held up a warning finger. "Not THIS time! And yes, they've got every right in the world to demand that, you know!" She pointed at Akane's heart as she added, "Remember, they're the ones who invited us to come live with them at Welcome House! If they can do something like that for us, well, they can RESCIND it just as quickly, Akane-chan!"

"And they have threatened to do just that," Kasumi added.

Akane spun on Kasumi. "B-but . . . "

"Sorry, sis." Nabiki shook her head. "Take it or leave it."

"B-b-but . . . "

Kasumi sighed. "No. You cannot object. If you continue to believe you can interfere in Ranma-chan's life without acknowledging that she has the unquestionable right to decide what to do with her life, especially when it comes to whom she desires to love, you are no better than Father, Genma and Nodoka, Akane-chan. And if you do . . . " She took a breath as she turned away. "I will not acknowledge you as my sister anymore."

Silence.

Akane gaped, she wide-eyed at Kasumi's declaration. "O-Onee-chan . . .!"

Shinshi and Nabiki remained silent. Ryouga moved to say something, and then he jolted on feeling Akari's hand touch his arm. He looked at her. Then, on seeing her shake her head, he nodded before taking a step away from Akane. Akane herself didn't notice; her eyes locked on her sister's back as her mind rolled over what Kasumi just told her. Finally, the look on her face melted into an icy neutrality. She straightened herself, turning to leave. "Suit yourself then, Kasumi," she said in a hoarse voice.

She walked away. Kasumi shuddered, the urge to follow Akane welling up inside her when a woman's voice called out, "So she won't accept defeat!"

Eyes snapped over to a shadowed figure standing near another lamppost down the walkway, the shape of a large dog sitting by her feet. "Marie-chan!" Shinshi and Ryouga called out on recognizing her. The former's eyes then locked on another woman standing near a tree to Marie's right. _Yo-chan!_ Shinshi gasped, and then he slipped away from Nabiki to join Yotsuba.

Akane stopped, her eyes locking on the bespectacled teenager standing in her path. "What the hell do YOU want?" she snarled.

Marie was unperturbed by Akane's show of anger, a reaction that caused everyone to focus their attention on her. Very few could stand in the path of Tendou Akane's wrath and NOT be affected, even emotionally. None of the Nerima natives expected that a girl like Susumu Marie would be one of them. "I came to see for myself what sort of spoiled, selfish _brat_ Aneue-sama was once forced to call a fiancée," she tonelessly replied.

Akane jolted, her skin sallowing as Marie's words cut into her heart, and then her fists clenched. "How dare you . . .?!" she hissed as she advanced on Marie, and then she jolted as Michael arched, a warning growl escaping him.

"How dare I?!" Marie smirked as she calmly crossed her arms. "A blind man couldn't help but notice what you are, Tendou-san! It's a sheer, utter MIRACLE to me that Aneue-sama was able to survive over a year of your self-possessed, cowardly abuse with as much of her sanity and good nature intact!"

The older girl's skin flamed as insulted rage roared up her spine, her fingers curling around an invisible mallet shaft. "You . . . "

Again, Marie was unaffected. "Ah, yes! Tendou Akane's first defence against facing reality! Simply mallet the person trying to demonstrate her shortfalls into the dirt, then insult the poor fool whose skull she nearly crushed to the point that permanent BRAIN DAMAGE sets in!"

She took a step toward Akane, Michael remaining at her side. That sudden manoeuvre made Akane balk, though she tried to disguise her surprise with a mask of righteous outrage. "I have to really wonder, Tendou-san. How did it feel when you hit Aneue-sama? Did you actually LIKE it, knowing deep in your heart that Aneue-sama couldn't bring herself to fight back?"

Another step on Akane, that action making the youngest Tendou wince as Marie's words sliced right into her heart. "Did you, perchance, get a THRILL knowing you had total POWER over Aneue-sama's very LIFE?!" Marie asked. "After all, there was your lazy, selfish father and that child-abusing MONSTER Aneue-sama called a father, ready to jump on your side every time Aneue-sama showed even a HINT of resistance to their plans!"

She took yet another step, Michael's warning growl intensifying in sync. That joint action made Akane stagger back yet again. "And even if those two total fools couldn't do something about Aneue-sama, there were both of your sisters to HIDE behind!" Marie indicated Kasumi and Nabiki, a condemning smirk crossing her face. "Oh, how wonderful it must've felt!" She clapped her hands. "After all, Nabiki-san was having the time of her life twisting poor Aneue-sama around her baby finger and making all that MONEY! Even better, Nabiki-san felt JUSTIFIED in making Aneue-sama's life total HELL!"

Her eyes locked on Nabiki, her stare causing the middle Tendou daughter to wilt. Ataru's sister then turned on Kasumi. "And worst of all . . . " -- Marie's voice dripped with scorn as Michael moved to place himself in front of her -- "There was sweet, wonderful, 'Oh, all's well with the whole world!' Kasumi. One of the two people Aneue-sama readily declared was her 'friend.'" A sneer crossed her face. "Who, in truth, became the worst HYPOCRITE when it came to dealing with Aneue-sama! A 'friend?!' Not likely!"

Kasumi stared wide-eyed at the bespectacled young woman facing Akane down. Akane herself shuddered as Marie's blue-grey eyes locked once more on her. "Oh, yes," the latter hissed, nodding. "After all, Kasumi could make friends with everyone she encountered. And that ESPECIALLY included someone as starved for real, trusting friends, as Aneue-sama was the day she first walked into your home. And by doing so, Kasumi could help SHIELD you from learning what the world is really all about! She's your older sister, after all. That's what older sisters do for younger sisters, especially when it comes to disruptive, barbaric, so-called 'perverted jerks' like Aneue-sama!"

Akane's fists clenched as Marie threw up her hands in an "Oh, well!" gesture. "And what happens now?" she asked, her voice lilting to a mocking tone as she waved to Akane's sisters. "When Kasumi-san and Nabiki-san both have to come to realize their mistakes and are willing to fully reconcile with Aneue-sama? YOU HATE IT!" She pointed accusingly at Akane. "You hate it because you KNOW if your sisters aren't there to shield you anymore, you'll never have ANY chance to force your will on your 'property!'" Seeing Akane about to retort, Marie wagged her finger. "No, PLEASE! Don't bother trying to make up excuses! You might as well just come out and admit it, Tendou-san! Aneue-sama was NEVER a real person to you! All she ever was . . . " She lowered her arm, her voice dropping to a disgusted whisper. "Was your TOY!"

"You . . .!" Akane hissed. "You have no right . . . "

Marie snorted. "About what?! I've no right to judge you? Think again, Tendou-san. Rinrin-chan offered your family the chance to relocate to the Island so that you can finally break clean from your past and start over again. And here you are, bound, bet and determined to drag that past with you to the Island! Why?! Just because the person who was literally GIVEN to you as a fiancé decided to take control of her life and was forced to come together with my brother to help her do just that!" She took another step toward Akane. "Are you so afraid of admitting defeat finally that you'll gladly turn around and ruin the lives of EVERYONE around you just to get your way?! WELL?!"

Akane's fists quivered. Marie remained icily still, her eyes boring into the other woman's like twin daggers. Sensing that the youngest Tendou wasn't going to make any reply, the bespectacled teen sighed. "I see then." She then gazed at Kasumi. "I'm sorry to say this, Kasumi-san, but after what this THING you call a sister did to my brother and future sister-in-law, not to mention her unwillingness to finally see the light about a lot of things, I cannot, in all good conscience, support her coming to Promised Island. The invitation to come live with us still stands for you, Nabiki-san and Shinshi-kun. As to what you can do with this spoiled brat . . . " She indicated Akane before turning to leave. "I leave to you to decide. Have a good evening."

She walked off, Michael following her. Akane jolted before she screamed out as Mallet-sama appeared in her hand, "YOU BITCH!"

"MARIE-CHAN, LOOK OUT!" Yotsuba cried out.

Marie turned as Akane lunged at her . . .

An orange-and-black blur surged between them, that melting into Ryouga, umbrella at the ready. With one sweep of the umbrella's sharp edge, Akane's mallet was shredded, the pieces dropping into the wading pool. Akane screamed, she collapsing on her backside as Ryouga closed up his umbrella. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" the wanderer demanded as he glared her down.

Silence fell as everyone took in what Ryouga did. Akane stared wide-eyed at him, and then she staggered up. "Ryo-ryou-Ryouga-kun . . . " she sputtered, her mind rolling over what just happened. "Wh-why did you . . .?"

"I think you would understand why." A neutral look crossed his face as Marie gazed dispassionately at her would-be attacker from behind him. "You were about to hit someone in the BACK with that mallet of yours! Someone who wasn't even a martial artist, for heaven's sake!" He pointed at Marie. "Damn it all, Akane-san, you should KNOW better than that!"

Akane gazed at him before she screamed out, "RYOUGA NO BAKA!"

The wanderer was caught by surprise as Akane's fist smashed into his cheek. The blow sent him flying into the pond. "RYOUGA-SAMA!" Akari cried out as he hit the water, sinking immediately into the pool.

Akane turned, and then she gasped as Marie's hand slammed into her cheek. Given the latter's lack of any decent physical strength, the strike did nothing more than cause the former's head to jolt. Akane spun on the smaller woman, a new surge of outrage boiling up her spine. Then, as Shinshi and Nabiki lunged over to yank Akane away from Marie, a piglet's squeal echoed from the pond. "What . . .?" Akane gasped as she turned right . . .

To see P-chan float up, his forepaws helplessly slapping the water as he tried to stay afloat. Michael leapt into the pond, snaring the transformed Ryouga by the bandanna, and then he waded ashore, depositing the piglet on the edge of the pond before leaping back in to retrieve Ryouga's clothes.

"Hibiki-san, are you alright?!" Marie said as she drew a handkerchief from her skirt to help dry him.

"'Hibiki' . . .?!"

Marie stared at Nabiki, Shinshi and Akane. The looks on their faces caused her to pause, her eyebrow arching. "Didn't any of you know about Hibiki-san's curse?!" she asked before moving to cradle Ryouga in her handkerchief as Akari joined her, a larger towel in hand to help dry him off.

Shinshi and Nabiki exchanged a stunned look. Akane was white-faced as memories of her spending time alone with her pet flashed through her mind once more. Nabiki then spun on Kasumi, quickly noting her saddened look. "You KNEW?!" she demanded, letting go of Akane as she moved to confront Kasumi. "Did you know about this?!" She pointed at P-chan.

"I . . . " Kasumi then nodded. "Hai, I did. So did Father."

Nabiki blinked before she crossed her arms. "When did all this happen? Hell, when did Ranma find out about this, anyway?"

"It . . . " Another pause before the eldest Tendou daughter took a deep breath. "Ranma-chan learned of Ryouga-kun's curse the night he first came to the house. This was before, I should add, Akane adopted 'P-chan' as her pet."

Silence fell as that information rolled through Nabiki's mind. She then took another step closer to Kasumi. "And how is it this pervert here managed to convince Ranma to keep this whole mess a SECRET?!" she hissed.

Kasumi closed her eyes. "It's because Ranma-chan was the one who cursed him. By accident, I should add. Ryouga-kun just had the ill-luck to wander into Jusenkyou the day Ranma-chan and Genma trained there."

Nabiki nodded as it all finally clicked in. "So the idiot played up on Ranma's sense of honour to keep it quiet from everyone else, then turned around and took advantage of that silence to press on his vendetta, right?!" On seeing Kasumi nod, the middle Tendou daughter shook her head. "I can guess Dad decided to keep silent about this as a way to motivate Ranma into admitting her feelings for Akane. I assume the panda knew about this, too. Right?"

"Yes."

"You . . . "

Eyes locked on Akane. The blank look on her face had melted into a typhoon of outrage. "I thought you were my friend . . . " She yanked her arm away from Shinshi, her eyes locked on the piglet in Marie's hands. "I thought I could TRUST you!" An accusing finger rose to point at P-chan. "But you . . .!" Her breathing became laboured as ki coalesced in her hand. "You . . .!" She grabbed Mallet-sama with both hands as she prepared to dish out some VERY overdue punishment, regardless of the fact that two innocent women were presently in her field of fire. "_**YOU BASTARD!**_"

"BWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII . . .!"

A giant shadow draped over Akane. Before the enraged girl could react, much less dodge to safety, a ton of rikibuta landed on her. Katsunishiki's paws forced Akane's shoulders to smash into the cement fence line ringing the pool. As her body crashed down, the sickeningly grinding sound of bones shattering was nearly muffled out by her attacker's bulk. What wasn't muffled was a loud _crack!_ as Akane's head bounced off the cement, the whiplash effect enough to snap her spine like an old twig right at the base of her skull! In a flash, Katsunishiki bounded back, he moving to protect his mistress.

That allowed everyone else to see what he had done.

"AKANE!"

"Oh, MY!"

"Oh, shit!" Yotsuba paled on seeing the blood flowing from Akane's nose and lips, not to mention a throat ripped open by dislocated bones. Realizing instantly that the youngest Tendou was about to hop onto the Last Checky, the detective screamed out, "_**HINAKO-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_"

_**To be continued . . .**_


	15. Side: Dream Walker

_**Dream Walker  
**_By Jeremy Evans  
A side story to _Lonely Souls_, written by Fred Herriot.  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

_

* * *

__Asano Sayuri stared at the scene around her. She was in her class at Fuurinkan High School. If the sun was right, it was early in the morning, however there were no sounds of students and faculty traversing the hall or even the area around the campus. In fact, she saw no one else in the class except for herself. After several moments of contemplation, she realized that this must be a dream._

_Admittedly, an odd one._

_Just as she was about to leave the room in search of something to do, the door opened. In strode a young, dark-skinned man in what looked like high-tech biker leather. Under one arm was a sleek black helmet; the other, a set of books. "Please be seated, class."_

_Sayuri cautiously sat back down, wondering at this new oddity as he set the helmet and texts down and began to write his name on the board. Once finished, he stepped away and turned. "'Evening, class. My name is unimportant, but you can call me 'Dream Walker.' 'Walker' for short." A toothy grin split his face. "But _please_, considering the informal nature of this class, don't call me 'Sensei' or 'Sir.'"_

_Sayuri blinked trying to make sense of what he'd just said as he came towards her and sat on the desk directly in front of her._

_"Wait a sec' . . .? Evening?!"_

_He brought his wrist before his eyes, where a fairly sophisticated watch resided. "Yup. Eleven-fifty-one PM to be exact."_

_She looked at him, and then at the bright sun outside the windows, and then back at him again. The second time she gazed on him, she found a lopsided grin displayed prominently on his face. "What's going on here?! Isn't this MY dream?" she asked._

_He shrugged. "Yes and no. One product of my -- talent -- is the ability to manipulate people's dreams to what I desire. In your case, I'm here to get you out of the rut you are in."_

_Sayuri stood defiantly. "I don't know who you are but I don't care! This is MY mind and I'm kicking you out!"_

_Walker closed his eyes as his form rippled and shuddered -- before regaining solidity. "Right," he drawled. "Now that you've done _that_, I don't feel so bad about doing _this_."_

_As his eyes flew open, the chair she'd been standing next to came alive. With a lunging motion, it scooped the surprised schoolgirl up, and then it secured her firmly in place by wrapping newly formed bars around her! "Let me go, you pervert!" she demanded._

_He arched an eyebrow. "'Pervert?' If I was a pervert, you'd have been stripped to your panties by a multi-tentacle horror within the first thirty seconds of this dream." He hopped off the desk. "I merely want your attention." He snapped his fingers._

_A large cartoon pencil appeared, and then began to draw Saotome Ranma -- as a boy -- in life-like detail. Simultaneously, he pulled out what looked like a pair of three-D glasses from his jacket. "Are you gonna force me to watch old B-rate horror movies?" Sayuri taunted._

_His lips quirked upward as he approached her. "Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope! Something _far_ better." He slipped the glasses on her face. "You will now experience the important events in Saotome's life in RANMA VISION!" The last part was said in stereo._

_"Ranma Vision will allow you to get the other side of the story. You know, the one you've doggedly ignored in your holy war against all of those who don't agree with Tendou Akane's view of things." He smiled as he stepped back to stand next to the construct of Saotome Ranma. "So, without further adieu, heeeeeeeeere's Ranma!" He gestured with a flourish to the simulacrum beside him._

_In an instant, her vision changed. She saw his life from the first moments of his arrival at the Tendou doojou to the moment after the failed wedding when he overheard Akane admit she knew about the Nanniichuan flask sent to him by the Jusenkyou guide. Every emotion, every thought, every action was hers to experience. The elation of finding old friends and meeting his mother for the first time in a decade -- to the horror and anguish of betrayal by those very same "friends" and "family." It dragged on, hammering into her the joy and sorrow of those intensive months in Ranma's life._

_Eventually it ended. The glasses were gently taken from her face as the chair released its hold on her and pitched itself forward to dump her unceremoniously on the floor. She coughed as she tried to regain her bearings, and then she staggered to her feet to stare at the concerned visage of Walker. "Well?" he asked expectantly._

_She hesitated. It was all such a jumble that she couldn't really make sense of anything. She went with the familiar._

_"He's still an insensitive jerk and it's still all his fault."_

_She crossed her arms, reassured by her own words. Walker looked less than pleased. "I see." His face seemed to darken. To Sayuri's growing discomfort, she realized the light was fading to shadow as the classroom morphed into the image of a dank cave. Her eyes glanced around as windows melted into solid rock, the unnatural still of the morning replaced by the constant drip of water._

_"You know, you sound like Tendou Akane. And truthfully, Akane sounds like a character from a wondrous tale I first read ages ago."_

_She turned to find Walker was no longer in front of her. In fact, she couldn't make him out in the gloom. "Like her, he loved and hated a possession, though for him it was a 'precious' instead of a 'fiancé,'" Walker's voice began to transform into a horrid rasp. "And like her 'rivalsss,' he had 'thievesss' who took what was his."_

_A skitter caused her to turn right, just in time to see a black shape with gold eyes duck behind a rock._

_"Yesss, evil bimbossss . . . "_

_The voice was more high-pitched yet familiar beneath the rasp._

_"We hates them!"_

_A clatter rang through the cavern as a rock was hurled into a wall. Sayuri's eyes snapped to her left to find a vaguely humanoid creature with gold eyes perched upon a rock, staring at her._

_"They're tricksy!"_

_The figure vanished as the hairs on the back of her neck rose._

_"Yess, they're thievess. They're filthy little thievess!"_

_Hot breath rolled across her bare neck._

_"They've stolen my fiancé!"_

_With a tremble, she turned . . ._

_"And we wants him!"_

_And then she screamed, for before her was the emaciated, pitiful figure of Tendou Akane. Her skin barley covered her bones, which peaked through in all the wrong places, a ghostly pallor gripped her flesh. Instinctively she shielded herself. For a series of heartbeats, she held the pose, fearing an attack._

_An attack, she soon realized, was not coming . . ._

* * *

Cautiously, she opened her eyes to find herself in bed at home. With a relieved sigh, Sayuri closed her eyes determined to rest more peacefully for the rest of the evening. But a pair of gold eyes, in an emaciated yet familiar face, haunted her dreams.

_**Fin **_

* * *

Just something I thought needs to happen to Sayuri considering her dogged anti-Ranma stance in Fred's story.

Hope you enjoyed this!


	16. 7th Part A: Empty Chairs

"Hina really doesn't understand, Bou-san . . . "

Standing on the roof of the old shrine, Hinako cradled the Staff of Gihan. Tears still trickled from grief-filled eyes; her cheeks were damp from hours of crying. Sniffing back a bout of fresh sobs, the youngest sister gazed heavenward. "Hina knew Bou-san could help Akane-san after what Akari-san's big piggy did." Another deep sniff before she gazed on the Staff. "Why didn't Akane-san want Bou-san to help her?"

_**It was her choice in the end, Hinako.**_

"Didn't she care about how her sisters or Shinshi-san'd feel?"

_**Don't forget: At the time she slipped into the Very, Very Bright Place, Akane believed her family was about to abandon her.**_

Hinako sniffed back more tears. Oh, yes, she knew what the pain arising from THAT was like, having experienced it since her mother and stepfather left her at Welcome House. "They didn't really mean to do that, did they . . .?"

She gazed into the morning sky. _**That's not relevant to the issue at hand. What mattered was what Akane's feelings were at the moment she chose to go to the Very, Very Bright Place. Not Kasumi's, Nabiki's or Shinshi's.**_

Hinako considered that, and then she nodded. "Yeah, that's true . . . "

_**Besides, remember what Akane told you at the end?**_

Silence fell before a smile crossed her face. "Hai, Hina remembers."

_**And Akane DID want to be with her mother, Hinako,**_ the Staff reminded her. _**You can certainly understand that, can't you?**_

Hinako nodded again, her smile widening. "Hai. Akane-san's with her mama now in the Very, Very Bright Place. But . . . " The smile faded. "What happens with all of Akane-san's friends, Bou-san? What about Kasumi-san, Nabiki-san and Shinshi-san? What about Ryouga-san?" She paused to pull the Staff closer to herself. "What about Onee-tama . . .?"

_**They will have to resolve their feelings for Akane on their own, Hinako.**_ The Staff extended a field of energy around her controller, chasing away the last of the morning chill from her body. _**There is nothing you can do to help them in that regard except tell them how sorry you feel about Akane's passing into the Very, Very Bright Place.**_ A pause. _**And you also did defend Ryouga's actions as 'P-chan,' didn't you?**_

Hinako blinked before her smile returned. "Hai, Hina did!"

Silence fells as a wind flowed past the youngest of the sisters. Hinako pulled the Staff from her, staring directly on the ancient device's focusing crystal. Sensing what she wanted to see, the Staff forged a three-dimensional mini-hologram of Tendou Akane. "Hina wishes you would've stayed here instead of going to the Very, Very Bright Place, Akane-san. But . . . " She sniffed. "Hina knows what it's like to not be with her mama. Hina misses her mama very much. Maybe one day, Hina'll be with her mama again . . . "

* * *

_**Lonely Souls  
**_By Fred Herriot  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

* * *

**THE SEVENTH PART, "A" SIDE - EMPTY CHAIRS **

A phone rang. "Hai, this is Horikawa."

"You need not use that false name with me, Naho."

A giggle. "Negako-chan, am I _ever_ going to make you call me 'Mother?'"

An exasperated sigh echoed over the line. "Naho, cease your attempts at trying to make me more 'human.' I already receive enough such 'advice' from Sakuya and the other sisters. At least Ataru and Chikage do not do that to me." A pause, and then she announced, "Tendou Akane is dead."

A gasp. "What happened?!"

The explanation took ten minutes. At the end of it, the woman who had been born as Hana Naho, daughter of Hana Seinen and his wife Jiko -- Naho currently lived under the identity "Horikawa Nahoko" -- closed her eyes. "That poor girl," she whispered, shaking her head.

"Something good may come out of it," Negako advised. "However, as you are well aware, something worse WILL come out of it."

"Grandfather, you mean?"

"Indeed. Akiko is currently preparing him for his 'mission.'" Both Negako and Naho/Nahoko knew which person the former was ultimately speaking of. "I suspect it will happen late this evening. Tomorrow evening at the latest."

"I best come see you then. Should I bring Nanase-chan and Mutsumi-chan?"

"If you believe that is the prudent course." A pause. "Shanpú has been informed of what has happened to Ranma. I assume Mùsi will realize what Ranma will most likely do. Since this is what the Tora-Seishin and the Nujiézú desire, using Mùsi _this_ way should ease his ardour when it comes to Shanpú."

"Alright then!" Naho replied with a titter. "I'm sure Nanase-chan and Mutsumi-chan'll take well to Mousse-kun. Besides, it's been a long time since I last saw Aunt Cologne. We'll be around the house by later this evening."

"Naho."

"What is it, Negako-chan?"

A sigh. "PLEASE, do NOT bring Ayano with you."

A pause as Naho stared at her cell phone in shocked surprise. She then smiled as she returned the device to her ear. "At least you now understand the concept of 'please,' Negako-chan." She then laughed on sensing the arched eyebrow at the other end. "Oh, very well! I'll keep Ayano-chan here."

"Thank you."

"I'll bring Shiina-chan instead."

In her bedroom in Nerima, Negako tried not to groan. Honestly, would Naho ever LEARN?! The ninjutsu grandmaster then paused as she considered what Naho was proposing. Unlike Inaba Ayano, Misaki Shiina did not CONSTANTLY lose control of her libido whenever she was in Negako's presence. And there WAS the other girl in Naho's adopted family of Avalonian refugees currently living in Odawara. "Very well, then. Bring Rinko as well."

"You're a greedy girl, Negako-chan! Shiina-chan AND Rinko-chan?!"

"Naho."

"Yes, dear?!"

Negako's voice turned to ice. "Do not push it."

Naho sighed.

* * *

"Captain, we've established orbit over Earth." 

"Status report?"

"No sign of other starships within sensor range. Retrieval systems are at the ready," the technician reported. "We've locked in on the transporter beacons Agent Rose set in place. We can seize the targets at any time."

The captain of the _Rose Emperor_ nodded. "Does Rose need assistance when it comes to _inviting_ Mr. Groom's sisters to join us?"

The technician shook her head, a light smile crossing her face. "No, ma'am. Agent Rose reports she can use her own scout's sensors to locate them via the traces of their DNA Agent Rose obtained when she visited their hostel. Their coordinates will be automatically relayed to us."

"Excellent!" The captain grinned. "The Queen will be very pleased. Alright, then." She gazed on the other women controlling the bridge of the patrol monitor. "Look sharp, people! The quicker we do this, the better!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the crew chanted.

* * *

Oogi frowned as he gazed on the _Rose Emperor_. The bodiless president of Phentax Two stood in one of the cloaked bioroid factory's primary control centres. As soon as the Ellsian patrol monitor had come into orbit over Earth -- moving to a geosynchronous position directly over the Holy Citadel! -- Oogi had ordered the factory to skirt north, putting its centre over Urawa. 

"Mister President?"

Oogi glanced over his shoulder to see Otako currently standing at the site-to-site transporter unit that connected the control centre with the rest of the vast factory. "What news about those missing bioroids, Otako?"

"No further information about them has been obtained, sir," Otako, a replica of one of the Church's more passionate leaders who had died when Phentax Twelve was destroyed, replied. She then perked. "There is an update concerning Operation: Hashish, sir. The bioroids you require for that are a day from emerging from gestation."

He nodded. "Excellent. When they are ready, have them programmed right away. No delay on that, Otako," he ordered with a raised finger.

Otako nodded. "It will be done, sir. Do you desire to communicate with any of the observers in the Holy City?"

Silence fell over the bridge as he considered that, and then he shook his head. "No, not yet. Certain more critical matters have to be resolved first before we re-establish control over those people. Don't worry about it."

"As you wish, sir."

"What of the Great Evil? Have you located him?"

"No, sir. Even with the data you brought with you when you came here from Lumukyou, all attempts at locating Moroboshi Ataru anywhere within the Tokyo region have proven unsuccessful. We are still looking, though."

Oogi trembled before he gasped suddenly as a feeling akin to a billion thumbtacks pressing into his skin overwhelmed him. To Otako's point of view, the ghostly president seemed to fizzle, the colour of his "body" fading. A hand darted to the communicator affixed to the collar of her jumpsuit as she barked out, "Gestation Unit Six! Have . . .!"

"NO!"

Otako stopped as Oogi seemed to curl in on himself for a moment. The former was frozen in place, ignoring the concerned query from the woman in charge of the gestation unit, as she watched the president's body blaze with new energy. Another minute passed, and then he straightened himself, looking somewhat healthier for a living spirit without a physical body to inhabit. "I . . .!" he automatically panted, though it was pretty much impossible for his astral form to take in oxygen. "I'm alright . . .!"

Otako blinked, and then she nodded. "Stand down, Unit Six," she ordered, tapping her collar, and then she walked up to gaze intently at Oogi. "Sir, you can't keep depending on the energy of those who died on Phentax Twelve . . . "

"I know!" he grunted. After taking a couple steps away, he straightened as he pointed to the Ellsian monitor hovering off the starboard quarter. "Have sensors probe that ship. Find out who's aboard and why they're here!"

"Yes, sir," Otako replied with a nod before she headed out.

Oogi's vision remained locked on the _Rose Emperor_. "No doubt, you've come to claim your 'Honey' now that the Goddess no longer stands in your way, Elle, dearie." He smiled; as President of Phentax Two, it was his business to know the habits of all his counterparts throughout the Galactic Federation, including the infamous Rose Queen. "But I've business with him that will not wait, even for you! And if you get in my way . . .!"

Howling laughter soon echoed through the factory.

* * *

"There it is, Luf! Old-style cloaking device shieldin' it from the Ellsians, but it's stickin' out like a sore thumb to us!" 

Lufy grimly nodded as she gazed over Priss' shoulder on the enhanced visual image displaying the area of thermospheric space over the city of Tokyo. Hovering over Tomobiki was a Rose Emperor-class patrol monitor, the capital ship model of the Royal Ellsian Navy. Compatible to an Urusian Kashin-class battlewagon, the _Rose Emperor_ and her two dozen sisters were warp-capable mobile gun fortresses and fighter launch platforms primarily used as space control craft, vessels that could keep a solar system secure from small fleet attacks by enemy forces. They were equally as effective when used as parts of fighting squadrons of four-to-six patrol monitors in larger fleet combat actions. Against the Avalon bioroid factory, which had slipped to the north to ensure it remained undetected by Ellsian sensory, the patrol monitor stood a decent chance of crippling the larger ship only if it had surprise on its side; the Avalonian craft had been built with only short-range point defence weapons. But the bioroid factory's excellent sensory suite and on-board cloaking device had effectively forewarned and shielded whoever was in control of the damned thing well ahead of time. If they just sat there and made like a hole in space, the Avalonians would remain undetected.

Lufy had no intention of revealing the factory's existence, either.

Her relationship with Catty Ray -- to mention ANYTHING of Catty Ray's future as a sentient being -- depended on stealth now.

"What's our status, Pri?"

"Cloaking device active," Pathfinder Troop Six's first officer replied. "Keeping to passive scans just in case the Ellsians might have something we don't know about, hard as it is for me to believe the Rovers could slip up on us like that. Our hidin' behind Earth's moon's acting as extra shielding. But if you wanna get a body for Catty Ray . . . "

"We have to close within effective transporter range," the _Konggh'cha_'s shipmistress and watchmistress of Troop Six's base ship, the _Kiboo'cha_, finished for her best friend. "And while we've got a good cloak and we know loads of stealth approach techniques . . . "

"One slip-up on our part'll get us into loads of hot water with both the Ellsians and the Avalonians," Priss added.

Lufy grimly nodded. "And since we haven't decided to open full outside contact with the galaxy, the wonderful geniuses in Tere'na City will be all over us like a pride of starving sandpanthers over a wounded stormwalker if that ever happened," she topped that with a knowing smirk.

"Hey, guys!"

The Pirpirsiw'r turned as Ayumu walked onto the bridge. Their eyes shot out of their sockets on seeing the Yizibajohei-born defence officer dressed in a frilly silver lace bra, matching panties, G-string, suspenders and sheer nylon thigh-highs! In Tomobiki or Nerima, seeing the beautiful (if still quite young-looking) Ayumu dressed like THAT would have most boys fainting in shock, if not drooling in lust. To Ayumu's fellow Sagussans, all she got were a pair of giggles. Fortunately for Lufy and Priss, Ayumu's genki disposition saved them both from a world of potential pain; the Yizibajohei-born defence officer, while she was -- put kindly! -- a narcoleptic, air-headed spacecase, she was also physically and metaphysically the most powerful of the Daishi'cha.

"What do you think?" Ayumu asked as she twirled around to show herself off. "Do you think Ataru-sama will like seeing me dressed like this?"

"Ayumu, why in Lyna's name are you dressed in THOSE torture devices, anyway?!" Priss demanded. The current generation of Sagussans, due to their touch-telepathic and empathic abilities, often viewed Terran-style underwear as grossly restrictive when it came to sharing some intimate mind tapping with one's lover. "The only way Ataru-sama will ever see you without your outer clothes is when you're both alone in a bedroom."

"Well, I heard from Chiyo and Sakaki that Terrans think that wearing this stuff really makes you look sexy," Ayumu replied, her smile growing a little wider. "Don't worry. I got some nice stuff for you guys too!"

Lufy and Priss jolted. "When?!" both demanded.

Ayumu looked nonplussed. "Oh, didn't you know? When Noa went to Earth last time, she brought back some fashion magazines with all those manga, videos and DVDs where we got our names from." She pointed to herself. "I borrowed one, and then I used a clothing replicator to make some stuff. Tomo and Yomi really, really, really like some of the stuff I made for them!"

The Pirpirsiw'r exchanged wary looks. "They do?" Lufy asked.

"Hai!"

"Nobody would dare laugh at them, Luf," Priss then mused, a wry smile crossing her face as she held up a warning finger. "If Yomi didn't cripple them on the spot, Tomo would practice her 'arrest procedures' on them."

Lufy took that in before she nodded, a chuckle escaping her. Koyomi -- "Yomi" to her friends -- was a sister Pirpirsiw'r. However, after her rebirth a couple of centuries after Priss and Lufy became Daishi'cha, she elected to become a construction engineer in lieu of joining the Navy. Tomo, who came to Sagussa from Yiziba at the same time as Ayumu, was the Master Chief Warrant Officer of the Sagussan Internal Security Force, the senior patrolwoman on Sagussa. Seeing her main task as providing a proper example to the junior ranks, Tomo took as many opportunities to practice established police procedures. Unfortunately, given her Yizibajohei-born metahuman powers -- in her own way, she was as powerful as Ayumu! -- Tomo's "practice sessions" often resulted in levels of destruction that nearly equalled the force unleashed by a tactical nuclear warhead. That didn't say ANYTHING about the people who wound up in Sick Bay if they had the ill luck to get caught in the crossfire.

"Thanks for the presents, Ayumu," she then said.

"No problem." Ayumu then blinked as her eyes locked on the image before Priss. "Oh, an Ellsian ship. What's it doing here?"

"We're trying to figure that out right now," Priss replied as she found herself gazing at the other woman's enticingly clad bust. Shaking her head as she looked away from that, she turned to her control board, a finger absently wiping away the trickle of blood leaking from one of her nostrils.

While Ayumu didn't take notice of what her lingerie was doing to Pathfinder Troop Six's first officer, Lufy did. _Pri, we GOTTA get you a bond-mate_, the fighter pilot mused to herself.

* * *

Chikage stepped into the kitchen. "Ohayou, Shirayuki-chan."

The chef gazed up from what appeared to be pancake batter. "Ah, Chikage-chan, ohayou gozaimasu desu no." Then, taking a deep breath, she turned back to prepare breakfast. "Hime's not really in a mood to cook today . . . "

"Understandable." Chikage then took the mixing bowl out of Shirayuki's hands, placing that on the counter before she turned to stare at the chef. "We all survived very well before you came to live with us, Shirayuki-chan. I think we can make our own breakfast this morning. Besides, I personally think few of us are going to be hungry today after last night's events."

Shirayuki then sighed. "Why did she do that, Chikage-chan?"

"Akane?"

"Desu no."

"Many reasons. The love she felt for her late mother certainly weighed into it." A pause as Chikage pursed her lips, and then she leaned against the refrigerator. "We should also keep in mind what Ane-kun told us about her. Akane was never made to apologize for any of the times she grossly overstepped her bounds concerning interacting with other people, especially Ane-kun. To have everyone from her family to Ane-kun to near-strangers tell her that she was in the wrong after assuming for so long she was in the right . . . "

"It's all her father's fault, you mean?"

"That's where it started, pretty much." Chikage then blinked as someone else entered the kitchen. "Ohayou, Ani-kun."

Shirayuki brightened a bit on seeing Ataru. "Oh, Nii-sama!"

"Ohayou," he hailed as he walked up to embrace the chef from behind.

Feeling his strong arms wrap around her, Shirayuki allowed herself to sink deeply into his warm embrace. A hand reached up to gently thread her hair as his nose batted across her forehead, his beard tickling the end of her nose. Finally, he gave her a tender kiss on the bridge of her nose. "Don't worry about breakfast today, Hime-chan," he whispered to her as he gave her a tender squeeze. "Not that many people're hungry right now."

"Hime knows." Shirayuki's cheeks reddened on Ataru's calling her "princess." "Hime's not really in the mood to cook today."

He sighed. "That's understandable."

"How are you feeling?" Chikage asked.

Ataru considered the sorceress' question. "Hard to say." He shrugged. "I guess I've seen too much in the way of premature death over the last while to really be stunned. Though I AM somewhat upset at that woman for putting Hinako-chan through what happened last night." He held up a finger before taking a deep breath. "I'm not as angry as Ranma is, though."

"Is Nee-sama okay?" Shirayuki asked.

He nodded. "She'll get over it. It's a good thing that we got Jay and Kay to escort the Tendous back to their house. After seeing what Akane did to Hinako-chan, Ranma was ready to tear into Kasumi and Nabiki for what they did and didn't do concerning their sister . . . "

"They can still come to the House?" the chef probed.

"Hai, they can. In fact, getting away from the loons in this place'll be the best thing for them all." Ataru held up a finger. "What we have to do now is keep Ranma isolated from those who'd automatically be inclined to put the blame for all this on her shoulders. Given how mixed up her feelings are concerning Akane, that's the LAST thing she needs!"

Shirayuki nodded. "Soo desu no."

"We should have Negako-anekun keep an eye on Ane-kun." Chikage closed her eyes. "Are we still going to the hot springs?"

"Yeah, we'll head out first thing tonight." Ataru then rolled his eyes. "Barring any other unforeseen interruptions. Anyhow, Chikage-chan, would you come with me? I need to talk to you, Haruka and Sakuya alone."

"Hai." The sorceress fell in behind her brother as they headed out.

Shirayuki watched them go, and then she turned back to what she was doing. "Hime should make breakfast for Nee-sama at least."

* * *

"'Morning, Haruka."

"Oh!" Haruka perked as Jay stepped through the front gate, closing the door behind him. "Good morning, Jay-san," she hailed before she turned back to her naginata practice. "Did the Tendous make it home last night?"

"Yeah." The SCAA agent nodded as he watched the martial artist go to work with the bladed polearm. "No problems. I think this whole mess'll be wrapped up long before lunchtime." He took a glance around. "Where's Hibiki?"

Haruka stopped herself. "I believe Hibiki-_san_ . . . " -- the honorific was coated with a tidal wave of disgust, Jay noted -- " . . . left the property sometime after Unryuu-san and her pet departed. As to when he might be forced to grace our property with his presence again . . . " She moved to begin another kata. "Personally, I hope it will be _never!_"

Jay gazed on her before glancing up to see a hunched form sitting on the roof. "Your little sis up there won't agree with you."

Haruka paused, glancing up to see Hinako gazing at the morning sky; the youngest sister had shifted herself away from staring directly into the sun as it crept higher in the sky. Remembering the harsh words Hinako had said to everyone else about the Ryouga/P-chan situation, the martial artist closed her eyes. "It should not have happened either which way, Jay-san," she said as she continued her kata, her face a mask of steely resolve.

"Right." Jay then perked as the front door opened to reveal Ataru, Chikage and Sakuya. "'Morning, guys," he called out.

Ataru waved back. "Hi, Jay. What's the scoop?"

"All taken care of." The former New York City detective lieutenant walked around Haruka to step onto the porch. "Nothing'll happen to that big porker Unryuu-san owns since he DID act to defend his mistress AND your sister from an unprovoked attack witnessed by four other people. Though I suspect that after this, that kid'll make sure none of her pigs don't go hog wild -- pardon the pun! -- on anyone like that again."

"What about Hibiki himself?" Sakuya growled.

A shrug. "Nothing really can be done about that. First, according to Tendou Kasumi, the guy normally passed out whenever Akane stripped down to the bra-and-panties stage." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Man, I've heard of being shy, but THIS is ridiculous!" He then shrugged. "And, unfortunately, during the times he was playing 'P-chan,' it was happening with the tacit approval of the head of the Tendou household, namely . . . "

"Akane's father," Ataru finished.

"Right," Jay drawled. "Ranma can't be charged with anything since she was deceived into believing a person's honour and word mattered more than an invasion of privacy, even when it concerned her then-fiancée. Souun could be charged with allowing this to continue, but right now, he's locked up in a sanatorium for what he did that wound up with Shinshi's creation. Kasumi can't be charged since her father forbade her from mentioning anything about this to Akane. Nabiki never knew. And the only other adult involved in this whole mess, Saotome Genma, is dead. So, save for Akane dying . . . "

Chikage crossed her arms. "The issue is a closed book."

"Save for the mourning. Not to mention the fallout from that, according to Nabiki. When news of this gets to their school . . . "

"When will the announcement be made?" Ataru asked.

"Lunch. Just before I left, Kasumi promised she was going to make a call to Akane's old homeroom teacher about it this morning." The SCAA agent stretched himself before he glanced past Ataru into the old shrine's living room. "How's Ranma taking it? And Marie?"

"Marie-chan's still asleep." Sakuya sighed. "Onee-sama's having a hard time of it, but if we keep the riffraff away from her, things should be fine."

"Speaking of which, we were just going out for a walk to talk about what we're going to do now," Ataru added before he glanced at Haruka. "Haruka-chan, do you think you can set that aside for the time being?"

Haruka gazed on her brother, the sharp end of her naginata hovering over the ground. "Is there a problem, Anigimi-sama?"

"We need to talk."

"Hai!"

"Is there something else, Jay-san?" Sakuya asked as Haruka moved to secure her weapon, and then store it inside the living room.

Jay shrugged. "We need to get some more information out of that little firecracker Miree gave Hinako. We're not going to try to take it away. But given what that thing's capable of doing, it's better to be safe than sorry."

Ataru nodded. "Good point."

* * *

"Where am I . . .?"

She found herself staring at a clear sky. Blinking, she looked left, and then right. She was quick to recognize where she currently was. "Hikarigaoka . . .?" She then sat up to look down at herself. Seeing nothing wrong with her body, she grunted as she got back to her feet, her hands automatically brushing her buttocks clean. "How on Earth did I get here?"

She took the chance to take another look around, and then her eyes fell on a pond ten metres away. She was quick to recognize that particular feature of the park; it was here, not more than a week before, where she had that awful fight with Ranma which resulted in a broken arm, severe ki burns and, for the first time ever from Ranma's side of the argument, a total renunciation of the engagement between them. A shudder warped through her as those events replayed in her mind with crystal clarity. Gods, to believe that in the space of five weeks -- only FIVE WEEKS! -- things had soured so badly between her and Ranma. And to think that a simple thing like P-chan nearly choking on her . . .

P-chan . . .?

P-chan . . .

"Ryouga-kun . . .!"

Her eyes widened as recent events came to her memory. Night in the park. She facing her family. Ryouga and Unryuu Akari were there. Kasumi demanding that she apologize to Ranma and Moroboshi Ataru for words she blasted at them when she had gone to beg Ranma to come back and live with the Tendous. Then came Nabiki with her own words, warning that THIS time, she wouldn't be allowed to get away with that. It even got to the point where Kasumi threatened to no longer recognize her as part of the FAMILY anymore!

And then . . .

Marie . . .

She walked towards the pond. Her eyes quickly picked out two policemen standing guard over something near a street lamp. A chill of haunting familiarity then warped through her as she found herself walking toward the scene. What on Earth happened? Did someone die?

Funny. One of the police officers was looking her way, yet there wasn't any sign that he had taken notice of her. She stopped, staring into his eyes, and then she blinked as he looked away to gaze on his partner. "Sure hope they'll get this over with," he commented.

"Hai, you said it!" the other officer mused, and then he thumbed towards the south end of the park. "Don't worry. The guy who runs the hamburger yatai over by the gate'll be open soon. I'll get you some coffee when he does."

"Thanks, man!" He then gazed down at the scene. "Man, to believe some huge sumo pig could do something like THIS!"

The other officer grunted. "Yeah . . . "

Sumo pig?

Were they taking about Akari's yokozuna rikibuta, Katsunishiki?

Pig . . .

She jolted as new images ripped through her. Susumu Marie, one of Moroboshi Ataru's half-sisters from Promised Island. Frail girl physically, but possessing a sharp mind and a considerable level of intelligence. And an even sharper tongue as she remembered the torrent of accusations Marie sent her way last night. She wasn't the only one to suffer from that girl's words. Kasumi and Nabiki both got a thick broadside of their own, but it was unto her that Marie had focused her rage, right up to the point where . . .

Where she . . .

Then . . .

Ryouga-kun . . .

He stopped her from using Mallet-sama on Marie.

Then she . . .

No . . .

She hit him into the pond . . .

And P-chan emerged.

And Marie called him "Hibiki-san!"

P-chan . . .

Ryouga . . .

A shudder warped through her as she remembered the volcano of rage that exploded from her heart as the sheer SCALE of that bastard's betrayal finally sank in. All the times she allowed him to SLEEP with her whenever he wandered into the Tendou compound. To watch her UNDRESS. The times she confided in P-chan, especially when it came to Ranma . . .

Ranma . . .

Ryouga hated Ranma.

Fervently blamed Ranma for everything that had gone wrong in his life.

Had vowed the very day he first confronted Ranma at Fuurinkan High that Ryouga would do everything to destroy Ranma's happiness.

And Akane . . .

He had USED her! Pretended to be her friend while listening in on her. And then he justified his attacks on Ranma as "honouring" that friendship! Even worse, Kasumi had KNOWN about this. And her father had known about it, too! Even more, Souun had ALLOWED it out of some warped hope that Ryouga's behaviour would force Ranma to openly admit her "feelings" for her.

They had all used her . . .

Used her . . .

"You know, some people say that girl was psychotic."

She jolted, staring at the two police officers; the one farthest from her had said those words. "Psychotic?!" she screamed, quaking indignantly as she felt something warp around her. "Who says I'm psychotic . . .?!"

"Yeah, both those other girls said the same thing," the other cop acknowledged that with a nod. "Jeez, can't blame them if that girl . . . " -- he pointed to a spot on the ground -- " . . . decided to attack someone who WASN'T a martial artist from BEHIND of all things!"

She stopped, another chill warping through her, and then a cloud of guilt descended on her, as if she found herself beneath Damocles' sword, the blade ready to pierce her through the skull. No . . .! She . . .! Marie . . .

Not a martial artist. Yes, she had been protected by a very big golden retriever. What was his name again? Michael? But still . . .

"Marie-san . . . "

Tears welled in her eyes as she sank to her knees, her hands flying to her face as a sob escaped her. She remained in that position for what seems a painful, hateful eternity, and then, through the slits between each finger, she saw one of the police officers walk right at her. Gasping, she moved to dodge, her eyes turning to stare on her feet . . .

Just as his legs passed THROUGH hers as if she wasn't even there.

Silence fell as she watched him walk for several more paces, and then he turned to walk back. By then, she had regained her footing, her eyes locked on her hands. As the officer seemed ready to pass, she stuck her arm out . . .

And then she cried out as he walked through her appendage.

Again, as if she was not there.

"No . . .!"

Her eyes shifted left, and then she walked closer to whatever the officers were guarding. Glancing at the low stone fence ringing the park pool, she quickly noted several shattered bricks scattered on the pathway. And the pathway itself was marked with white chalk, forming the outline of a human body. And there was blood. A lot of blood.

HER body . . .

HER blood . . .

"I'm . . . " she gasped, sinking to her knees. "D-dead?"

* * *

"Akane-san . . . "

Hibiki Ryouga trudged down the street. Not bothering to look up beyond what was needed to ensure he didn't bump into anyone, the weary wanderer tried not to let the darkness clawing at his soul overtake him. But, then again, would it really matter? Really matter after . . .?

* * *

_"_**HINAKO-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_"_

_A flash of light blinded everyone. The light itself immediately melted into a girl welding the ultimate in "magical" weaponry. "Hai! What's wrong, Yotsuba-chan?" Hinako asked as she stared on the would-be detective. Then, seeing her point off to the youngest sister's right, she turned to look. "EEEEWWWW!" She instantly recoiled on seeing Tendou Akane's shattered body, and then she turned back to her sister. "What happened?!"_

_"Never mind, Hinako-chan!" Shinshi snapped. "Help her!"_

_Hinako jolted, and then she blinked as the Staff whispered something into her mind. "Oh, Hina understands! Hai, hai!" She raised the glowing weapon before she pointed the crystal at Akane's head. "Hina'll fix it . . . "_

_The Staff's crystal flared as a bolt of energy lashed out to wrap around Akane's body. As the Tendous, Ryouga, Akari, Marie and Yotsuba watched, Hinako became icily still as the Staff's energy moved to embrace her. Time seemed to stand still for the fretting onlookers. Then, after what seemed like forever, the energy dispersed. Eyes locked on the youngest of Moroboshi Ataru's sisters. At first, there seemed confusion. Then, it instantly melted to heartbreaking sadness as a whispered "Bye-bye . . . " escaped her. Before anyone could say anything in response, Hinako's voice faded into a pained scream as she dropped to her knees, her arms keeping the Staff close to her._

_"Hinako-chan!" Marie screamed as she and Yotsuba instantly raced for their sister's side as the energy encompassing Akane dispersed, not a single change having been done to the woman's body. "Hinako-chan, what's wrong?! Hinako-chan!" the bespectacled teen yelled as she shook her sister's shoulders to try to get her to say something, ANYTHING that could explain this._

_For the next couple of minutes, all anyone could get out of the poor girl was a non-stop wail. Watching this, the others took time to gaze once more on Akane's broken body. They were quick to note that the blood had finally stopped flowing, it forming a blackening puddle under her back. Seeing this, Ryouga, still cradled in Akari's arms, began to shudder._

_No . . ._

_No, this . . ._

_Akane-san . . ._

_It just . . ._

_No!_

_Akane . . ._

_"Hinako-chan . . .?"_

_The wanderer oinked as he turned, immediately realizing that Hinako was trying to say something. Marie held her sister close as Yotsuba squeezed Hinako's shoulders in reassurance. Finally, taking a deep sniff, the youngest of the sisters gazed on Kasumi. "G-gomen n-ne, Kasumi-s-san . . . " she spoke in a pained whisper. "B-but A-Akane-san . . . "_

_"Couldn't you move her . . .?!" Nabiki blurted._

_That was enough to send Hinako into another crying fit. Hearing that, Ryouga's heart shattered as Kasumi, who had been gazing at Hinako, staggered up. Turning away, the eldest of the Tendou sisters spared the transformed wanderer a brief look, and then whatever control she had over her own pain shattered. As she staggered away, Shinshi and Nabiki quickly moved to support her with their hugs. Ryouga didn't notice as Akari drew him closer to herself; his eyes had again locked themselves on the weeping Hinako._

_Akane . . ._

_No . . ._

_"Hinako-chan, please . . . " Marie gently probed, gently stroking her sister's hair as tears welled up in her own eyes. "Tell us . . . "_

_A hand landed on the bespectacled girl's shoulder. "Kinda easy to figure out, Marie-chan," Yotsuba hoarsely whispered. "Hinako-chan tried to help Akane-san . . . " Her eyes then turned down to the weeping Hinako. "But Akane-san decided to get on the Last Checky instead."_

* * *

"Akane . . . "

Ryouga stopped at a corner, sparing a glance heavenward before an arc of fresh pain surged through him. "Gomen nasai, Akane-san . . . " he whispered, his eyes absently noting that it was safe to walk across the street. "Gomen nasai, Akari-chan . . . " He squeezed a fist.

"Ryouga-kun!"

He stopped, looking wildly around. He then screamed out as a hand landed on his shoulder. A car horn blared close by. Before he could try to ascertain what was happening, two strong hands snared him and he was literally dragged off the street. Crashing into the sidewalk on the other side of the road, the wanderer grunted as dizziness overtook him for a moment. He then looked up to see who was kneeling next to him. "Kanami-san . . .?"

Kurosu Kanami grunted as she helped Ryouga back to his feet, her hands then moving to dust him off before she fixed him with a concerned stare. "Ryouga-kun, what's wrong?!" She squeezed his hands in both of hers. "You were about to get run over by a truck!" She pointed.

Ryouga looked, gulping on seeing a large food delivery truck stopped at the corner, the driver giving him an annoyed look. Before any altercation could begin, Kanami moved to guide the wanderer down the street. "I'm back in Tomobiki . . .?" he asked as he looked around.

"Hai, Ryouga-kun. Not too far from the apartment where I live," the tall Avalonian confirmed with a nod, she moving to wrap an arm protectively around his. "You look like someone just died, Ryouga-kun. What happened to you?"

"I . . . " The wanderer stopped, and then his head dipped. "Hai."

"Ryouga-kun . . .?"

"Someone did die."

Silence fell over the pair as they headed down the street. Kanami then nodded. "It'll be alright, Ryouga-kun," she leaned up to whisper in his ear. "I'm here for you now. We all are. It'll be alright."

A shudder quaked him, and then he felt a strange warmth surge through him. "I . . . " He blinked before he gazed briefly at Kanami. Seeing the concerned smile on her face, Ryouga paused before he looked away. "I hope so."

* * *

"Ohayou, Minako-chan!"

"Ohayou, Shinobu-chan! How're you today?"

"Pretty okay," Shinobu confirmed as she took her seat. "How about you?"

"Well, we got some good news," Minako reported as she sat beside her as other students streamed into the classroom. "Kyooko-chan and Tomomi-chan met Ataru-kun last night and told him about the bioroid factory. He'll help us."

"Really?!" Shinobu gazed on her new friend, clapping her hands delightedly. "Oh, that's wonderful! Is he planning something now?"

"Not really. He doesn't even know what's really going on with the factory or whoever's aboard right now. All he does know is that Oogi fellow's up there. But what sort of shape's Oogi in? What sort of control does he have over the factory or the bioroids aboard? They gotta figure all that out first." She shrugged. "So he told us to act normally for the next while. You know, try not to draw any sort of attention on ourselves."

"That makes sense." Shinobu then blinked as Tomomi and Kyooko stepped into the room. "Oh, Tomomi-chan! Kyooko-chan! Ohayou!"

"Ohayou, Shinobu-chan!" Tomomi replied as the other Avalonians relaxed. "I take it Minako-chan told you the good news."

Shinobu nodded. "Hai, she did! How soon do you guys think Ataru-kun might do something about Oogi and the factory ship?"

"Not for a few days," Kyooko reported as they relaxed in the seats around hers. "Actually, it'll be his sister Negako-san who'll deal with the whole mess, probably helped by Chikage-san and Hinako-chan. Not to mention those refugees from Phentax Two who came to Earth via the factory."

Shinobu perked. "What refugees?!"

Tomomi and Kyooko explained about Miree and her daughters. Shinobu took that in, and then her jaw dropped in disbelief. "They had a Church of HOLLYWOOD on that planet?!" She tried not to fall over laughing. "What sort of 'gods' did they worship, anyway?! Cary Grant?!"

"Miree-sama seems to have a thing for Humphrey Bogart." Kyooko covered her mouth to hide her own smile. Tomomi snickered. "Still, hearing about what the Lumites did to the Hollywoodites after they became the 'one true faith' . . . " She shook her head. "Such a sad thing."

Minako nodded. "Hai, that's true."

"Agreed." Shinobu blinked as something Kyooko said came back. "Wait! You said Negako-san and Chikage-san were going to deal with this. I've heard of them. Do you guys really think they can do something about all this?"

Tomomi readily nodded, her eyes sparkling with admiration on speaking the sorceress' name. "Negako-san and Chikage-san? Bet on it!"

Kyooko rolled her eyes. "Oh, Buddha help us!"

Shinobu stared quizzically at the blue-haired Avalonian. "What?"

"Chikage-san." Kyooko thumbed Tomomi. "After we were done with Ataru-kun, Chikage-san came to our apartment and helped clear out a whole slew of monitoring devices Oogi's people had scattered about the place . . . "

Shinobu bolted to her feet. "'MONITORING DEVICES?!'"

Minako nodded. "Yep! According to Chikage-san, the Church has bugged the whole town. Here, see for yourself." She then reached into her pocket to draw out one of the spheroid devices found in her bedroom, it impaled on one of Chikage's crucifix-shaped throwing darts.

Shinobu took that to give it a closer look. By then, Fujinami Ryuunosuke and Seikou Mie had arrived. "Ohayou, minna . . .!" the tomboy hailed with a wave of her hand, and then she blinked. "Hey, Shinobu, what the heck's that?!"

Mie took the device from Shinobu's hand. "Some sort of audio/visual sensor, I think," she said, giving it a close look.

"Audio-only," Minako augmented. "This was in my bedroom."

Shinobu spun on her, her eyes widening in panic. "Did Chikage-san find out if they learned anything . . .?"

Her voice trailed off. "Doubtful." Minako shook her head. "Besides, given that three billion of the very people they serve are now air pollution, the chances are pretty good that whoever's here in town aren't feeling really good right now." She held up her finger in warning. "Oh, just in case you want to know, Chikage-san's pretty sure that the whole town's been littered with these things EXCEPT here!" She pointed down.

"The school?" Shinobu nodded. "Oh, I get it. This place is their 'holy citadel.' To actually 'sully' it with devices like this . . . "

Her eyes fell on the device in Mie's hand. Ryuunosuke blinked as she tried to put together what everyone else was talking about. "Are you sayin' this was put in your bedroom by those Church of Lum jerks, Minako?"

Minako nodded. "Yep."

"I think the first priority should be to gather all these things up and destroy them," Mie noted, handing the device back to Minako.

"Chikage-san says it's not the smartest thing to do it wholesale now, especially with Oogi hovering over all our heads," Kyooko warned. "After all, what'd be his reaction if his eyes and ears on the 'holy company' were suddenly cut off just like that?" She snapped her fingers. "Last night, she went out and cleaned up sections of the town outside our apartment. She didn't tell us where she was going to do that, but she said that when things seem safe, she'll get Hinako-chan to clean the rest of them up right away."

"Hinako . . . " Ryuunosuke blinked confusedly. "Who's she?"

"The little girl that was with Ataru-kun yesterday when his daughters came," Minako provided. "She's the baby of the crowd."

"But she's only . . .! What? Seven?!"

"Turned eight in August," Tomomi provided.

"So how can someone that young help out?!" Ryuunosuke demanded.

"Ryuunosuke-chan, the people who created the factory also created some things normal folks wouldn't want to have ANYTHING to do with," Minako explained. "One of them is a device called the Staff of Gihan. Think of it as a cosmic version of Sailor Moon's wand and you'll get the idea of how powerful it is." A pause. "Recently, the Staff was given to Hinako-chan to use."

Silence.

Shinobu gaped. "And that's in the hands of a girl THAT young?!"

"That does sound a little dangerous," Mie warned.

Kyooko shook her head. "Hinako-chan was chosen because of the purity of her soul, because she's still a child who hasn't dealt with all the delightful things puberty eventually forces on people. Miree-san hopes that by allowing the Staff to remain in Hinako-chan's hands, whatever 'dark' programming might still be within the Staff will eventually be deleted."

Tomomi nodded. "And from what I could sense of what's going on between Hinako-chan and the Staff, that assumption's on the money."

"Do you think they'll go find that second device for Aria-chan?"

"Probably."

"Who's Aria?!" Ryuunosuke demanded.

"Turned ten in November, comes from France," Tomomi provided. "A spoiled princess, but believe me, Ataru-kun doesn't mind a bit."

Shinobu's eyebrow arched. "Really?"

"Ohayou, minna-san."

"MENDOU-SAN!"

Eyes turned to gaze on Mendou Shuutarou, he standing at the doorway.

* * *

"Mendou Shuutarou is there now?!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The _Rose Emperor_'s captain nodded. "Excellent! Here's an extra present for the Queen! I'll inform her of this at once!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

"Wash your back?"

Lufy perked as she pulled her work jumpsuit off, and then she turned to gaze on Catty Ray. The android was standing beside one of the showerheads in the _Konggh'cha_'s lone bathroom, located aft of the pilotage and the shipmistress' quarters. An inviting smile was etched on her face. Smirking in anticipation, Lufy allowed her clothes to drop away from her. Setting those aside, she walked over to gaze down into Catty Ray's golden eyes, standing under a showerhead. "Last day as an android," she mused.

Catty Ray grinned as she flicked on the water, adjusting the temperature to the level she knew Lufy liked. The Pirpirsiw'r turned around automatically as her lover got to work with a cloth and a bar of soap on her back muscles.

"I'm nervous," the android then admitted.

"You've got a right. When you passed the threshold . . . "

She gasped as Catty Ray walked up to press her bust into Lufy's back, the former's arms wrapping around the latter's waist. "You let me be that way," Catty Ray said as she closed her eyes, resting the side of her head between Lufy's shoulder blades. "I can never thank you enough, Lufy-vayae." Calling her _that_ sent a delighted shudder through the taller woman's body. "Never."

Lufy blinked, and then she reached up to give Catty Ray's wrists a warm squeeze. "I should be thanking you. Once you made it . . . "

"Walk away from the person who allowed me to become fully self-thinking?" Catty Ray tittered as she turned to bat her nose over the ridge of Lufy's upper spine. That feather soft contact nearly sent the Pirpirsiw'r to her knees as jolts of ecstasy threatened to swamp her mind's pleasure centre. "Yes, I did have the choice to do whatever I wanted when the people at Techno-Entertainment Services decided to decommission me as a companion android, but to walk away from my very own emancipator . . . " She then pulled away from Lufy as the cloth came around to start cleansing off the pilot's back of sweat and skin oil. "No, I couldn't do that. Not at all."

Lufy remained still as Catty Ray got to work, her memory replaying the time when it really had started between them . . .

* * *

_"I am sorry, Eiuoiiaoii. I must return to the maintenance lab . . . "_

_The android blinked in shock as the pilot's hand grasped her wrist. Though, as a partially organic construct, she was stronger than the organic that had been her only lover and companion for quite some time, core behaviour programming forbade her from causing any harm to a Daishi'cha. Turning to stare into the red-brown orbs the Yehisrite-born pilot possessed, the android blinked for a moment before she pleaded, "Eiuoiiaoii, please release me. I must return to the maintenance lab for a full systems diagnostic . . . "_

_"You'll die if you do that," the pilot flatly announced._

_That caused the android to jolt. "What do you mean?"_

_"I'm talking about your template," the pilot explained as she guided her lover to the bed. Since the Daishi'cha, in the wake of the Daimon'cha's visit three years ago, had decided it was time to press on with full-time preliminary preparations to launch Stage Two of the Grand Design, Daishi'cha #29363 had obtained newly constructed quarters in a townhouse-like barracks on the east side of the remnants of Sagussa's world capital, Tere'na City. Despite the oppressive heat of Sagussa's primary, Sen'a, beating down on the wrecked world -- it would be five years before solar energy collectors would be commissioned to bleed off the remnants of Sen'a shattered red dwarf companion star, Eisen'a, and thus allow Sen'a to return to a normal K-type primary -- it was far much better than spending time in cryogenic suspension in the Chamber of Eternity, a vast underground support complex located in a mountain range north-east of Tere'na City. "She's elected to take you permanently out of service. After all, she's bonded with the Elder Mother now." A scowl crossed the pilot's face as her mind called up images of the rusty-haired, blue-eyed, Seishin-Urusian-born woman who would one day bear the name "Noa." "What's the need of having an android 'advertisement' if she's already bonded to someone she loved?"_

_The android's eyes widened. "Ashoi'cha did not tell me about it . . . "_

_"She told me when we took the ship out for a trial run with the Gladiators slung to the hull last month," the pilot cut her off._

_The shorter woman paused as her mixed organic and positronic mental relays churned through what her companion had just said about what Daishi'cha #40435 -- companion androids always referred to their organic templates as "Ashoi'cha" -- decided concerning her continued existence. She then stared at the pilot. "Did you tell her about our time together?" she asked._

_"I made mention of it," the pilot responded, a smirk crossing her face._

_"And?"_

_"She paid it no mind."_

_"But still . . . "_

_"Techno-Entertainment can't touch you if I have you signed out."_

_The android paused again as she considered that. "How long?"_

_"As long as I want. There's no time-restriction imposed on keeping a companion android outside of storage. And if any of the techs bother me about it, I'll tell them that I'm not done with you. They're still adjusting to what Ataru-sama's visit did to them emotionally. By the time any of them might finally clue into what I actually might want with you, well . . . "_

_Her voice trailed off. Silence fell as the android considered what her companion just said, and then her eyes went wide. "You'd allow me to . . .!"_

_"Yes."_

_More silence._

_"Why?!"_

_"Because I want you, Oioai."_

_The android blinked, her cheeks flaming on the pilot's addressing her with the first part of her template's sequential number. The Daishi'cha were still debating over what names they wanted to used for themselves; that debate would last for a long time, right until the day the Elder Mother struck on the idea of using the Daimon'cha's interest in animation, manga and other forms of fiction to act as inspiration for everyone on Sagussa. "Why, Eiuo?" she asked, responding in kind as she held the pilot's hands in her own._

_The pilot considered that for a moment, and then she made herself sit on the bed. Patting the place beside her to make the android sit down, she then answered, "At first, it was because you were Oioai-oi'iiui's replica that brought me to you. Even after she and the Elder Mother bonded, my interest in her never abated. But then . . . " A wistful look crossed her face. "Then you stopped getting the memory upgrades from Oioai-oi'iiui. And then you . . .! Well, you started to become your own person. I've always liked that."_

_The android blinked as her processors absorbed and dissected that data, and then she canted her head in a show of overt curiosity. "Has my emulation programming begun to deviate from what is demanded of me?" she then asked, a twinge of fear in her voice. The pilot understood that reaction; for a companion android to grossly deviate away from what her template's emotional norms were was seen by everyone on Sagussa as ultimately defeating the whole purpose of the companion android system._

_"You've started to show signs, Oioai," she admitted. "Remember when you asked me if it was possible for you to be programmed as a Gladiator pilot?"_

_The other woman's eyes widened, and then she smiled. "True."_

_She stood up, walking away from the bed to gaze out the window at the barracks courtyard. Sen'a was moving to set over the distant cliffs that once loomed over the shoreline of the Western Ocean. On the courtyard, three junior servicewomen were marching out to lower the flag for the day. Blinking as she stared down at herself -- companion androids often wore either the dusty tan "no assignment" jumpsuit or what would be seen in many nations on Earth as "civilian" clothing -- she then blinked as tears welled up in her eyes. Quickly initiating a system diagnostic to ensure that particular function was responding property, the android took a deep breath. "Help me, Eiuo . . . "_

_The pilot tensed. "Oioai . . . "_

_"Help me, please. Help me be human. For you . . . "_

_Without hesitation, the pilot moved to embrace her._

* * *

"Remembering?"

Lufy jolted on hearing Catty Ray's question. She nodded. "Yeah . . . "

"Luf?" Priss' voice rang out from a nearby speaker.

The _Konggh'cha_'s shipmistress looked up. "What is it, Pri?"

"The guys'll be here in an hour or so."

Lufy blinked. The remainder of Pathfinder Troop Six, Priss' current unit. And her own. And soon to be Catty Ray's.

"Right."

* * *

"Send Hinako-chan and Miree-san out NOW?!"

Ataru sighed as he gazed across the pond at the very spot where Tendou Akane had breathed her last, his sisters surrounding her. "Yes," he replied with a nod before he looked at Sakuya. "I don't want another incident like this to happen again, Sakuya-chan. Especially not to Hinako-chan."

"Perhaps we should consider giving this second device to someone other than Aria-chan, Anigimi-sama," Haruka proposed.

"Miree-san was pretty adamant on the idea of giving that second device to Aria-chan, Haruka-chan," Sakuya warned.

"Sakuya-chan, surely you must realize that Aria-chan may not be the right sort of person to deal with a device like Bou-san!" Haruka returned her look. "Even more so, I don't believe that Guenevere-san would approve of this idea!"

The others nodded. Even if Aria's mother and stepfather no longer seemed to want to concern themselves with the young Parisian's upbringing, that Guenevere Rochelles still lived on Promised Island, ready to serve Aria virtually at a moment's notice, spoke volumes. "Regardless of what Guenevere-san thinks is right for Aria-chan, I think that after what just happened to Akane . . . " -- Ataru pointed across the pond -- " . . . none of us would want to see Aria-chan TOO sheltered from the outside world. Ne?"

"Agreed," Chikage said. "Besides, look how well Hinako-chan held up to last night's events. Did any of us imagine that Hinako-chan was capable of doing something like THAT? I believe that with the proper encouragement -- which we all can give her, especially Hinako-chan, not to mention Jonna, Orin and Miree-san – Aria-chan might turn out the same way."

Sakuya sighed. "Well, we DID take a chance with Hinako-chan. We might as well do the same with Aria-chan."

"We should ensure all precautions are taken first," Haruka warned.

Ataru grimaced. "Right."

* * *

"Ataru-san . . .?!"

She gazed across the pond at the people currently standing on the path leading to the park's main gate. After it sank into her that she was no longer among the living, she had walked away from the scene of her demise, seeking a bench so she could put her thoughts together.

Was THIS what death was like?

Wasn't she supposed to go to Heaven or to Nirvana?

Or was she . . .?

A sob escaped her as fear surged up her spine.

Was she not seen as worthy . . .?

Did this mean . . .?

WHAT did it mean?!

_Well, well, well. THIS is interesting._

She jolted, looking wildly around. The voice that had just spoke to her seemed to come from every direction on the compass. Who . . .?

_Behind you._

She turned. Her eyes quickly detected Ataru and two of his sisters walking away from the pond in the direction of the front gate. However, the third one -- Chikage? -- was staring directly AT her! "Who . . .?!"

Even from this distance, she could quickly see the other woman's lips quirk into a smile. _Fate is truly a strange thing at times_, Chikage's bemused voice echoed deep in her mind. _Wouldn't you agree, Akane?_

Akane blinked.

* * *

"Hey, Onee-chan, you okay?"

"Should I be?!" Kasumi snapped. Her voice then choked on a sob. Seeing Nabiki rear back from her outburst, she relaxed. "Gomen . . . "

"It's okay!" Nabiki sat beside her sister, a hand reaching out to squeeze Kasumi's shoulder. The older Tendou was quick to notice that despite the mask of self-control Nabiki projected, the younger woman's cheeks were still damp. "Can't blame you for acting like that."

"Akane-chan . . .!" Kasumi squeezed her eyes shut, and then she gazed at the ceiling. "Oh, why, Nabiki-chan? Why . . .?"

"Loads of reasons," Nabiki whispered as she tucked her legs into her arms. "But the big one, I think, is that none of us here ever took any time to make Akane-chan face up to her responsibilities." Sniffing back a fresh bout of tears, she stared at the sitting room table. "You remember how it was like, don't you? Akane-chan thought Ranma-chan did something wrong, then smacked her around for it? Even when it turned out that Ranma-chan WAS innocent about it, Akane-chan never apologized for it. And we . . . "

Kasumi jerkily nodded. "We just sat there and let it happen again and again and again! Even worse, when Ranma-chan tried to show some sort of anger over what Akane-chan did, what did we do . . .?"

Nabiki closed her eyes. "We let Souun and Genma gang up on Ranma-chan . . . " she exhaled, "And let Akane-chan get away with it."

Silence fell as the sisters considered what to say next. Footsteps then heralded the arrival of their brother's girlfriend, draped in a khaki cardigan and a pair of faded jeans. Gazing on Yotsuba, Kasumi and Nabiki were quick to sense the afterglow on the younger girl's skin that could only result from one act. "Hey!" The would-be detective wanly smiled. "You guys okay?"

Kasumi lowered her eyes. "Thank you for not keeping the whole house awake last night, Yotsuba-chan."

Yotsuba paled, snapping up her hands as a denial surged up her throat. "Hey, that's enough!" Nabiki called out before she rolled to her feet and walked over to place a reassuring hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "People aren't themselves when they lose someone close to them, Yo-chan. Believe me, Onee-chan and I know that VERY well."

"Ah . . . " Yotsuba paused before she nodded. "Hai, that's true. It . . . " She shrugged as they sat beside the table. "All Yotsuba wanted to do was sleep with Shi-chama, let him cry over what happened. Then . . . "

Kasumi gazed concernedly at her. "I hope you used protection."

"Didn't have much time to think about it," Yotsuba admitted with a smile, shrugging. "Then again, Negako-anechama knows lots of ways to stop conception if it's needed. Yotsuba'll take care of it today. But . . . " She sniffed before staring at her future sisters-in-law. "Yotsuba's place is here now with you guys. Shi-chama's taking this really bad."

"Is he asleep?" Kasumi asked.

"Hai. He finally dozed off about an hour ago." Yotsuba then perked on hearing footfalls echo from the front porch.

"Oh, Ojii-san's home!" Kasumi stood, calling out, "Ohayou, Ojii-san!"

The women watched Happoosai step inside. They were quick to note the tired look on the aged grandmaster's face. The empty bag he normally used to stuff newly acquired underwear spoke volumes about his mood, too. Pausing to gaze intently at the Tendou sisters and Yotsuba, Happoosai then closed his eyes. "I . . . " he began, and then, making his way to the table, he bowed his head. "I'm truly, deeply sorry about what happened to Akane-chan, ladies. You've my sincerest condolences. Not to mention Cologne-chan's."

"She sensed it, Ojii-chan?" Nabiki asked.

"Hai. She told Shampoo-chan and Mousse to keep quiet about it. When are you going to make the announcement to the kids at school?"

"Lunch," Nabiki reported. "Hinako-sensei'll keep the Horde and Kunou in line. The staff'll keep this from the kids, not to mention Kunou-koochou."

"That's good. Heaven only knows what that pineapple-crazed moron might do." Happoosai looked around. "Where's Shinshi-kun?"

"Asleep," Yotsuba reported.

Happoosai glanced at the would-be detective, a smirk crossing her face. "It's good that you were there for him, Yotsuba-chan."

She acked, flustering. "Oh, this is definitely NOT checky . . . "

"No, no! Relax." The grandmaster drew out his pipe. "Shinshi-kun needed the emotional support. You were there for him, child. Don't worry about what other people think. If they don't want to take the time to understand things, that's their damned problem, not yours."

Kasumi nodded. "Agreed. Yotsuba-chan, can you call your sisters and ask how Ranma-chan is? Heaven knows, once this gets out, there're going to be many people who'll automatically turn around and blame this on her."

Nabiki closed her eyes. "Not to mention Ataru-kun."

Yotsuba nodded. "Yotsuba'll call them in a bit."

"Nihao!"

Everyone turned as Shampoo walked in, a delivery box in hand. "Oh, Shampoo, ohayou!" Kasumi hailed. "You didn't have to . . .!"

The warrior-maiden wagged her finger. "Don't talk about that!" A sad smile then crossed her face. "You, Nabiki and your new brother need time to mourn Akane. There's no need to worry about small things."

"I . . . " Kasumi stopped before she bowed. "Arigatou, Shampoo-chan."

"Yotsuba'll wake Shi-chama up."

Yotsuba headed to the master bedroom. Shampoo moved to unload her box. As she did so, footfalls heralded the arrival of another would-be rival of Akane's. "Hey, anyone home?" Ukyou called out before peeking inside.

"Oh, Ukyou-chan!" Kasumi flustered on seeing the okonomiyaki chef bring in her own delivery box. "Please, you don't . . . "

An objecting finger stopped her voice. "Not a word outta you today, Kasumi-chan." Ukyou, her eyes glinting with her own tears -- regardless of her own rivalry with Akane concerning who would marry Ranma, the chef always thought of the youngest Tendou daughter as a friend -- set her box down before walking over to embrace the eldest of the Tendous. "Shampoo called and told me what happened to Akane-chan." She kissed Kasumi's cheek before she moved to unload. "Right now, you don't need to worry about small things."

"Thanks," Nabiki said as she took a bowl of ramen from Shampoo. "Just keep quiet about it if you plan to go to school later, Ukyou. I want to make an announcement at lunch. I DON'T want the rumour mill to go to work before everyone gets the information they need, okay?"

"What are you planning to tell them, Nabiki?"

Shampoo and Ukyou looked as Shinshi stepped into the room, Yotsuba's arm wrapped around one of his. "Holy . . .!" The okonomiyaki cook then whistled in admiration before she glanced at Nabiki. "This is YOU after Jusenkyou?!"

Shinshi and Nabiki both blushed. "Hai, dearie, that he is . . .! Oh, thank you, Shampoo-chan!" Happoosai took a plate of fresh nikuman from Shampoo as Shinshi and Yotsuba took their places at the table.

"Aiyah!" Shampoo breathed before she moved to finish serving everyone else, and then she sat down. "Shinshi's lucky that clan-sister Yotsuba's already moving to claim him! This one might want Shinshi for herself!"

Eyes locked on the warrior-maiden. "I take it Elder Cologne told you about what happened to Ranma-chan," Kasumi noted.

"Hai." Shampoo paused before she sighed as she put some sweet-and-sour pork into her bowl. "Hearing that hurt this one bad, but Hibaa-chan said it was for the best. Besides, Ai- . . .!" She caught herself, her cheeks reddening. "Er, Ranma can now become this one's blood-sister. When Ranma marries Ataru, the Nujiézú and the Tiger-Spirit shadow warriors -- that's Ataru's extended family -- will finally be able to form a blood alliance. It's what Hibaa-chan and the Council have wanted for a long time."

"Yotsuba thinks if she can, Shampoo should go see Ane-chama today," Yotsuba said as she took up a plate of fried noodles. "Ane-chama'll probably need to have all her friends, not to mention future family, with her today."

Ukyou winked. "Don't worry. Negako-san called and told us to whip up a delivery for the people at the shrine. Shirayuki ain't in any mood to cook."

"This one doesn't blame clan-sister Shirayuki for that," Shampoo noted.

Kasumi nodded. "Indeed. Ukyou-chan, when you go see her, tell Ranma-chan that I'll come to visit her sometime this afternoon."

"Sure thing," the okonomiyaki chef replied.

* * *

"I'm NOT Akane?!"

Chikage and Akane stood together in the woods of Hikarigaoka Park, far from prying eyes. To ensure an extra level of security, the sorceress kept to psi-speech. _Exactly_. She gazed dispassionately on Akane. _Last night, after your template's body was crushed by Akari's pet, her spirit took immediate flight into the next life to be with her mother._

"But . . .!" Akane then blinked. "How can you be sure . . .?"

_Easily enough. There is a witness to what happened, even in the last seconds of your template's time in this life. Hinako._

Silence fell as Akane called up images of Ataru's youngest sister. The girl with the magical -- was it "magic?" -- wand. The one who helped Nabiki and Shinshi live separate lives after Souun's reckless actions cursed Akane's sister to have a "brother" live in her own body. "Hinako-chan . . . " she whispered. "Th-that's right! Y-Yotsuba-chan called out to her when . . . "

_When Katsunishiki crushed your template, defending his mistress, Marie and Ryouga when your template lost control of herself and moved to hurt all three of them with her mallet_, Chikage finished.

Akane shuddered as the hidden accusation in the sorceress' words made itself apparent. "I . . .!" She then looked down at the ground. "Oh, gods, I can't believe . . .!" She shook her head. "I actually tried to . . . "

Chikage shook her head. _No, not you exactly._

Akane sighed. "Chikage-san, you don't have to . . .!"

_Look for yourself._

A crystal ball appeared in the sorceress' hand. Akane stared at it as a dark image formed. A point of light appeared in the middle of the ball, that point morphing into the image of a young woman on her back. Akane shuddered on recognizing her. "Me . . .?!" she gasped.

_Your template_, Chikage emphasized. _Now listen carefully._

Akane braced herself as a second point of light appeared some distance from the first's feet. It too morphed into the image of a woman, this one much younger than either Akane or Chikage. "Hinako-chan . . . " Akane whispered.

**HINAKO**: Akane-san! Are you okay?!

A groan escaped Akane as a hand shifted up to feel her forehead.

**AKANE**: What happened . . .?

**HINAKO**: It's okay, Akane-san! Akari-san's big piggy just jumped all over you when you tried to hit Marie-chan with that mallet of yours!

Akane was quick to sense the annoyed tone in Hinako's voice.

**HINAKO**: Mou! Why'd you try to do something really, really, really stupid like that, anyway?! Didn't you know about Ryouga-san's curse?!

**AKANE**: Curse . . .

Silence fell for a brief moment as Hinako seemed to ready the Staff of Gihan to capture Akane's spirit in a preservation bubble.

**AKANE**: Why . . .?

**HINAKO**: Huh?

A pained sob seemed to escape Akane.

**HINAKO**: Akane-san, are you okay . . .?

Suddenly, another beacon of light appeared ABOVE Akane.

**VOICE**: Akane-chan . . .?

Akane paled. "Okaa-san . . .!"

**HINAKO**: Huh?! Who're you?!

**AKANE**: Okaa-san . . .

**VOICE**: Akane-chan . . .

The second beacon of light began to grow. Akane turned to it, acting as if Hinako wasn't standing there behind her. Seeing her template's image in the crystal ball, Akane shuddered, tears spilling as her soul seemed to grasp that treasured voice, that memory, in a hold of steel.

**HINAKO**: Hey! Akane-san, what are you doing?!

**AKANE**: Okaa-san . . .

Hinako's face shifted from frustration to confusion, and then to a sad understanding. "Did she lose her mother, too . . .?" Akane asked.

**HINAKO**: Akane-san's mama . . .

**AKANE**: Okaa-san?! Is that you?! Okaa-san!

**KIMIKO**: Hai. It's me, Akane-chan.

**AKANE**: OKAA-SAN!

In a move that surprised the viewer, Akane lunged towards the light. Hinako jolted as she then remembered what she was supposed to be doing, and then she reached out with her hand to stop Akane and pull her back.

**HINAKO**: Akane-san, wait! Don't go! Why are you going?!

Akane spun on the youngest of the sisters. Her face literally shone with a joy that no one had ever seen on her before.

**AKANE**: Why not?! She my MOTHER!

Hinako stopped, her eyes sparkling with tears.

**HINAKO**: But what about your sisters?! What about your brother?! What about your friends, Akane-san?! You can't leave them!

Silence.

**AKANE**: Yes. I can.

**HINAKO**: Akane-san . . .

As the young girl with the power of Eternity Itself behind her started to cry, Akane reached out for the beacon that would reunite her with the one whose life and death had influenced so much, her body merging with the glow of her mother's spirit. As Akane melted into the light, her voice rang out . . .

**AKANE**: Don't be sad, Hinako-chan. I want to do this.

**HINAKO**: Akane-san, don't go . . .!

**AKANE**: I have nothing to go back to, Hinako-chan.

**HINAKO**: What about your family?!

**AKANE**: No family . . .

**HINAKO**: What about your friends?!

**AKANE**: No friends . . .

**HINAKO**: Akane-san . . .!

**AKANE**: Except you, Hinako-chan . . .

**HINAKO**: Akane-san . . .

Another voice, this one sounding almost like Hinako though with a divine theatrical boom, seemed to thunder all around her.

**VOICE**: _**The choice is hers, Hinako.**_

Akane stared at Chikage. "The Staff . . .?"

Chikage nodded.

**HINAKO**: Bou-san . . .

**AKANE**: Sayonara, Hinako-chan . . .

Akane faded fully into the beacon of light.

**AKANE**: Tell Marie-san . . .

**HINAKO**: Akane-san . . .?

**AKANE**: She was right . . .

The beacon disappeared, leaving Hinako alone in the darkness.

**HINAKO**: Akane-san . . .!

The youngest of Ataru's sisters bowed her head.

**HINAKO**: Bye-bye . . .

"No . . .!"

The image in the crystal ball vanished as Chikage watched Akane sink to her knees, her hands flying to her face as sobs escaped her. The sorceress remained silent as the disembodied spirit wept, Chikage slipping her crystal ball back under her cape. Finally, Akane's hands dropped from her face as her moans faded into deep breaths. She then slowly got back to her feet. Taking another breath to steady herself, she stared at the sorceress. "Chikage-san, I . . .! Oh, gods . . . " Her voice failed as she hugged herself.

"I can understand why she did that," Chikage said as she crossed her arms, uncaring that she was using physical speech. "Ever since Tendou Kimiko died, no one ever attempted to discipline Akane whenever she did something wrong. Souun was too wracked with grief to act as a proper parent. Kasumi couldn't make herself assume her mother's place in the household when it came to dealing with Akane's anger. Nabiki was too busy trying to keep the house over their heads. Then when Ane-kun and Genma came, things got worse . . . "

"Ryouga-kun . . . " Akane quaked, a fist squeezing over her heart. "WHY?! Why on Earth would he do something like THAT . . .?!"

"Because he was alone."

Silence.

"His direction curse?" Akane blinked as realization dawned, and then she stared wide-eyed at Chikage. "His family?"

"Save his father," Chikage cut in. "They all have that curse; it's been the bane of the Hibiki family for some generations. Could you imagine what it must have been like for Ryouga? To never know where his mother, his brother or his sister might be at any given moment in their lives? Perhaps be far away from his father at a moment when something terrible might have befallen him? Any one of them might've died and the chances were good that the others might NEVER learn the truth for the rest of their lives!" An eyebrow arched as Chikage crossed her arms. "Imagine growing up in a situation like that, Akane. Then add to it the dearth of real friends."

"All alone . . . "

"Hai. Then comes someone who offers him warmth, kindness, friendship, even the first hint of love." Chikage pointed on Akane. "Your template. And since he was a piglet at the time, he concluded that the only way to hold onto what she so willingly gave him . . . "

"Was to keep up the illusion. Is that why he made Ranma make that promise? Because he just wanted to be with . . .?"

The sorceress nodded. "Partially. You'll know of Ane-kun's view of honour at the time when it came to those with a disability like what Ryouga possesses. Add to that the fact that Ane-kun did unintentionally curse Ryouga the day he accidentally stumbled onto Zhòuquán-xiang . . . "

Akane nodded. "No wonder he got so mad," she said. "And it's no wonder Ranma always called him 'P-chan' all the time. He made a promise on his honour, then Ryouga-kun turned around to use that against him . . . "

The sorceress nodded. "Hai. To further compound the matter was Ane-kun's own feelings for Ryouga. On the one hand, she saw someone taking very gross advantage of the personal privacy of someone Ane-kun deeply cared for." She pointed again to Akane to emphasise her point. "On the other hand, she saw someone she looked on as one of the few friends she possessed, a friendship she wanted to see restored in the wake of what Zhòuquán-xiang forced on them both. There were times Ryouga did want to reveal himself to Akane. And . . . "

"Ranma was afraid that if that happened, I'd blame it on her . . . "

"Yes. So she stopped him whenever she could and if that particular fear overcame her desire to see the truth come out."

Akane took that in before she turned away from Chikage. Gazing upon the mid-morning sky, she then asked, "What am I?"

"A soul replica." The sorceress walked up to stand beside her. "Created by the Staff of Gihan automatically nanoseconds before your template's spirit slipped into the next life. Beyond Hinako's knowledge, I should also add."

Akane closed her eyes. "A psychic clone, you mean?"

"Yes."

"What happens to me now?"

"That depends on you." Chikage gazed intently on her. "You could, if you desire, allow yourself to discorporate. In fact, that WILL happen to you by late tonight, twenty-four hours after the Staff created you. Unlike a real ghost, you would not eventually enter the next life since your template has already preceded you." A pause. "However, if you wish, you could assume corporeal existence -- with Hinako's help, of course, plus the assistance of the bioroid factory -- and then proceed to live your life."

"As Tendou Akane?"

Chikage nodded. "If that is what you wish. I can tell Toofuu-kun to not prepare a death certificate for your template. With the help of the Special Committee on Alien Activities, her school records could be whisked away from Fuurinkan and you could, as was planned for your template, attend school at Stargazer West College on the Island. While your existence could then not be hidden from Kasumi, Nabiki and Shinshi, not to mention my own siblings and Ane-kun, to all in Nerima, you would still be dead."

"Someone's going to announce that?"

"Nabiki will at lunchtime."

"I see."

* * *

"Aneue-sama . . .?"

Ranma looked up from the worktable in hers and Ataru's room to see Marie standing at the doorway. "Marie-chan . . . " the redhead whispered before she walked over as the younger woman stepped inside. Both slid into a comforting embrace. "How're you feeling?" she asked.

"A little numb," the bespectacled teen whispered as she laid her head on Ranma's shoulder. "Are you alright, Aneue-sama?"

Silence fell as the martial artist considered her future sister-in-law's question, and then she took a deep breath. "Hard to say." She then reached up to stroke Marie's hair. "Part of me feels so mad right now . . . "

"At Akane-san?"

"Yeah." Ranma gently guided the younger woman to sit by the worktable before she relaxed on her futon. "I mean . . . " Here, she halted as a moment's confusion overtook her, and then she relaxed herself. "Damn . . . "

"You're also angry at yourself, aren't you?" Marie wondered.

"Yeah . . . "

Marie smiled. "Understandable. For a year, Akane-san was the primary influence on your life and how it might have evolved hadn't you met Kamekichi-san and embarked on the path that led you to come together with Aniue-sama. Whenever she was in trouble, regardless of her feelings, you were there for Akane-san. Anyone would certainly welcome having such a dedicated protector be part of their lives. Believe me, if it was I who you worked so hard to protect, I would be terribly loath to let you go. However . . . "

"It's my life in the end," Ranma muttered.

Marie nodded. "Hai, it always was, regardless of what others might have felt about it. In fact, given how strongly those others felt about your life and the way your life's journey should have unfolded, I guess . . . " She then paused as if to find the least wounding way to say this. "That what happened to Akane-san shouldn't have come as such a surprise."

"What do you mean?"

"Well . . . " Marie adjusted her glasses as she took a deep breath. "I was thinking of when Aniue-sama left Tomobiki and how that reflected on those people who saw him as nothing more than a tool so they could continue to associate with Lum-san. His classmates at school and . . . "

"His so-called 'parents.'"

"Hai. Reigi-san helped keep us apprised of events in Tomobiki right up to when the news came of Lum-san's 'death,'" Marie reported. "Naturally, to ensure things went as smoothly as possible when Aniue-sama's memories were restored, Negako-aneuesama temporarily crippled Mendou and Megane's group, ensuring they wouldn't be able to leave their own bedrooms until a day or two after Lum-san was finally deported to Uru with Ten and Ran."

"I bet they automatically blamed the whole mess on Ataru."

"They did. Not so surprising, ne?" Marie smirked before she carried on, "Anyhow, the instant he was apprised of how and why the United Nations had come down so harshly on Lum-san, Mendou immediately lobbied the Diet to have the doors reopened so Lum-san could return to Earth." A pause. "It came as quite a shock to the poor fellow when the Diet turned his request down."

Ranma chuckled. "I bet that didn't go over too well."

Marie shook her head. "It did not. Naturally, Mendou threatened to have the dietmen who were directly involved in the move to expel Lum-san from Earth eventually forced out of their positions. Well, those esteemed gentlemen didn't like the idea of such a spoiled brat like him trying to influence their very lives so, through Reigi-san, they appealed to Mendou's father to discipline his child." A pause. "The discipline came in the form of the final decision to force Mendou to marry Mizunokooji Asuka."

"But he loves that girl!" Ranma quickly pointed out.

"True, which made it all the more easier for them to force this on Mendou." Marie held up a finger, winking. "Even more so, it preyed on Mendou's most vulnerable point: His personal sense of honour. If he publicly tried to stand up to his parents, he would be dishonoured. And even if there are those women at Tomobiki High School . . . "

"Not to mention Himiko and Mikiko," Ranma cut in with a wink, nodding to her right to indicate where Kawamura Himiko and Serizawa Mikiko had been sleeping since their return to Earth from the Avalon bioroid factory.

"Not to mention Himiko-san and Mikiko-san," Marie parroted. "Well, even if he has many friends, he would lose all access to the Kuromegane, his clan's forces and everything else." She winked. "Not to mention his allowance."

"Oh, poor boy," Ranma mockingly crooned.

Both laughed. "As for Megane and his friends, they were far easier to deal with," Marie continued. "With Mendou dealing with all his family problems, Megane couldn't rely on him for any intelligence support, such as using the Kuromegane to track down Aniue-sama so they could try to gain control of the situation again. Yes, there were small teams dispatched by Mendou to try to locate Aniue-sama, but they never came anywhere close to the Island."

"You mean he never thought of checking out Muchi and Kinshou?"

Marie shook her head. "No, Mendou didn't."

"What an idiot!"

"Agreed."

"Did Megane's crew ever think of that?!"

"Oh, no. They never really got an opportunity," the younger woman stated. "You see, they had to worry about their parents. None of them EVER approved of their interest in Lum-san. Even more, Megane's mother is the spokesperson for the area PTA. When Lum-san was sent home, Ms. Aisuru, on behalf of the PTA, released a statement denouncing Lum-san in some pretty harsh terms. I can tell you now that what she said took even Aniue-sama by surprise; he always believed that everyone in Tomobiki liked Lum-san."

"Ooooh!" Ranma winced, and then she winked at Marie. "I bet things got really cool between Megane and his mom after that happened."

"Probably."

A curious look crossed the marital artist's face. "But what about Muchi and Kinshou, Marie-chan? I mean, they knew everything . . . "

"True, they did." The younger teenager nodded. "And yes, right away, Kinshou made it a point to confront Reigi-san about that. But, when one is backed by a decision from the Court of Special Appeals, one doesn't really have to worry about potential challenges, especially from someone like Kinshou. After all, when Negako-aneuesama approached the Court to have Muchi's and Kinshou's parental rights taken away, she made it a point to demonstrate how greedy Kinshou really was concerning getting control of Grandmother's fortune. You know about the time when Kinshou tried to swindle Mrs. Mendou and Lum-san's mother of their money that one time, don't you?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, Ataru told me. He also told me about the time on the 'Kashin' when Lum's parents promised those two good jobs on Uru if Ataru married Lum. Did Negako tell the court about that?" she then asked.

"Hai, she did . . . " Marie blinked. "How did Aneue-sama know of that? That particular meeting happened outside our solar system . . .!"

Ranma smirked. "Don't question Negako's ways, Marie-chan. I don't!"

Both laughed. "Well, it doesn't matter," Marie noted. "In many ways, you're lucky, Aneue-sama. You at least got to reconcile with many of those who once saw you as a mere commodity. That is something I don't believe will ever happen with Aniue-sama, not for a long time to come."

"Do you think he should try to mend fences with them?"

The younger woman sat back in her chair, sighing. "I really can't say, Aneue-sama. I mean, yes, Aniue-sama did do some awful things to those people when he was living there. In my eyes, he does owe people like Miyake Shinobu, Fujinami Ryuunosuke and Sakurambou Sakura an apology for all the times he tried to force himself on them. But . . . " She paused before shrugging. "Would they accept an apology from him, Aneue-sama? We know Aniue-sama would never do those things again. But would they believe that?"

"Is he afraid they'll want to do something worse?" Ranma wondered. "Like try to drive a wedge between him and you girls?"

Marie blinked before her blue-grey eyes, normally very deep and warm, turned ice-cold. "If those twits believe they can try something like that to us, they can think again." Her voice was tinged with a threatening growl. "When he came to Promised Island, Aniue-sama came looking for a quiet, peaceful place so he could put his life back in order. We acknowledged his desire by welcoming him to the House and revealing our family ties. And given how much he's suffered since he came to the Island, especially when it comes to all those delightful after-effects of his 'relationship' with Lum-san, those fools will not find a sympathetic ear with any of us."

Ranma nodded. "That's good. Then again, with Megane and his crew gone, Mendou on the way to the altar with that Asuka girl and Lum herself changed into Seiko -- not to mention what happened last week at the school -- there's little left in Tomobiki who could really hurt Ataru."

"Save those Niphentaxians who spy for that so-called 'church.'"

"Hai, true." The redhead then stood, walking to the doorway to gaze out a window at the grounds around the old shrine. "Sure ain't true at Fuurinkan, though," she whispered before she sensed Marie's hand squeeze her shoulder.

"How do you think the people there will react, Aneue-sama?"

A grimace crossed Ranma's face. "Hard to predict. I never paid much attention to all the rumours people were passing around about me, much less Akane." She shook her head. "I can bet that Akane's friends, people like Yuka and Sayuri . . .! They'll take it really hard, that's for sure." A pause. "The only real worry in the long term is Kunou."

Marie drew her hand back. "What might he do?"

The older woman shook her head. "Damn hard to predict, Marie-chan." She sneered. "With the way that idiot loves to twist things around so he feels he's on top of things . . . " A shrug rolled her shoulder before she breathed out. "It all depends on Nabiki in the end."

"Could she try to make people see reason?"

"Maybe. When it comes to information control in that place, she's the one who holds the tiller." Ranma then closed her eyes. "I wonder if she'll let information about Ryouga's curse get out into the public."

Marie gave her future sister-in-law a perplexed look. "Aneue-sama, how could you POSSIBLY forgive what that man did to you . . .?!"

Ranma fired an annoyed stare, that causing the younger woman to wilt. Seeing that reaction, the redhead cursed herself before turning to gaze once more out the window. "Marie-chan, please, I CHOOSE to let it go, alright? Yes, what he did with Akane when he was 'P-chan' was wrong. No doubt about that. But . . . " She paused, closing her eyes. "I have as much a responsibility concerning that as Ryouga did . . . "

"Aneue-sama, it was an accident!" Marie crossed her arms. "And if you personally ask me, the real culprit behind what happened to that man is your father. If that monster hadn't dragged you off to China, Hibiki-san wouldn't have got the urge to follow. If he didn't follow you to China, he wouldn't have been cursed, for Heaven's sake!"

Silence fell. Marie took a deep breath, resting her hands on the windowsill. Ranma gazed briefly at the younger woman, and then she turned once more to gaze outside. "Hinako-chan was right, you know."

Marie blinked before a nod tilted her head. "Hai, she was, wasn't she?" She pulled off her glasses, using the fabric of her sweater to clean the lenses. "Look how quick we're all willing to lay blame for this on one person. Rather foolish in the long term, isn't it?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, it is."

* * *

"'Bout damned time you guys got here! 'Specially you, Nene!"

The rose-haired, turquoise-eyed, Ellsian-born coxswain -- the unit master chief petty officer -- of Pathfinder Troop Six smirked as she gave Lufy a hug, and then she did the same to Catty Ray. "You always needed me to help out, especially keeping this one in perfect trim after you decided to let her take her sister's place in your heart," Nene stated, and then she walked over to the sensory station on the _Konggh'cha_'s pilotage, drawing out her portable laptop computer. "So what's the story?" she asked.

"Got some more non-locals in the area," Priss announced as she tapped controls to create a holographic image of thermospheric space over Tokyo for the members of Pathfinder Troop Six. "The RENS _Rose Emperor_ to be exact."

"The _Rose Emperor_?!" a voice spoke up from aft. "Why are they here?"

"Couldn't tell, Sylia." Priss glanced over her shoulder at the Troop's commander, who had moved to take the centre seat in the pilotage. Even though the _Konggh'cha_ was a civilian ship, tradition granted a serving naval unit commander the right to take command over civilian craft in times of trouble. Which this situation certainly seemed to be, given the history between the Daimon'cha of Sagussa and the current Ellsian head-of-state. "All we could tell at this time is that Queen Elle herself's aboard."

Sylia, a very elegant, raven-haired, brown-eyed Seishin-Urusian, blinked as she took in that information, and then she scowled. "She might be here to make a play on Ataru-sama then," she announced. "Now that Lum is dead . . . "

The others automatically tensed on hearing that. While the Daishi'cha as a whole had long ago agreed that it was an intelligent idea to keep their links to Moroboshi Ataru shielded as much as possible from scrutiny inside the Galactic Barrier, they also knew about Queen Elle's more-than-casual interest in their Daimon'cha; Noa had learned everything she could about that incident sometime after it happened. From that, the Daishi'cha learned about Elle's quite interesting habit of freezing her past "lovers," all one hundred thousand of them, in a giant cryogenic storage unit currently located in the Royal Palace in the Kingdom's capital city, Baran. AND, thanks to the Rovers, the Daishi'cha had just learned of an interesting little project being run by Elle's nanny, Babara de Esterchild, which concerned the creation of laboratory-born children, each born from the genes of the Rose Queen and her "cute boys."

"We're going to rescue Ataru-sama if Elle tries to kidnap him, won't we?"

Sylia stared at Sylvie. One of the newer members of the Troop, the lavender-haired, golden-eyed, Yehisrite-born petty officer was the sniper and reconnaissance expert in First Section. A Pirpirsiw'r like Lufy and Priss, Sylvie, in her first life, had been Priss' singing and fighting partner (their cheek tattoos were the same). A terrible accident concerning nanites and the regeneration matrix used to rebirth the Daishi'cha had condemned Sylvie, not to mention many others (including all the other new members of the Troop, ten in total) to a premature burial on her birth world centuries ago. Fortunately for them, the nanite-infested matrix had preserved their bodies and souls long enough for them to be retrieved and revived. That had happened thanks to a very young Moroboshi Ataru when he visited Sagussa over a decade before.

Sylvie, not to mention all the other new members of the Troop, owed their very existences to that simple fact.

"We ARE going to rescue Ataru-sama, aren't we?" Anri, Sylvie's bond-mate and the communications expert in Section One, asked.

"Are we?" Megan, Section Two's sniper, prodded.

Sensing the looks on her subordinates' faces, Sylia then sighed. "Nene, what's the status of the Daimon'cha's children? Were they released from service in the Dominion's Special Forces and transported to Earth?"

Nene tapped out a query on her laptop, which then transmitted a message to the _Kiboo'cha_'s main computer. The response came instantly. "Hai, Sylia, they were let go and brought to Earth . . .! Yesterday morning, in fact!"

Sylia nodded. "I see, then."

"Commander . . . "

Sylia sighed. "Sylvie, I want to see Ataru-sama, too! We all do, even us 'old girls' . . . " She waved a hand to indicate the Troop's other plank owners: Reinoevan (the former first officer and sniper, now the Troop's doctor), Priss (the first coxswain), Nene (the former communications chief), Linna (the former demolitions chief, now chief of Section One) and Asukanoevan (the former transportation chief, now chief of Section Two). "I know you consider it a matter of honour to remain as loyal as possible to him. But if we give in to our passions and blitz in like a pride of hungry sandpanthers chasing down a herd of stormwalkers on the dunes near the Forge, we might do a lot more damage to Ataru-sama and everyone around him than we'd want. You all know how Zed and his friends'll look on that. And I think it wouldn't take us too much to understand how Ataru-sama himself would view something like that!"

Sylvie blinked, and then a contrite look crossed her face. "True."

"Remember what I've always taught you about that, Sylvie," Linna then chided from her position behind Nene's seat.

"H-hai . . . "

"Still, if Ataru-sama is kidnapped, Commander . . . "

Eyes turned to Naomi. Sylia gazed on the raven-haired, green-eyed, Vosian-born physician's assistant, who served in the Troop as Reinoevan's field nurse. Seeing the expectant look on her face, and then noting the pleading looks on all the other newcomers' faces, the Troop commander then sighed. "Alright! All right, then! If Ataru-sama is kidnapped, we'll go and rescue him! But first, let's look to our ship driver's lover."

The remainder of the Troop gazed amusedly at Catty Ray. "Tapping into the _Kiboo'cha_'s sensors to take a scan of the bioroid factory now, Sylia," Nene reported as she tapped away on her laptop. "I'll find us a gestation room that isn't occupied, then make sure we won't be spotted when we go in."

"Work fast, Nene!"

"Aye, ma'am."

"Ah! There you guys are!"

Eyes turned as Ayumu walked in. To Priss and Lufy's relief, the Yizibajohei-born defence officer -- Ayumu was, in fact, the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Republic of Sagussa Navy, the service's senior non-commissioned officer -- had draped herself in a blouse and skirt. "What are you doing here, Master Chief?" Sylia asked, inwardly groaning that THIS idiot was here.

Ayumu impishly shrugged. "Oh, Lufy needed some help when she came to find the bioroid factory, so I volunteered to come with them."

Sylia barely fought down the urge to wince. _Dear Lyna preserve us!_

Murphy, Chaos' ultimate teacher, had decided to tag along on this trip.

Bringing with him a hovercycle's load of explosive for the ride, to boot!

Ayumu perked. "Oh! Tomo and Yomi'll be here to help out later today."

Sylia's eyebrow twitched as the implications of THAT sank in.

Adding an annihilation device to that load, Thoughtmaster-prime Murphy?

* * *

"Chikage-chan! Hina's here!"

"Ah, Hinako-chan, there you are!" Chikage waved the youngest of the sisters into her bedroom. "I've a little surprise for you."

"Eh?! A surprise for Hina?" Hinako walked into the darkened space, and then her eyes fixed on the figure seated in the guest chair across the sorceress' worktable from Chikage herself. "A-a-a-Akane-san . . .?!"

Akane gazed on her. "Ohayou, Hinako-chan."

Silence fell as Hinako stared at the bodiless memory copy of the youngest of the Tendou daughters, and then she gazed on Chikage. "Chikage-chan, Hina d-doesn't understand . . .!" she stammered, shakily pointing at Akane.

_**Actually, Hina, I can explain it.**_

"Bou-san?!"

Hinako fell silent as the Staff whispered an explanation into her mind. At the end, the young girl then waved her hands in exasperation. "_**BOU-SAN NO BAKA!**_" she screamed out. "_**TELL HINA ABOUT THIS NEXT TIME!**_"

If the Staff could sweat-drop, it would. _**Sorry . . . **_

Chikage and Akane jerked at Hinako's ranting, and then they exchanged a look. A smile cracked the latter's face. In a moment, both women were giggling. Hinako gazed quizzically on them, and then she started to laugh herself. Finally, everyone relaxed as Akane waved Hinako to stand beside her. "Well, now that's been cleared up, we have a decision to make," Chikage said before she remembered something, raising a warning finger to emphasise her point. "Pardon me. Rather, Akane has a decision to make."

Hinako gazed on the disembodied spirit beside her. "Akane-san . . .?"

"I . . . " Akane closed her eyes as she considered what to say. She then gazed questioningly on Hinako. "Hinako-chan, would you . . .?" Here, she paused before she looked ashamedly away. "Want me to be real? To . . .?"

Hinako blinked, and then her eyes began to tear. "Akane-san . . . "

Sensing the younger girl's sorrow, Akane winced. "Gomen . . . "

_**She has as much right to self-determination as her template, Hinako,**_ the Staff then warned.

"Agreed," Chikage cut in before Hinako could retort. Rising, the sorceress walked around the table to place a hand on Akane's shoulder. "In fact, one might say that you presently have more greater freedom to choose your destiny than your template ever did."

"Because of everyone's interference in her life." Akane gazed up at her host. Seeing Chikage nod, she breathed out, "True."

"Hina wants Akane-san to be like Akane-san."

Akane gazed on Hinako. "Well, not EXACTLY like her!" She flustered, scratching the back of her head. "I don't think anyone might appreciate the idea of me whipping out ki-mallets to hit people who can't defend themselves, like what the other me nearly did to Marie-san last night."

"Yeah, that was really, really, REALLY dumb!" Hinako ruefully chuckled. "Hina doesn't want to think of what Onii-tama or Negako-oneetama would've done to Akane-san if Marie-chan really, really, really got badly hurt!"

Chikage shook her head as she drew her hand away from Akane. "I can hear the Inquisition Excommunication March right now."

Akane shuddered; while she had no idea what Chikage meant by that, the tone in the sorceress' voice spoke volumes. Taking a deep breath, she gazed at her host. "So what might happen if I do go back as Akane?"

Chikage sat down. "The 'pros' are several. Your identity is already effectively established, with a life history to support it. As I told you already, your template's school records can be switched to the College with ease. In that respect, you ARE Tendou Akane, no different than the original. From there, you can proceed ahead to chart your life's path with little or no hindrance whatsoever." A pause. "The 'cons' will be considerable, however. First point is your template's family and their reaction . . . "

Akane sighed. "They've already been hurt because of this."

Chikage nodded. "Hai, they have. Since they witnessed the parting scene between your template and Hinako-chan here last night when the police came to Ani-kun's home to investigate what happened -- that was facilitated by the Staff, of course -- Kasumi, Nabiki and Shinshi will need very little persuasion to make them understand what exactly you are. And there lies the potential trap. Would they accept you into their family, as Akane, no different from the original? Or would they keep you at arm's length?"

"They seemed pretty hell-bent about it last night," Akane noted before she gazed on the table. "Then again, the other me's behaviour when it came to Ranma and your brother certainly wasn't stellar by far."

"Agreed, it wasn't," Chikage said. "But given the inordinate amount of leniency by which your template's always been treated by family and friends alike, is it really so surprising to you, Akane?"

Akane gazed on the sorceress before she nodded. "Yeah, that's true, isn't it?" She gazed heavenward. "Before she died, Mom was the disciplinarian in the family. She was pretty firm when she had to be, too . . . "

"Did she spank you?" Hinako wondered.

Akane shook her head. "Iie. Mom didn't need to do that in the long run. She was very persuasive when it came to scolding us. I always hated that. But . . . " She closed her eyes. "Mom was kind about it, too. When it was all over, she tried to explain what I did wrong and why it was wrong." A shudder ran through her. "Oh, gods, I miss that so much . . . "

"She was the real backbone of your family," Chikage noted.

Akane nodded. "That she was. Then when she was gone . . . " She gazed on the table. "It's a wonder we survived that at all. Dad just became a crying wreck. Kasumi threw away her whole life to keep the house in shape. Nabiki became the real breadwinner of the family . . . "

"And your template was allowed to do whatever she wanted, without any guidance, either positive or negative, from those who should have helped her through that time," Chikage finished for her. "That is where this began, Akane. Last night, it finally came to a head."

"And that other me ran away from it." Akane sighed, gazing on Hinako. "Even with someone there ready to make a miracle happen."

Hinako sniffed. "Akane-san said she had no friends or family left."

"That she did." Chikage drew out a handkerchief for her sister to use. "And because they know that, I believe the others of your family will work extra hard to welcome you 'back' into the fold, Akane."

Akane nodded. "I hope so. What other problems might come up?"

"My family is the other major problem. Now, as with your family, it will be easy to persuade mine of what you are and how you came to be. However, given your template's behaviour towards Marie and Hinako, many might treat you with indifference if not hostility for a considerable period to come. You'll have to work to earn their respect. For some of them, that will be difficult."

"I can guess that. What about Ranma?"

"Ane-kun? The same thing. But I believe you will slip back into Ane-kun's good side if you acknowledge what exists between her and Ani-kun and vow to leave them be. That, put simply, is what Ane-kun wanted in the end, Akane."

Akane gazed on Chikage. "That's a tall order, Chikage-san. I mean . . . " She stopped, and then she sighed. "Okay, Ranma's a girl. If that's what she wants, I could go along with it. I . . . " Another pause. "I guess that after she found out what that stupid panda did to her before their training trip, actually electing to go against what Genma wanted WAS the perfect revenge to take. And . . . " Another, longer pause. "And if . . . " She shuddered before sniffing back tears. "If she's come to love your brother, then . . . " Her hands squeeze. "I can only wish her -- and him -- the best. But . . . " A hand shifted to hover over her heart. "Why won't she come back to us?"

"What do you mean by 'us?'" Chikage gently probed.

"My family!" Akane blurted out, that causing Hinako to falter. Sensing that, she relaxed. "Chikage-san, she lived with us for over a year. We gave her the first home she had in well over a DECADE! And now she says she doesn't want anything to do with us?! WHY?!"

"But did your family REALLY offer her a home?"

Akane shuddered. "I . . .!"

Chikage sighed. "Hinako-chan, why don't you get Bou-san to create Akane's new body? Have it placed in your room when it's ready."

"I . . . " Hinako blinked, and then she nodded. "Okay!"

She vanished. Akane watched her go, and then she turned to gaze on her host. "Akane, I have something of a confession to make to you." Chikage placed her hands on the table between them. "And in doing so, I hope I can make you better understand Ane-kun's feelings about a lot of things, including her interaction with your family. And mine."

Akane blinked.

* * *

"One-Six to Six-Six. Insertion all green. Proceeding with operation."

"One-Six, Six-Six, confirm."

"Out."

Linna tapped her communicator to cut the link, and then she nodded to the members of her section. The four other members of Section One -- Sylvie, Anri, Reika and Naoko -- spread out to the corners of the empty gestation room deep near the aft end of the Avalon bioroid factory. Anri -- a green-haired, blue-eyed Yehisrite-born girl, looking to be about sixteen, whose first life had ended at the same time as Priss', Sylvie's and Reika's -- pulled out her laptop to hook into the gestation room's control unit. Tapping controls, she linked into the systems monitoring this part of the faculty, and then she got to work. Everyone remained quiet as the young woman tapped away. Finally, she nodded before glancing at Linna. "We're sealed off from monitoring and I've disabled intra-ship beaming to this location. No one can beam themselves into this chamber or into the one through that door." She pointed to the door leading to a neighbouring gestation room; Sylvie was covering it with her rifle.

"Okay," the raven-haired, blue-eyed, Fukunokami-born chief petty officer said as everyone relaxed, and then she tapped her communicator. "One-Six to Six-Six. Situation nominal. Send Six-Five, Six-Nine and Six-Nine-Two over."

"Out," Sylia replied.

A transporter beam flared, revealing Priss, Lufy and Catty Ray. Like the others who had just beamed aboard the bioroid factory, the Troop first officer and her companions were dressed in non-reflective black combat skinsuits, combat webbing strapped around their shoulders and waists. Drawing her sidearm, Priss waved her companions over to the control unit, and then she reached into a pouch to hand a datachip to Anri. "Work fast, Anri," Priss ordered as the younger woman took the chip and inserted it into her laptop.

"Hai!" Anri replied as she tapped controls. The gestation fluids inside one of the vertical chambers before her began to boil. "Alright, it's ready." She gazed on Catty Ray. "Catty, the genetic sample, please?"

The android blinked, and then she reached down to pull her left sleeve back. Tapping a point below her wrist, she waited for a circuit hatch to open. Reaching in, she pulled out a small vial filled with red blood flecked with the golden drops that marked the presence of the regenerative enzymes inside a Sagussan's body. Staring at the sample, Catty Ray closed her eyes as the finality of the moment sank in. The others gazed sympathetically at her. Catty Ray was the first companion android to have been allowed to evolve into full sentience, the first ever to be given full citizenship rights in the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Once that had happened, the path that had ultimately led Lufy's lover to this point had been easy to cross. That she was experiencing cold feet at the threshold of her new life was understandable. Finally, Catty Ray opened her eyes, nodding in determination. "Okay . . . "

She walked to the chamber currently bubbling with enzymes ready to transform the bioroid within into a genetic twin of the android's own template. Taking the vial, she loaded it into the appropriate slot, and then she nodded at Anri. As the latter tapped controls to begin the process, Catty Ray reached up to close the circuit hatch. Lufy and Priss walked up to place hands on the android's shoulders. "You okay, love?" the former whispered before she leaned down to tenderly kiss Catty Ray's cheek. "No regrets?"

Catty Ray gazed up on Lufy. "None . . . "

A soft chime echoed from Linna's communicator. "One-Six, Six-Six."

Linna tapped her communicator for two-way. "Six-Six, One-Six, go."

Sylia's voice had a tremor in it. "Be warned, Linna. There's someone in the chamber next to yours. She scans as Terran. We're also picking up a VERY high pure Te'a energy source reading from there. Watch yourselves, girls."

The members of the Troop exchanged looks. "We'll check it out, Sylia," Priss announced as she tapped her own communicator.

"Be careful, Priss . . .! Oh, damn!"

"What?!" Priss snapped.

A moan escaped the Troop commander. "Ayumu . . .!"

* * *

"Greetings, Earthling."

Hinako gasped in shock as that imposing voice echoed around her. She then turned around to see a girl appearing to be about Rinrin's age standing behind her, dressed in a plain blouse and knee-length skirt. Staring intently into the newcomer's eyes, the youngest of Ataru's sisters was quick to sense something -- well, NOT exactly human! -- about her. The visitor's right arm was raised in a friendly wave, a genuine smile etched on her face.

"A-ri-ri?!" Hinako uttered as she took in the visitor's measure, and then an annoyed scowl crossed her face. "You scared Hina!" she declared. _Bou-san, why didn't you tell Hina this girl was coming?!_ she mentally demanded.

_**I didn't sense her until she appeared!**_ the Staff confessed.

"Bou-san wouldn't be able to detect me anyway," the visitor then said.

Hinako jolted. "Huh?! Why?!"

"Because of my metahuman power." The visitor waved to herself. "I have the ability to alter probability fields on mental command. Since that always affects the Te'a, anything tied to the Te'a will be automatically affected."

Hinako blink-blinked; she had hardly understood any of that. Oh, well. Bou-san could tell her about it later. "Oh . . . "

_**While I do detect Sagussan genetic modifications to her DNA, it appears that our guest is Yizibajohei.**_

Another blink. "'Yi-zi-ba-whoa-hey?!'"

_**Native of the planet Yiziba, Hinako. All inhabitants on that planet possess one form of metahuman power or another.**_

The visitor blinked. "'Hinako?' Is that your name?"

Hinako smiled. "Hai!" She then blinked. "A-ri-ri?! Hina heard from Miree-san that no one was living on Sagussa now!"

The visitor waved her hand in a "that's okay" gesture. "Bou-san probably got taken off Sagussa before the Clone Rights War. That was fourteen thousand years ago. A lot's changed on Sagussa since then." Her smile widened as she leaned closer to Hinako. "So whatcha doing here, Hinako-chan?"

"Oh . . . " Hinako breathed out, and then she perked. "Oh! Hina's gotta get a new body readied for Akane-san!"

With that, she aimed the Staff of Gihan at one of the non-templated bioroids in the room. One intensive blast of energy later, the bioroid began to slowly transform into a perfect replica of Tendou Akane. The visitor gazed on the morphing humanoid before them, an admiring whistle escaping her. "She's pretty! Whatcha making her for, Hinako-chan? You want someone to play with?"

"Um, not r-really!" Hinako replied with an embarrassed chuckle. "The real Akane-san went to the Very, Very Bright Place last night when Akari-san's big piggy stomped on her. Akane-san wanted to be with her mama in the Very, Very Bright Place. Bou-san went and made a double of Akane-san!" She scowled at the Staff. "And Bou-san went and did it without telling Hina about it!"

_**I said I was sorry!**_ the Staff whined.

"Why did a piggy stomp your friend?" the visitor asked. "That was rude!"

Hinako chuckled. "It's a really, really, REALLY long story!" She then perked. "Um, what's your name?" she then asked.

She started. "Oh! I'm sorry!" She then laughed, reaching up to scratch her head. "I'm Ayumu." She waved to herself. "Daishi'cha Seven-oh-one-oh-eight. I'm the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Republic of Sagussa Navy."

Hinako blinked, and then she giggled as Ayumu leaned down, one of her little fingers extended. Hinako linked her own little finger with Ayumu's, and then they "shook" on it. "So what're you doing here, Ayumu-chan?"

"Well, my friends scanned you coming up here. That's why I came to see you," Ayumu explained as she waved to the door leading to the neighbouring room. "We came here to get an Avalonian body for an android who's very close to a friend of mine 'cause she's now fully sentient and deserves to be human!"

Hinako took that in, and then she cheered. "Waaai! That's neat!"

* * *

"Incredible as this sounds, that airhead is doing good!" Priss muttered.

The others were gazing on Hinako and Ayumu through a visual link accessed by Anri. "Priss, isn't that one of the Haijo-ju prototypes from before the Clone Rights War?" Reika, a brown-haired-and-eyed Yehisrite who served as Section One's demolitions expert, asked. "How did a girl from Earth get hold of one of those?! I don't think Horan scattered them in this part of space!"

"Neither did I!" Linna hissed.

"Can you bioscan that girl, Anri?" Lufy asked.

Everyone stared at the _Konggh'cha_'s shipmistress. "Why?" Priss asked.

A confused look was etched on Lufy's face. "Something about her . . . "

"Just a moment, Lufy," Anri said as she tapped controls. Everyone waited for the scan to be completed. Once it was done, Anri then tapped buttons to call up the scan results. "Now what?"

"Compare it to what we've got on Terrans we've made contact with."

"Hai."

Another moment passed as the laptop did its comparison, and then a window opened on the display screen. Staring at the results, Anri's jaw then dropped to the deck in shocked disbelief. "Oh, Lyna have mercy . . .!" she breathed out as she pointed at her screen. "It can't be . . .!"

"What?!" Sylvie demanded before she took her own look, and then her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "That's . . .!"

"She's . . .!" Lufy gasped. "She's Ataru's SISTER?!"

The others exchanged shocked looks.

* * *

"Oh, Ryouga-san, that's horrible!"

A cup of tea was placed before him. "Thanks." He nodded at Kanami, and then took a sip. "Akane-san . . . "

"We deeply grieve for you, Ryouga-san," Kitahara Yukimi said as she squeezed their guest's shoulders. The only ones with Ryouga in the apartment block's kitchen at that time were the five Avalonians who called this place home, plus Yukimi's lover Narumi Miruko. The Izumo sisters had taken Ten and the four bioroid replicas who'd brought the young boy to Earth downtown to have them fully registered with the United Nations. "I pray that wherever in the Te'a she is at this time, Akane-san is at peace."

"She's with her mother at least." Ryouga blinked as a surge of empathic warmth flooded him from Yukimi's fingers. "But still . . . "

Kashima Namie lightly smiled. "It's alright, Ryouga-san."

"No, it's NOT alright . . .!"

"Hey!" Yukimi squeezed his shoulders, and then she sighed. "Yes, Ryouga-san, what you did while you were playing 'P-chan' WAS wrong! No doubt about it. But who was there to tell you what was wrong and what was right?!"

"I . . . "

Kodama Hiro gave his hand a squeeze. "Yukimi-chan's right. And so was Hinako-sama when she stepped up to your defence last night after Akane-san died. We . . . " -- she pointed to herself, and then she indicated her fellow Avalonians -- " . . . know what is normally accepted as 'right' and 'wrong' because we were PROGRAMMED to acknowledge that! Most other people, people like Miruko-chan . . . " -- she waved to the crippled girl -- " . . . well, in a sense, they're programmed, too! If it's not by their parents or guardians, it's by their siblings, peers or teachers." She gazed on Ryouga. "Where were YOUR teachers, Ryouga-san? Where were your siblings, your parents, your peers? In effect, when you get down to it, you had none."

"I knew enough . . . "

Yukimi shook her head. "No, Ryouga-kun. You never were given any sort of proper guidance when it came to controlling your anger. Thanks to that direction curse of yours, you couldn't stay still long enough to have those life lessons others take for granted implanted into you. And without that, all that was needed was a person or object for you to fix your anger onto and _boom!_ You became a runaway bullet train!"

Ryouga slowly exhaled. "Ranma . . . "

Yukimi nodded. "Hai. When you first met Akane-san as 'P-chan,' you soon realized you were caught in a very terrible bind. Here was the first person in so long to treat you with real kindness. Is it any wonder you latched onto that right away?! That's how DESPERATE you were to have someone show you that sort of kindness, Ryouga-san. And then . . . "

"And then, you found out that this wonderful woman you just met was also the fiancée of the man you hated with every fibre of your being," Kanami added. "So, because you had become so desperate to not just hang onto Akane-san but to destroy Ranma-san at the same time . . . "

"Can't forget the doofuses who knew the whole story!" Miruko noted.

Momose Tamako nodded. "Agreed."

Ryouga took a moment to consider that. "Yeah! That's true, isn't it? If Akane-san's father and that panda were so hell-bent on getting Akane-san married to Ranma -- and Kasumi-san was pretty much for it, too! -- why would they let me continue to pretend to be P-chan . . .?"

The others considered that. Miruko blinked. "They were using you?"

Everyone stared at her. "Eh?!"

"Using me?!" Ryouga's jaw dropped before he sat back in his chair. "Damn it all . . . " His hands slowly clenched into quaking fists.

"Why did you conclude that, Miruko-chan?" Kanami asked.

"Well, don't you remember what Ryouga-kun said about all the fights Akane-san and Ranma-san had because of their engagement?"

The others nodded. Tamako perked. "And there were the times Ranma-san called Ryouga-kun 'P-chan' or 'pig boy,' especially if it was in front of Akane-san. Ryouga-kun, were there times Ranma-san stopped you from admitting the truth to Akane-san?" she then asked the wanderer.

"Yeah!" Ryouga nodded, and then he sighed. "I guess Ranma did that 'cause she was afraid Akane-san'd blame it on her . . . " His voice trailed off as he gazed to the ceiling. "Then again, I have to remember that Ranma wasn't operating at her peak during that time."

"Why's that?" Namie asked.

"It's something her dad did before they went off on their big training trip . . . " Ryouga then elaborated further to his hosts.

At the end, everyone was stunned. "What an asshole!" Miruko spat. "Geez! And he had the guts to call himself Ranma's father?!"

Kanami sneered. "If that happened on the Creators' Homeworld, he would've been put to death! What about Ranma-san's mother?"

"She stayed at home the whole time," Ryouga replied with a shrug. "Ranma told me when I saw her on the Island that if Nodoka was going to be obstinate about it, Ranma wouldn't have anything more to do with her."

"In other words, child abandonment," Tamako concluded.

"Someone want to call the Executioners?" Hiro wondered.

"The Inquisition does a better job," Namie said. "Besides, from what I know, Yehisrites don't believe in sparing the cane when they raise children."

Kanami nodded. "Good point."

Laughter filled the kitchen. Even Ryouga found himself grinning at the Avalonians' camaraderie, though he didn't understand some of their references. Yukimi then pulled her hands away from him as she moved to stand beside her lover. "What are you going to do with Akari-san?" she asked Ryouga.

Ryouga blinked before he exhaled, "I dunno." He looked at his teacup.

"Do you think she'll give you another chance?" Tamako asked.

He considered that, and then he shrugged. "I can't say, Tamako-chan. I mean . . .!" He paused before breathing out, "Well, she had a right to get upset over the whole P-chan thing, plus my feelings for Akane-san . . . "

Kanami: "Did she listen to what Hinako-sama said in your defence?"

He considered that for a moment, and then he shook his head. "Iie."

The Avalonians exchanged a look. Hiro then took a deep breath. "Maybe this was the best thing, Ryouga-san."

He jolted, staring in shock at the fudge-haired Avalonian. "Hiro . . . "

"Hiro's right!" Miruko held up a finger as she leaned over the table. "What type of relationship begins when you have to beat your prospective fiancée's fighting pig just to get engaged to her?"

Kanami nodded. "She should've realized once she understood about your curse that you wouldn't be anywhere close to a 'normal' man."

"Then again, girls her age don't feel very confident about themselves and whatever relationships they try to make," Tamako noted.

"True. Besides, this was started because her grandfather insisted she locate a fiancé right away before he passed into the Te'a," Namie added. "Why couldn't Unryuu-san trust in Akari-san to carry on with the farm?"

"With his curse still such a problem, Ryouga-san would be pretty hard-pressed to help out at the farm, too," Yukimi mused.

Ryouga jolted. "Hey! What are you saying, Yukimi-san?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" The apartment manager gazed on him. "Given how fast she was ready to dump you last night PLUS given the circumstances about how you came together, can you REALLY convince yourself that Unryuu Akari loved you?"

Silence fell as he considered that, and then he deflated. "I . . . " He paused, a lump forming in his throat. "I can't say . . . "

"You haven't been given much of a chance to consider it." Kanami leaned her chin on her crossed hands, her elbows on the table. "There's nothing wrong with that, Ryouga-kun. Besides, do your parents know about Akari?"

Ryouga was quick to note the dropping of the honorific when it came to her. "Iie. Last time I was by my house, I was still hopeful of pressing something with Akane-san. Sometime ago. I . . . " He breathed out, "I haven't been back since. It's been so hard . . . "

"It's okay." Yukimi then hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe . . . "

Miruko looked up. "What're you thinking, love?"

"Perhaps what Ryouga-san needs now is a chance to get together with his family," Yukimi stated. "We do have equipment from Phentax Two that might help him better deal with his direction curse. We've no need of it. Once we find a way to help him get around without taking jaunts hither, thither and yon, we can concentrate on helping his family get back together."

"I . . .!" Ryouga jolted. "Um, Yukimi-san, you really don't . . .!"

"Hush!" Yukimi wagged a finger at him. "I won't hear a word out of you about this, Ryouga-san. It's the right thing to do! Especially given how little help you've received to date about this mess you're in!"

"I . . .!" He stared at her, and then gazed on the others in the room. Quickly sensing their desire to help, he then turned back to his now-cold teacup. "I . . .! Um, a-arigatou . . .! I . . . " He blinked, feeling his eyes mist, and then he jolted on seeing a handkerchief hovering before him. Noting that it was Tamako who was handing him the cloth, he gave her a smile, and then moved to wipe his eyes. "A-arigatou . . . "

The others exchanged knowing looks.

* * *

"The Daimon'cha's sister . . .?"

The silence that had followed Lufy's declaration had been deafening. The women of Pathfinder Troop Six who had boarded the bioroid factory stood there and watched Ayumu and Hinako chat away with each other as the latter awaited the completion of Tendou Akane's new body. Finally, Naoko, a chestnut-haired, blue-eyed Terran-born woman with freckles dotting her face -- she was Section One's transportation expert -- said, "Wait!" She pointed to the readout on Anri's laptop. "According to the bioscan, Hinako-sama's Ataru-sama's half-sister. Muchi-sama is their father, yet Hinako-sama and Ataru-sama clearly have different mothers! People on Earth typically believe it's wrong to birth children outside a properly-constituted surei'cha-type relationship."

"'Marriage' as most folks there call it," Sylvie derisively added.

"That is true," Linna mused. "But if what I remember about Noa's brief on Ataru-sama's whole family just after he visited Sagussa for the first time is correct, it turns out that their ancestors were charged a long time ago by the rulers of Nihon to keep their doors opened to abandoned and orphaned children, especially those birthed out of any form of wedlock."

"If I recall that correctly, the laws in Nihon actually allowed people across the spectrum to accept out-of-wedlock children," Lufy added, and then her forehead furrowed. "I wonder if Hinako-sama has already met him."

Priss blinked, and then she grinned. "Let's ask her."

Everyone's jaw dropped. "Huh?!"

The Troop first officer walked over to the door connecting the gestation chamber they were using for Catty Ray and the one Hinako was using for Akane. Opening the door, she slipped her pistol into its holster, and then she stepped through. "Hey, Ayumu!" she called out.

Ayumu turned, smiling as she waved at the Pirpirsiw'r. "Oh, Priss, hi! Did you get the body ready for Catty Ray?"

"Doing it right now," Priss confirmed before she gazed on Hinako.

Hinako was already taking in the older woman's measure, a shocked look of recognition crossing her face. "Asagiri Priss-san . . .?"

"From _Bubblegum Crisis_. The OVA series. I'm not that particular person. I just took her name for myself due to our considerable physical similarity." She pointed to her face, and then she pointed to Ayumu. "Just as Ayumu here took her name from Kasuga Ayumu from _Azumanga Daioh_. I think your brother knows that series, doesn't he?"

Hinako blinked several times as her mind took in that information. She glanced at Ayumu, her mind quickly calling up images she had seen from Ataru's freshly made VCD and DVD collection of anime (gathered together courtesy of Rinrin) concerning a certain lady from Osaka who wound up in a high school in Tokyo alongside a pre-adolescent child genius named Mihama Chiyo.

She then turned back to Priss as the most important fact (to Hinako at least!) in the Pirpirsiw'r's words came back to her. "You know Onii-tama?"

Priss indicated herself, and then waved to Ayumu before she indicated the small crowd at the doorway connecting the two gestation rooms. "Hai, Hinako-sama, we all do," she announced as she stared at Ataru's youngest sister.

Hinako blinked again. "Why is Priss-san calling Hina 'Hinako-sama?!'"

"Why ARE you calling her that, Priss?" Ayumu demanded.

Priss stared at her. "She's the Daimon'cha's sister! That's why?!"

Ayumu jolted in shock. "No way!"

_**I assume that you ladies met Hinako's brother sometime in the past?**_

Everyone gazed at the Staff of Gihan; all of the Sagussans had heard its question in their minds. "We did, when he wasn't much younger than Hinako-sama here," Lufy replied as she stepped into the room to stand beside Priss.

"Don't call Hina that . . .!" Hinako protested before her eyes took in the other woman's features. "Lufy-san?!" she called out on recognizing the incredible similarities between the _Konggh'cha_'s shipmistress and an ace fighter pilot of a long-dead race of all-female warriors known as the Solnoids. Hinako then canted her head as she focused on Lufy's lover. "Catty-san, too?!"

"That's my name," Lufy confirmed with a chuckle as she knelt before Hinako so they could gaze into the other's eyes. "So . . . " She paused for a second before she reached over to gently cradle Hinako's cheek in her palm. "You're Ataru-sama's sister . . . " she breathed out.

Hinako giggled. "Onii-tama'll blush if you call him that, Lufy-san."

"Well, we have to, I'm afraid," Lufy admitted. "Ataru-sam- . . . " She paused before she gave Hinako a smile. "Ataru has been a very big influence on all of us on Sagussa, Hinako-chan." She waved to her countrywomen, all of whom were staring at the blonde Pirpirsiw'r in surprise at her sudden assumption of casual informality concerning the Daimon'cha and his sister.

"Really?!" Hinako then blinked as she remembered something. "Wait! Negako-oneetama told Hina that when Onii-tama was six, he vanished from his house for two whole months! Is that when he met all of you, Lufy-san?"

"That's when we met him!" Lufy waved to herself. "I actually met him a year earlier up in Sendai!"

"Yeah, we kinda knew that one, Luf!" Priss noted with a snort.

Hinako blinked. "Waaaai!" She then scratched the side of her head. "But would Onii-tama remember Lufy-san . . .?"

"Doubtful," Linna replied as the others streamed in to join the crowd around Hinako. "That was a decade ago."

_**You will recall that Ataru did suffer considerable mental damage from the time Negako's essence was forced into his subconscious mind, Hinako,**_ the Staff reminded her, its voice also ringing inside the minds of the Sagussans. _**No doubt, what memories Ataru may have possessed of his encounter with Lufy and her friends would have been wiped from his memory when that happened.**_

The Sagussans jolted. "SAY WHAT?!" Lufy screamed as she glared at the Staff's focusing crystal. "What's this about someone being FORCED into Ataru's mind?!" She then blinked as something Hinako just said came back. "And who in Lyna's name is this Negako, anyway . . .?!"

"Something tells me our esteemed Elder Mother has forgotten to tell us some things about Ataru-sama," Priss noted, one of her eyebrows twitching. She jolted as a _ding!_ rang out from the gestation chamber that had been tasked to create Akane's new body. "Oh!" She pointed. "Looks like that one's done!"

Hinako turned, and then she gushed. "Hai! Bou-san!"

A flare of energy burst from the Staff to encompass the nude bioroid. In the blink of an eye, she was phased out of the chamber and placed on a diagnostic bed located behind the room's control panel. The Staff automatically morphed some of the gestation fluid's molecules around to create clothes for the bioroid: Plain bra, panties, a blouse and slacks, plus socks and shoes. Hinako breathed out on seeing that. "Now Akane-san can have her own body!" she declared as she walked over to touch the bioroid's face.

The Sagussans gathered around the youngest of Ataru's sisters. "Looks a lot like our Akane, eh?" Priss mused, she speaking about a First Fleet officer who had actually been born on Shigaten Benten's home planet of Fukunokami.

Lufy considered that for a moment, and then she stared at Hinako. "Hey, Hinako-chan, is Akane here from Nerima in Tokyo?"

"Hai!" Hinako replied with a nod.

"Then you probably know Saotome Ranma, don't you?"

Hinako brightened even more. "Hai! Onee-tama's Onii-tama's girlfriend!"

Silence.

"SAY WHAT?!" Lufy screamed out.

The other Sagussans all stared knowingly at the blonde pilot. "You mean to say that it was to Ranma's spirit-brother that you bonded Ataru-sama to all those years ago, Luf?!" Priss demanded as she crossed her arms, a delighted smirk crossing her face as THAT little revelation sank in.

Lufy acked as she noticed everyone gazing at her. "Ah, well . . .! Um, gee, Pri . . .!" she stammered in embarrassment.

"You're the one who bonded Onii-tama and Onee-tama . . .?"

Lufy paled as her eyes tilted down to gaze on Hinako. Seeing the wide-eyed look on the younger girl's face, Lufy's heart crashed somewhere deep in her bowels as the full consequences of her actions many years ago came back to her like a tidal wave hitting the beaches of Hawai'i. Dropping to her knees, she moved to prostrate herself before Hinako. "Hinako-sama, please! I'm so sorry about that! I didn't realize what I was doing . . .!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA . . .!"

The women around Lufy tensed as they braced themselves for whatever reaction Ataru's sister might demonstrate after hearing that little revelation. Seeing Lufy get swamped by Hinako's embrace, however, was the LAST thing they expected her to do! "Waaaai! Lufy-san brought Onii-tama and Onee-tama together!" Hinako gushed as she nearly strangled Lufy with her hug.

The _Konggh'cha_'s shipmistress gargled as Hinako's embrace cut off the air to her lungs. Then, as she sensed the tidal wave of delight the younger girl's emotions were forcing on her defences, Lufy found herself giggling.

* * *

"You FORCED Ranma to face that all at once?!"

"There was no choice in the matter, Akane."

Akane and Chikage gazed on each other, the former on her feet, her shock and outrage at the latter's confession shaking her from head to toe. It had been a half-hour since Chikage had begun her explanation. "In the name of the gods, WHY?!" Akane finally hissed out.

"Because two lives hanged in the balance of what could have happened if things didn't go well," Chikage sternly replied, the chill in her voice causing Akane to falter. "You know about the bond binding Ane-kun to Ani-kun. By the time my family met Ane-kun, elements of Ani-kun's personality were coming out. Your template saw one such element come forth on Sunday evening, I believe."

Akane blinked before she paled. "The Cyborg . . .?"

"Exactly. A creature born when Negako-anekun was forced into Ani-kun's mind years ago. Then given life, shape and purpose on Phentax Two when Ani-kun was exposed to the Staff of Gihan and he was forced to watch three billion people die. A creature, I should add, who knew there was someone out there he was bonded in the most intimate way to. A person who, in her own way, had suffered as greatly as he did. One he intrinsically wanted to help, for he knew very well that if she died, so would he."

"Ranma."

"Exactly."

Akane took that in, and then she sighed. "Chikage-san, you and Negako-san could have tried to explain this to all of us, you know."

Chikage's eyebrow arched. "Would any of you've accepted such an explanation? A story that would've rocked all your worldviews right to the very core? Especially in the wake of the events on Mount Phoenix, the wedding attempt and Ane-kun's later training trip with Tampopo-san?"

Akane blinked as she considers that, and then she shook her head. "No," she breathed out. "I would have had LOADS of problems with accepting something like that, especially since it concerned Moroboshi Ataru, too. Genma and Nodoka would have probably disowned Ranma on the spot if Nodoka didn't decide to force the whole seppuku contract on Ranma. And once that happened, Dad wouldn't have wanted to have anything to do with Ranma ever again. It . . . " She closed her eyes. "Gods, it could have been a disaster."

"Agreed." Chikage then relaxed. "I didn't understand all the implications of this myself until much later, but from what I did know at the time, I realized that the sooner Ane-kun was given the chance to establish a new sense of family, the better. That's why, after we learned Tampopo-san had taken Ane-kun under her wing, I persuaded my sisters to start addressing her as 'elder sister.' To do that, I had to tell them what Jusenkyou had done to Ane-kun, plus what was temporarily halting that from happening."

"The Neko-ken."

A nod. "Precisely. Once that started, the next thing was to persuade Ane-kun to leave Nerima for a while. Get as far clear of Genma and Nodoka's potential influence -- and all of yours, admittedly -- so that the necessary changes could be done. Of course, discovering what Genma did to Ane-kun before their training trip helped matters considerably."

"I bet they did." Akane slowly nodded, a sigh escaping her. "I still lo- . . . " Her voice trailed for a moment, and then she closed her eyes. "I care for her, Chikage-san. After all she's done, how can I NOT care for her?"

Chikage shook her head. "I don't blame you for feeling that way, Akane. But right now, what you have to do -- and this applies to Kasumi and Nabiki as well -- is understand that while caring for Ane-kun is one thing, trying to acknowledge her as a part of your family is quite another. You all have to take a detailed look at your behaviour concerning Ane-kun, right from the day she first walked into your home, and try to understand what you did that went against fostering that sense of family with her. I don't mean to say that Ane-kun is innocent in this matter, Akane. She knows she did many things wrong and readily acknowledges that fact."

"True . . . "

A flash of light heralded Hinako's return. "It's all ready!"

Akane acked, and then she gave the youngest of the sisters an annoyed look. "Hinako-chan, will you please ANNOUNCE yourself first?!"

Hinako jerked. Then, on seeing the mirth in Akane's eyes, she giggled, her hand rising to cover her mouth. After glaring at her for a few seconds, Akane's face broke out in a grin. Chikage shook her head.

* * *

"The Daimon'cha . . .? Has a sister?! OTHER than Nokoko-sama?!"

"Not just one, Sylia."

The commander of Troop Six felt a muscle on her forehead twitch as the implications of THIS particular concussion missile hitting her sank in. "Let me see if I get this straight!" she declared, holding out a finger towards Priss. Lufy was with the newly organic Catty Ray in her cabin, the latter undergoing a full examination by Reinoevan and Naomi. The other members of the Troop were aboard the _Kiboo'cha_ -- the warpsloop was locked alongside the _Konggh'cha_ -- putting their weapons and equipment away. Ayumu had gone to her guest cabin to get some sleep; using her metahuman powers so dramatically always wiped her out. "The person who, somehow, gained possession of a Haijo-ju prototype turns out to be Ataru-sama's very own HALF-SISTER of all things! A girl born between Ataru-sama's father and someone who WASN'T Ataru-sama's mother! An act that is clearly frowned upon in many places on Earth . . . "

"And as I just said, Hinako-chan isn't Ataru-sama's only sister," Priss cut in. "According to the Staff, there are eleven others."

Sylia blanched. "Eleven others . . .?"

"Yes. Plus one adopted sister, who actually turns out to be Earth's first publicly-known non-corporeal artificial intelligence."

The Troop commander's jaw dropped in shock. "Really . . . "

Priss nodded. "Sylia, I seriously think we need to talk to Noa about what she HASN'T found out about Ataru-sama."

Sylia considered that before she sank into her chair. "I think so, too."

* * *

"'MARRIED?!'"

"H-hai!" Mendou replied, he facing his former classmates in the middle of morning study hall, the class before lunch. After spending time claiming his belongings from Tomobiki High -- which, given Mendou's propensity for calling the Kuromegane or his clan's armed forces whenever any trouble befell this place, was a lot -- the scion of one of Japan's richest families had come back to say good-bye, plus explain why he had been withdrawn from school. Taking a deep breath as he noted the shocked faces gazing his way, he elaborated, "My parents and Asuka-san's parents decided the time was right for us to fulfill our obligation to our families. The ceremony will be Saturday after lunch."

Silence fell. The boys in Shinobu's class were already elated by the idea of Mendou Shuutarou no longer attending school at Tomobiki High School. Regardless of the pain most of them currently felt because of Lum's "death," the rich snob had been a thorn in ALL their lives. For the open-minded of the lot, already having taken note that there were other beautiful women in the class, having Mendou forever out of their hair was a virtual guarantee of many fun dates in the future. As for most of the girls in the class, however . . .!

"Mendou-san, you can't possibly marry that androphobe!" Marubeya Momoe sobbed as she grasped his hands, clutching them close to her heart. "Please! There's got to be some other way to let this happen!"

"Why not let Ryooko-san marry Tobimaro-san?!" Gekasawa Kumiko added, she grasping one of Mendou's hands before she let it rub against her cheek. "It doesn't have to result in you living a loveless marriage, Mendou-san!"

Mendou flustered as others in the class, those he freely flirted with from the day he first came here, crowded around him. "I . . .!"

"Hey! Hey! HEY! That's enough! Give the guy some space, for crying out loud!" Mie called out as she walked up to pull some of her classmates back. "Geez, he's already got enough problems with this already!"

The force in the new student's voice was enough to make the others back away, though some were quick to give Mie resentful stares for cutting in like she did. Mendou gave her a grateful nod before a curious look crossed his face. "Um, gomen, but I don't believe we've met . . . "

"Seikou Mie, from Yame in Fukuoka-ken, Kyushu." Mie pointed to herself before she gently gripped his hand. "And regardless of the problems you face now, friend, I hope it'll turn out for the best for you."

"I . . . " His cheeks flamed as he bowed, drawing his hand back. "Arigatou, Mie-san. Your kind thoughts are truly appreciated."

"I'll definitely ditto that thought!" Ryuunosuke patted Mendou's shoulder. "'Sides, Asuka-chan's a nice girl! Congratulations!"

"Ryuunosuke-kun!" another of Mendou's fans moaned before covering her eyes with her hands. "How can you say something like that?!"

Mendou sighed as other girls in the class began to cry. This definitely was NOT going to be one of his better days.

* * *

"He's returned?"

"Yes, Captain. By all appearances, he was busy withdrawing all his personal belongings from the school. Agent Rose did confirm that Mendou Shuutarou was no longer considered a member of that particular class."

"I see. So he's visiting his former classmates to say good-bye."

"I believe so."

"Fair enough! Now's the time! Stand by to beam them up!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

" . . . bad enough that they're not allowing you any sort of freedom of choice when it comes to marrying someone, but to force you to marry NOW?!" Momoe protested. "You're only seventeen! You still have to graduate high school and go through university before you'd be truly ready to inherit your family's fortune! Don't either of them understand?!"

Mendou sighed. "Momoe-san, I agree my parents and Asuka-san's parents do have some unique viewpoints, but they ARE doing what they believe is the best!"

"B-but . . .!"

"Momoe-chan, that's enough!" Shinobu cut in as she squeezed her classmate's shoulder. "There's nothing we can do about it now."

"But . . .!" Momoe stuttered.

Everyone then perked on hearing a ringing noise fill the room. "What the heck's that . . .?!" Koi Shinjin asked as he looked around.

"That's a transporter!" Mie warned before she gasped, "Oh . . .!"

Her complaint was cut off as everyone dissolved in a sparkle of pinkish-white energy. Within two seconds, the room was emptied of all students. A second later, another transporter beamed in a sheet of paper, it landing on the teacher's desk. As the effect faded, the door slid open, revealing Sakura. "What the devil's . . .?!" Her voice was instantly cut off on seeing the empty room before her. Standing stark still for a moment as she took in all around her, the nurse then focused on the paper sitting on the desk. Walking up to it, she balked, her eyes going wide on seeing the pink rose insignia embossed on it as letterhead. She held it close to read the message written there:

_To Whomever This May Concern,  
__If you wish to know where Honey's former classmates have gone to, you need not look further than I. If you wish to see them returned to Earth alive and well, tell Honey he is to surrender himself to me as quickly as possible. I'm aware of his recent activities concerning the Noukiites and their just-finished war with the Onis, so warn him not to pull any tricks.  
__His friends' lives presently depend on it.  
__Sincerely,  
__Elle LXIV,  
__Queen of the Rose Kingdom of Elle_

"Elle . . .!" Sakura whispered before she raced out of the room.

* * *

"The prisoners are secured, Captain!"

"Excellent! Inform Agent Rose that Mr. Groom's sisters are to be targeted for transport to us as soon as possible!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

" . . . SHIT!"

Silence fell as the members of Mie's class found themselves standing in a deep, white-walled circular space the size of the Tomobiki school gym. Glancing around their current surroundings, everyone was quick to note one obvious exit from this place. That was at Shinobu's right, four metres above the deck, a small balcony sighted around it. Tomomi asked, "Where are we?!"

"Certainly not in Kansas, Tomomi-chan," Kyooko muttered.

Minako shook her head. "That helps a lot, Kyooko-chan."

"I think I know where we are."

Eyes fell on Shinobu. "Where?!" Ryuunosuke asked.

Shinobu gazed on Mendou. Seeing the recognition on his face, she nodded. "We're aboard Queen Elle's flagship, Ryuu-chan! We met her just before you came to school for the first time."

Everyone exchanged looks. Momoe then blurted out, "Elle?! You mean that alien queen who wanted to marry Ataru-kun a year back?!"

"The very same."

Everyone's eyes spun around and up to gaze on the balcony. Standing there was a lovely red-haired woman dressed in an ankle-length white cape draped over a rose-red bustier-like bodysuit trimmed with stylized rose stems. A headband wrapped around her hair was embossed with a stylized white rose over the right ear. Flanking her on both sides were two female bodyguards, both carrying combat rifles that were aimed in the general direction of the Tomobiki High students. "Elle!" Shinobu gasped.

"Yes." The Rose Queen's eyebrow then cocked as a flash of recognition crossed her face. "Oh, yes! I remember you! You're Honey's former girlfriend! Shinobu, was it? The one he finally renounced for the Devil's Daughter after that silly Tag Race, correct?!"

Shinobu quaked, her fists clenching and unclenching, as the mocking tone in Elle's voice sank in. "Yes! What's the meaning of this?! As far as I recall, when you and Ataru-kun went back in time after Lum broke up your wedding, you learned he NEVER tagged your shadow when you were kids!"

Elle made a dismissive wave. "Yes, that's true, of course . . .! Ah!" Her eyes locked on another familiar face. "My dear Shuutarou, is that you?!" She focused on Mendou. "It's been quite a while. Your place in my Refrigerator of Love is still open, of course."

Mendou gagged, his face turning sheet-white on hearing the word "refrigerator." In a flash, he found himself surrounded by most of the girls in the class. "If you think you'll freeze Mendou-san like you tried to do last time, you're mistaken!" Momoe vowed.

Watching this, Elle politely covered her mouth in a delighted laugh. "Oh, my! Such devotion! I do admire that, really I do!" She then quickly recovered. "Anyhow, that'll have to wait for another time, I'm afraid."

"So why ARE you here?!" Mie demanded, crossing her arms.

Elle's eyebrow arched. "Why, isn't it obvious? I want Honey!"

Everyone blinked.

* * *

"What's the matter?"

The technician looked up from her station. "I'm sorry, Captain, but for some reason, we can detect only ten of Mr. Groom's half-sisters." She pointed to her readout. "They're presently all here, in the Nerima ward of Tokyo. Agent Rose is still trying to locate the last two."

"Who're missing?" the captain demanded.

The technician called up the applicable files. "These two."

The captain looked. "Hirosaki Chikage and Saeru Hinako," she read the names. "Keep scanning," she ordered as she turned back to her chair. "I'm not sure what the Queen will think if we don't find all of Mr. Groom's sisters by the time she wants them to join us. Be quick about it!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

"Hey, if you want the guy, take him for . . .!"

Shinjin screamed as Tomomi's fist smashed his jaw, sending him across the room. "Shut up, jerk!" she snapped, her actions making everyone save her sister Avalonians and Mie wince. "Who asked for your dumbass opinions?!"

"What's this?!" Elle wondered from above. "Don't tell me Honey's finally obtained some real fans among his former peers!"

Tomomi jolted, inwardly cursing herself for lashing out like that. If that warped bitch above accidentally learned of her ancestry, who knew WHAT might happen next. "Well, what do you expect me to do?!" she asked, shrugging as she locked eyes with the Rose Queen. "Allow these mindless dolts to _lie_ to you like that, even if it's to save their skins?! Get real!"

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the auburn-haired Avalonian. "Lie to me?" Elle blinked. "Whatever are you talking about?!"

"About Ataru-kun." Tomomi crossed her arms. "I bet that none of your people were in Tomobiki last week when some Islamic whackos decided to blow up the school. Ataru-kun came by to help out with the rescue, but afterward, he pretty well told the whole damned world how much he HATED everyone in Tomobiki! ESPECIALLY everyone at Tomobiki High School!"

People blinked. Momoe then grinned as she guessed what Tomomi was trying to do. "That's right! Man, you should've heard him that day! I've never heard so many swear words in all my life from that guy than what I heard that day! I mean . . . " She shrugged. "He even insulted all the GIRLS at school, too! Can you believe something like that?!"

Others quickly nodded. They then jolted on hearing amused laughter escape the Rose Queen. "Oh, Fates! That is simply hilarious!" She nearly doubled over, but was quickly able to restrain herself. Queens didn't DO such undisciplined things in public! "Well, well . . . " She fixed her "guests" with a knowing look. "Despite your exaggeration, I do sense that you are speaking the truth about Honey's feelings for you."

"Then you realize taking us prisoner won't work!" Shinobu stated.

"On the contrary!" Elle held up a finger. "Be assured, you ARE of assistance to me when it comes to bringing Honey back to where he belongs at my side. I'm sure your parents back on Earth will no doubt move to persuade Honey to come to your rescue. And before you ask, I do happen to know of his recent activities concerning the Noukiites and how they so easily DESTROYED the Onis over the last few weeks! I am prepared to deal with that!"

Shinobu paled. Given the boys' reaction the previous day to the news that no Urusian would ever be allowed on Earth for the next century, learning that Ataru had fought WITH the Noukiites against Lum's people -- regardless of the fact that Ataru had done it for the understandable reason of avenging his grandmother's murder! -- would be a red flag to Shinjin and the others.

"What are you talking about?!" another boy demanded.

"I can explain easily enough," Elle purred.

* * *

"Oh, it's so good to go for a walk these days, eh, Michael?"

Michael barked as he followed Marie down the street in the general direction of Fuurinkan High School. It was closing in on the end of lunch period. Breakfast had finally been served when Shampoo and Kuonji Ukyou came by with large boxes of food for the extended Moroboshi family. Ranma's former fiancées were with her in Hikarigaoka Park, giving Aneue-sama the necessary emotional support as she came to grips with Tendou Akane's death. Ataru had gone to the Tendou home to speak with Kasumi, moving to avert a potential explosion should the Tendou matriarch try to speak to her late sister's former betrothed before Ranma had any chance to come to grips with her own feelings. Yotsuba was currently with Shinshi. Chikage and Hinako had gone somewhere, though no one knew exactly where. The others were back at the shrine . . .

"Eh?"

Marie paused on seeing a crowd heading her way. Noting the white blouse and blue skirt uniforms worn by the girls of Fuurinkan High, Marie then exchanged a look with Michael. "Are they letting school out early, Michael?"

The retriever whined before he trotted on ahead. Marie stayed with him as they made their way toward Fuurinkan High. They soon arrived at the front gate to see a small crowd there, their attention fixed at something on the front lawn. "Excuse me, please!" She tapped the shoulder of one boy. "Is there something going on today?" she asked.

Hiroshi blinked on seeing the slender girl with the very pretty smile and the big golden retriever beside her, and then he sighed. Marie was quick to notice the pain in his eyes. "We just found out that a classmate of ours was killed last night. Her sister told the whole school at a special assembly an hour ago. She got pretty detailed when it came to explaining why it happened."

"Tendou Akane?" Marie asked.

Hiroshi perked. "Oh, you know her, don't you?"

A pause. "I've heard of her . . . "

"ARE YOU FUCKIN' SATISFIED NOW, SEMPAI?!"

The _crack!_ of lacquered hardwood hitting someone's body caused the viewers to wince. "Shit, it's started!" Daisuke, he standing beside Hiroshi, declared as he pointed toward the front doors. "Man, those guys are brave!"

"Or stupid!" Hiroshi grunted.

Marie strained herself to look. "I don't understand . . . "

"HOW DARE YOU RAISE YOUR WEAPON AGAINST YOUR . . .?!"

Several more powerful blows echoed through the early afternoon air, cutting off that pompous voice. Hearing that, Marie shuddered as she remembered Ranma's harsh words about a certain kendou team captain who had been one of the more annoying problems in her life. "Excuse me, please . . . " Marie called out, moving to wind her way through the crowd. People shifted clear as Marie and Michael stepped past. Then, as soon as they were in the clear, both shifted to a place where they wouldn't obstruct anyone's view. Once there, they turned to look. One glance was enough. "Oh, my!"

On his knees at the usual place where he had confronted Ranma and Akane in the past, a bruised and bleeding Kunou Tatewaki found himself surrounded by many members of the Horde o'Hentai. The looks on the other students' faces all hovered in the "flat-out murderous" range. Leading the confrontation, much to everyone's surprise, were the members of the school kendou club. "Stow it, asshole!" Takuichi Daikun snarled. "You ain't got any right to say ANYTHING now after what you did to hurt Akane-san!"

Kunou shuddered as he slowly staggered to his feet. "I . . .!" he sputtered bloodily. "Will not tolerate this . . .!"

"Takuichi-san, would you mind?!" a sumotori behind Daikun asked.

Daikun stepped aside. "Be our guest, Hitomaro-san!"

"Arigatou!" Hitomaro Ichinou dropped to the "ready" position. "Go!"

Marie gasped as six VERY large fellows in mawashi raced together at one point, it being Kunou! She looked away as a loud _CRUNCH!_ echoed through the air. "Hey, save some of that creep for us, you guys!" a member of the school soccer team snapped, he bouncing a ball off his feet, as the amateur rikishi backed off, allowing Kunou to collapse like a pole-axed tree to the front walkway. "We've all got something ta say to that jerk, too!"

"Relax, gentlemen! Relax!" a familiar female voice called out by the front doors. "You'll all get your turns soon enough!"

Marie saw Nabiki standing there, several other girls standing to both sides of the senior. The bespectacled teen moved to walk around the battle zone as members of the judou club came up to take their turn with Kunou. Marie winced as hoarse cheers echoed through the crowd. She purposefully did NOT look in the direction of the hapless kendou team captain. By the time the judou club turned things over to the Zen archery team, Marie and Michael were on the steps leading to the front doors. "Nabiki-san!"

Nabiki looked, her eyes widening in surprise. "Marie-chan, what the hell are YOU doing here, for heaven's sake?!"

The eyes of those around Nabiki widened. "I was going out for a walk around Nerima when I noticed some of your schoolmates moving to take the rest of the day off." Marie crossed her arms as she nodded towards Kunou. "And what, may I ask, is THIS all about?!" she then demanded.

"The Boss told all of us everything about what led to Akane-chan's death," one of the girls beside Nabiki explained, and then she took a breath before lightly bowing to the visitor from Promised Island. "Marie-san, what happened last night wasn't your fault. You acted properly in defending Ataru-kun and Ranma-chan from what you saw as a grave insult to them. But . . . "

She gazed on the crowd. "There're those who'd like to have a word with you about that," another added. "Not kind words . . . "

Michael growled as he stepped closer to Marie. "I think if they want to chat with Marie-chan, they'll have Michael-kun to worry about," Nabiki noted as she gazed on the one-sided fight deluging Kunou. "By the way, Marie-chan, can you ask Hinako-chan to come here?"

"Um . . . " Marie blinked. "Certainly. But I hope . . . "

A flare of light blinded everyone before Hinako's voice called out, "Hai, Hina's here! What's the problem, Nabiki-san?!"

Silence fell over the crowd as eyes locked on the youngest of Ataru's sisters. Nabiki stepped away from her friends as she turned Hinako around to face the Horde o'Hentai. By that time, Kunou's hakama had been nicely shredded by the arrows from the school's archery team. "Ladies and gentlemen of Fuurinkan High!" Nabiki bellowed through a megaphone. "I have the pleasure to present to you the youngest of Moroboshi Ataru's beloved and wonderful sisters from Oomure-jima, the one and only Saeru Hinako!"

Gasps filled the crowd as people looked her way. Daikun then slipped away from the crowd. Marching to Hinako, he stopped before her, and then prostrated. "Hinako-sama, on behalf of the members of the Fuurinkan High kendou club, I thank you from the bottom of my heart . . .!"

"_**STOP RIGHT THIS INSTANT!**_"

Everyone jolted as Marie marched up to stand protectively beside her sister. "_**WHAT IN THE NAME OF HEAVEN ARE YOU SICK ANIMALS DOING?!**_" she shrilled, the rage in her voice causing the Horde to nearly scramble away in terror. "Hinako-chan's suffered ENOUGH because of what happened to Akane-san last night!" She pointed accusingly at them. "She doesn't need to put up to your perverted demonstrations . . .!"

"No!" Daikun cut her off with a raised hand. "Please, miss -- you're Marie-san, aren't you?! -- you don't understand . . .!"

"You really all did care for Akane-san, didn't you?"

Eyes locked on Hinako. "Hinako-chan . . .!" Nabiki gasped.

Daikun stared at her. "Hai, Hinako-sama, we did! Our . . . " -- a distasteful look then crossed his face -- " . . . shameful actions when it came to Akane-san were truly unbecoming of us all! Believe me when I say this, Marie-san, but NONE of us wanted this whole mess to go THIS far!" Taking a deep breath, he prostrated himself before Hinako. Behind him, the other members of the Horde did the same. "Hinako-sama, all of us thank you so much for trying to help Akane-san in her time of need! And we all beg your forgiveness for our part in what made Akane-san flee this life for the next, forcing you to face such an awful tragedy at your young age!"

"PLEASE FORGIVE US, HINAKO-SAMA!" the others of the Horde chanted.

Hinako blinked, and then she tilted her head as the Staff whispered something into her mind. She then took a deep breath, tears glistening in her eyes. "Hina . . . " She sniffed before a first year student handed her a handkerchief. Wiping her eyes, she tried to smile. "Hina can accept that! And . . . " She paused before pointing to Kunou. "Hina hopes you guys never, never, NEVER listen to that baka-baka creep Kunou ever, ever again! Onee-tama told Hina and Hina's sisters everything about what that creep's done!"

"That, wahine, you can count on!"

Heads spun around as gasps filled the crowd. "Kunou-koochou!" Nabiki called out as Principal Kunou stepped up to the crowd.

Instead of the toothy, crazed smile that normally adorned the man's face, there was a very determined look, one similar to what Kunou Pauline had on his face Monday morning when he allowed Ranma to withdraw from Fuurinkan High. "Relax, keiki! The Big Kahuna's got some things ta tell ya!" He then turned to Hinako. Reaching up to his head, he pulled off the small bonsai tree perched there to hand it to her. "Here ya go! You give that to your sister there, the one who likes growin' plants and all that."

"Eh?!" Hinako stared at the small tree, and then she realized whom the Principal was speaking of. "Oh, you mean Kaho-chan! Sure!"

"Koochou-san . . . " one of the girls beside Nabiki whispered.

The Principal then faced the others on the lawn. "Okay, keiki! Listen up!" he called out through his own bullhorn. "The Big Kahuna's got an announcement for you all!" A pause. "After hearin' about what happened to that poor wahine Akane, the Big Kahuna realizes that he's got some serious thinkin' ta do about running this school for you keiki and wahine! 'Cause of that, the Big Kahuna's gonna go back to Hawai'i for a while ta do his thinkin'! While the Big Kahuna's gone, his number one brother Nanba's gonna be the Big Kahuna!" He pointed to the school's assistant principal, Nanba Shigeru, who was standing with several other teachers by the front doors. "Youse all listen to him, ya hear?! 'Cause if the Big Kahuna hears his number one brother didn't get the respect he deserves from you keiki and wahine, the Big Kahuna's gonna be givin' youse all his real SPECIAL haircuts when he comes back from Hawai'i!"

A tidal wave then appeared out of nowhere, a surfboard riding the crest. The Principal nimbly hopped on that, and then he raced off for the Kunou estate. Silence fell over them, and then Hinako stared at Marie. "Ne, Marie-chan! Where'd all the water come from?!" she asked.

Marie helplessly shrugged, shaking her head. "Well, I'll be a . . . " Nabiki chuckled from behind them, scratching her hair.

"Never thought he'd do THAT, eh, Nabiki-chan?" Fujii Chieko noted.

"Got that right!"

"Alright! Alright, then!" The new acting principal of Fuurinkan High clapped his hands as he walked through the crowd to stand beside Nabiki. "Now that particular matter's been resolved, I think we can bring an end to this demonstration." He indicated the still-dazed Kunou with a finger. "And to ensure that none of this sort of unnecessary nonsense happens again, I believe that permanently removing Kunou-kun from his position as captain of the kendou team seems prudent. Wouldn't you agree with me, Takuichi-kun?"

Daikun looked up. Realizing what Mr. Nanba was saying, he readily nodded. "Hai, Nanba-koochou! We would ALL agree with that!"

"Very well, then! And, to be fair to all of you, I will leave it unto all of you to decide who your new team captain will be."

Daikun bowed. "Hai, Koochou-san!"

"WHAT?! I FORBID THIS!"

Eyes spun around to see a VERY angry Kunou Tatewaki on his feet, a blazing battle aura around him as he glared on the men he once viewed as his closest allies. "You are no longer in a position to forbid anything, Kunou-kun!" Mr. Nanba sternly glared at the former team captain, crossing his arms. "Your blatant refusal to face reality has cost this school and those who give it life and purpose dearly! And I, for one, refuse to allow this insanity to continue! You no longer have your father and his influence on us to duck behind, Kunou-kun! So if you wish to continue to act like a mindless fool, I think EXPULSION might make you see the error of your ways!"

Kunou jolted, sneering. "You may try."

* * *

"Rose, this is the captain. What's your status?"

"I'm sorry, Captain. I still haven't found Hirosaki or Saeru."

"Never mind," the Rose Queen's voice cut in. "Ten of Honey's sisters are more than enough. Stand by to retrieve them!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

"Ya, Tatewaki."

Kunou screamed out, spinning around to see a dark, cloaked figure standing behind him. "Ah, Chikage-chan!" Hinako cheered.

Allowing the hood to fall away, the sorceress glared at the defrocked kendou team leader. "I trust I've come in time," she declared with an amused chuckle. "Nanba-koochou, if I'm not mistaken, this fellow here refuses to relinquish his place among his team-mates and accept responsibility for his part in what led to Tendou Akane's premature demise last night. Am I correct?"

Mr. Nanba shakily nodded, stunned by Chikage's startling appearance. "Um . . .! Y-yes, you are c-correct, um . . .! M-m-miss . . . "

Chikage slipped off her cape. "Will one of you please loan me a jou?"

She gazed on a group of aikidou-ka. "H-hai!" one said as he came up, he holding out his personal weapon for the sorceress to use.

"Arigatou." Chikage took it in hand before she turned to face Kunou. "Now, Tatewaki, I've an announcement for your ears only. It comes from none other than your 'pig-tailed goddess,' Saotome Ranma."

Kunou perked. "The pig-tailed one?! What does she say?!"

The sorceress' smile turned icy. "She states that she intends to marry my elder brother Moroboshi Ataru in the very near future. And that you are in no position to object either which way about it. Understood?"

Silence.

"_**WHAT?!**_" Kunou screamed out. "_**MY BELOVED FIRE-HAIRED GODDESS MARRY **_**THAT **_**HONOURLESS, PERVERTED SWINE?! NEVER . . .! AWK!**_"

The "awk" came thanks to Chikage's jou, which snared him by the ankle and sent him falling face-first into the dirt. "You were saying?" the young sorceress amusedly noted as she assumed a ready stance.

* * *

"Transporters locked on all ten of the targets," Rose reported over the communications links. "One's in a house in the north-western part of Nerima. Eight are at what appears to be a shrine in the central part. The last one's at a high school, but she's close to many other people."

"Are the others easy to obtain?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Alright, we'll do them first. Commence!"

"Yes, ma'am! Energizing!"

* * *

"Ranma-chan isn't the only one who feels that way, Ataru-kun . . . "

Kasumi's voice then faded as her inner wa, a feeling which has been locked for years with the harmony of the Tendou home, flashed a warning. Ataru, in the midst of sipping his tea, gazed quizzically at his host. "Is there a problem, Kasumi-san . . .?!" His voice was cut off as a faint ringing noise echoed from the main bedroom. "What the hell . . .?!"

He turned to look just as Shinshi stepped in from the doojou. "That sounds like it came from my room," he declared. "Yo-chan?!"

Ataru's eyes narrowed as he reached out with his ki senses to see what, if anything, was going on with his sister.

**_To be continued . . ._**


	17. 7th Part B: Empty Dreams

"Whattaya mean they're not gonna let us go to Earth?!"

Benten shuddered, her fists clenching as she glared at Nassur. Standing beside the Fukunokami teen, Oyuki maintained her usual calm demeanour. One look into her eyes, however, told the expat Vosian bounty hunter that the Neptunian crown princess was as upset as her friend about this turn of affairs. They were standing in a hangar at Onishuto Revolution Spaceport; some distance from what was left of Uru's capital city. Nassur's ship, ISS _Renegade_, occupied this particular space. Even several weeks after a makeshift antimatter bomb wiped out most of Onishuto, killing more than five million of its residents, the skies over this part of Uru were a slate grey. People working outdoors within fifty kilometres of Ground Zero for protracted periods of time, to protect themselves from fallout, wore respirators and hazard suits.

"That's right," Nassur confirmed, nodding. "As far as the Noukiites are concerned, there's no reason for any of us to visit Earth."

Benten crossed her arms. "Oh?! What about what Lupica wanted?"

"The Noukiite government has promised a full and detailed explanation about all military and paramilitary missions run against elements of the Urusian government to the Federation and other interested parties." Nassur then held up a cautioning hand. "And yes, that'll include everything Moroboshi Ataru might've been directly involved with."

"Dammit, Nassur . . .!"

A touch of ice entered the Vosian's voice. "Benten."

Benten winced, though the flash in her eyes told Nassur that explanation had not gone far enough. Taking a deep breath, he waved the two women towards _Renegade_'s gangplank. "I know you want to go to Earth and see how Lum-chan and Ran are doing," he said, lowering his voice in case any of the Noukiites serving as maintenance or security overheard them. "There's nothing wrong with that. But don't forget, as far as the Noukiite authorities are concerned, Lum-chan is dead. Do you want me to try to explain to the Noukiites this 'crossing over' thing Lum-chan and Ran underwent as soon as they arrived in Tomobiki?"

"Hell, no!" Benten snapped before she took a deep breath to relax herself. "Look, Nassur. I personally don't give a fuck about Moroboshi. Never have, to be honest with you. If he helped these guys trace down the people who murdered his grandmother, it sure don't bother me! But given how much Lum still likes the damned jerk, what the hell's gonna stop some Ip'ihu asshole from finally puttin' two and two together and make them decide to go after her?! After all she's lost, Nassur, she don't deserve that at all!"

Nassur gazed on her, nodding. "Agreed, she doesn't."

"If only Father hadn't promised the Zephyrites that I wouldn't use the Warp Chamber to travel to Earth again," Oyuki lamented.

"Well, you have to admit, telling Lum-chan's friends about her 'death' ended up doing more harm than good, Oyuki-sama," Nassur warned.

Oyuki winced. In conversing with the women calling themselves Izumo Seiko and Izumo Sakiko sometime ago, Oyuki and Benten had learned of the terrorist attack on Tomobiki High School a week before. An attack that, while launched in answer to the "space-taxi/world oil theft" incident just after the first Tag Race, had been directly prompted by the news Oyuki had brought to Earth concerning Lum's fate. "Yes, that is true . . . "

"Nassur-chan?!"

He looked towards the doors of the hangar. The Vosian's blue eyes glowed as his brainwave-tracking powers automatically locked in on the newcomer. His bearded face broke out into a grin. "Dake-chan, what in Lecasur's name are YOU doing here?!" he demanded as the newcomer slipped off her breathing mask, her hand moving to unzip her hazard suit to reveal a Fukunokami battle bikini.

Benten and Oyuki were stunned on recognizing the elfin-eared, red-fur tailed bounty hunter, a woman whose origins had been lost in time for five million years. "Dakejinzou!"/"Shogai-sama!" they blurted in sync.

"Oh, no need to be formal!" Shogai Dakejinzou said as she slipped off her hazard suit, nodding thanks as a technician came up to take it away before she faced her old partner and his current companions. "Anyhow, it's come to my attention that you three want to visit Earth."

"How'd you find out?" Nassur wondered.

"The Inquisition. When you spoke to the military governor yesterday about going to Earth to look in on what's going on there, one of the liaisons from the Holy Inquisition overheard it. He relayed that information to Inquisitor-Bishop Owleye on Jiyuu. Considering some of the more . . . " -- her cat-slit blue eyes twinkled amusedly -- "_Unusual_ circumstances surrounding this whole matter, Firesky decided that this will, for once, be permitted."

"We can go?!" Benten gasped.

"Yes. As long as you come with me on my ship."

"Why?" Oyuki wondered. Then, as Dakejinzou gazed on her, the princess added, "Well, not that we're not grateful, of course, but . . . "

Dakejinzou held up a hand to stop her. "Princess Oyuki, I should warn you that the Inquisition is aware of what happened to your friends now on Earth," she said, lowering her voice. "They haven't chosen to pass it on to the Noukiites. Nor will they do so. And if you want to know why, you can thank Ataru for that if or when you see him sometime soon."

Nassur blinked. "He asked them to keep silent about it?"

"Yes, he did," Dakejinzou replied with a nod. "And while there's already enough problems when it comes to a 'first contact' with a race like these Nendo-kata, I got the clear hint from Firesky that there's something else involved in this. Something even HE doesn't know about."

Dakejinzou winked at Nassur. The Vosian nodded. Firesky Owleye, the senior Inquisitor in Jiyuu's sector, was one of the most famous lawmen in the local cluster. A man who had hunted all sorts of malcontents for almost two centuries, rumour had it that soon, he would be elevated to Inquisitor-Archbishop and assigned the Inquisition's top job, Supreme Defender of the Six Churches. Only one other law-enforcement officer in the local cluster was spoken of with the same respect the Zephyrite had gained from fans and detractors alike: Nassur's and Dakejinzou's own teacher, Grand Duke Varanko of Kyotos, Lord High Executioner of the Royal Kingdoms of Yehisril.

"Could it be perceived as a danger?" Nassur asked.

A shrug twitched her shoulders. "Hard to tell. But I believe this is considered a very important secret deep within the Moroboshi family. If it is and if it's seen as non-threatening, that's that."

"Oh, wonderful!" Benten spat out as she threw up her hands in frustration. "In other words, what you're tellin' us is that Lum's and Ran's lives now ride on Moroboshi's good fuckin' will! Is that it?!"

Dakejinzou's tail swished snappily to and fro. Nassur's eyes rolled. He knew that anyone who elicited THAT reaction from the older bounty hunter found themselves treading on VERY thin ice. "Benten." Dakejinzou's voice lost its emotion as she fixed the younger girl with a glare. "I should advise you to scuttle that attitude of yours right away. Ditto with you, Princess!" She swung on Oyuki, causing the Neptunian to wilt. "Before you two get any bright ideas, I should warn you this: Some time ago, I agreed to go on retainer for Brother Darklight Sunfire. He was Lady Nagaiwakai's chief advisor. The job is simple: I am to help ensure, when I'm needed, that Moroboshi Ataru AND members of his family are kept free of harm, both PHYSICAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL harm!" She held up a warning finger. "In other words, if either of you two pull any stupid stunts on Ataru or on any of his sisters, you answer to _me_."

Benten and Oyuki paled as they both ducked Dakejinzou's look. "I see." Nassur then gazed on the younger women. "By the way, girls, if you think I'm going to help you out in that case, you're both mistaken."

Lum's friends moaned. Everyone then jolted as a communications buzzer sounded off. Dakejinzou tapped her earring. "Yes, Ship?"

"_Message from Ipraedos Listening Post Seven_," the main computer of the hunter's ship, ISS _Goddess of Luck_, replied. "_They detected the Ellsian patrol monitor RENS_ Rose Emperor _having passed their area of operations twelve hours ago. En route to the Earth-Neptune system_."

Everyone perked. "Elle?!"

* * *

_**Lonely Souls  
**_By Fred Herriot  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

* * *

**THE SEVENTH PART, "B" SIDE - EMPTY DREAMS **

"THIS is your champion kendou-ka?!"

Chikage shook her head as Kunou slowly staggered back to his feet. Nearby, Marie exchanged a look with Nabiki. "Nabiki-san, has Kunou-san there EVER faced a serious challenger?" the former asked.

Nabiki snorted. "No, he faced Ranma-chan all the time, but he denied it to himself every time she plastered him all over the place."

"You . . . "

Kunou recovered his footing, turning to gaze dizzily on the young sorceress. As Chikage's cool yet sensuous looks began to register in the kendou-ka's mind, a familiar surge of desire foamed from his heart. "Truly impressive for one as lovely as you, my violet-haired goddess of night!" he declared. "Yes! Very impressive indeed . . .!"

"Oh, shit! Here he goes again!" Fujii Chieko groaned.

"Chieko, there ARE children present!" Nabiki scolded her friend.

Chieko acked as she glanced at Hinako. The youngest of the sisters stared at the older girls with a giggle. "It's alright!" she assured everyone as her hand rose to her mouth. "Jii-san and Mamoru-chan swear even worse!"

Marie snickered. " . . . before I soundly deal with the traitors and backstabbers who've no doubt fallen under the spell of that wretch Saotome Ranma and your own perverted brother . . .!" Kunou growled before a stricken look crossed his face. "Oh, the SHAME you must feel, Violet One!" he wailed. "To be related by BLOOD to such a scoundrel as . . .!"

_CRACK!_

Kunou gasped as the end of Chikage's jou slammed into his breastbone, sending him faltering back two metres. "First of all, _Sempai_, my name is not 'violet one.'" The sorceress swung into a new ready stance. "And secondly, I happen to be very content with my relationship with Ani-kun. After all, compared to a fool like YOU . . .!" -- in the flash of an eye, she was standing nose-to-nose with the kendou-ka, her dark-eyed gaze boring into him like twin amethyst drills -- "Ani-kun is TEN TIMES the man!"

Kunou jumped back. "WHAT?! You DARE proclaim such a lie?! No doubt, that black scoundrel has enchanted you to . . .!"

_Tap!_ Shiatsu strike to the throat to freeze his voice box. "You were about to say I've been enchanted by Ani-kun into saying such 'lies,'" Chikage mused as she stepped back from the kendou-ka, allowing the jou to rest in her hands. "Spare me. No, please! In fact, spare us ALL your verbal diarrhoea, Tatewaki. You wouldn't know real magic if it stripped you nude, deposited you in an amphitheatre in the middle of typhoon season and made you dance the Macarena in front of a crowd of sex-starved nymphomaniacs!"

Gales of laughter welled up from the crowd as many of their minds quickly conceived of what Chikage's unique allegory would look like. Hearing that, Kunou shuddered as the sorceress turned her back to him. "Though truthfully, it shouldn't really surprise me that you've continued to live under the delusion that the male and female Saotome Ranma are two separate people. You've had that curse demonstrated to you HOW many times to date? Five? Ten? Twenty? Tell me something, Tatewaki: Do you actually become AROUSED every time you see such a handsome specimen of adolescent manliness as Ranma-kun transformed into a bubbling vision of adolescent womanhood as Ranma-chan?"

The laughter picked up, which made Kunou quake as Chikage continued her tirade, "Tatewaki, please!" She shook her head, a _tsk-tsk_ clicking her voice in the background. "If you ARE bisexual, why, there's no need at all to feel ASHAMED about it!" Hearing that, several viewing this gripped their stomachs as delirious guffaws shook them from head to toe. "Being such doesn't make you the victim of some moral 'poison' as some of the more narrow-minded among us would fervently claim at the drop of the proverbial hat."

A voiceless roar escaped Kunou as he lunged on her, his bokken zinging for her forehead. People screamed as the sorceress seemed to freeze in place. She disappeared into a faint blur as the jou knocked the kendou-ka's weapon out of his hand. The wooden sword flipped through the air in Marie's direction.

"We got the ones at the shrine, Rose!"

"Okay, ma'am! Locking in on the one at the school now!!"

Seeing the big stick fly through the air, Michael barked as he lunged for it. "Ah, Michael!" Marie cried.

She moved to restrain her pet. Hinako swung to follow. "Marie-chan!"

People watched as Michael leapt into the air, snaring the bokken. A whoop echoed through the crowd as the retriever made a perfect landing. Marie moved to catch him as Kunou leapt at the dog to retrieve his weapon. At that moment, Hinako reached the spot Marie was standing at when Seven Bake Rose, in orbit, locked in on her bio-signature and energized her ship's transporter.

Instantaneously sensing the de-materializing energy seemingly focusing on its controller, the Staff of Gihan briefly flared as it formed a protective shield to prevent Hinako from being taken away from her sisters and friends. That shield deflected the sensor trace off to Hinako's right, directly on Kunou Tatewaki. The energy faded for a second as the sudden change of target coordinates was noted in the transporter's computer unit, and then de-materialization began anew. This time without interruption.

If he still had a voice, Kunou no doubt might have bellowed something rather inspirational. Such as, "WHAT FOUL SORCERY IS THIS?!"

People watched wide-eyed as the defrocked kendou team captain vanished in a shower of sparkles. Silence fell over the front lawn of Fuurinkan High. By then, Michael had turned to give his new prize to Marie.

Hinako then asked, "A-ri-ri?! Where'd he go?!"

Marie looked, blinking on seeing everything in place save one kendou-ka who had been in the midst of being humiliated by Chikage. "Wha . . .?"

Mutterings rose from the crowd as Hinako walked up to stare on the spot where Kunou had last been. "Ne, ne, Chikage-chan?" she asked as she faced the sorceress. "Why'd you make him go away like that?!"

_**Actually, Hinako, someone else took him away.**_

"Huh?! What do you mean, Bou-san?!"

The Staff whispered the answer. Watching the young girl speaking to the magic wand in her hand, the assembled Fuurinkan High students and staff didn't feel any need to panic. After all, compared to some of the things they had been witness to or been a part of -- including the welcomed sight of Kunou Tatewaki being made to vanish before their very eyes minutes before -- having kids speak to magic wands seemed . . . well, seemed NORMAL!

"EH?!"

Eyes locked on Hinako. The youngest of the sisters was wide-eyed as she turned on Chikage. "Chikage-chan! Bou-san just said . . .!"

"That someone in orbit over Earth just tried to abscond with Marie-chan?"

"Yeah, she . . .!" Hinako stopped herself, sighing. "Chikage-chan?"

"Hai?"

"DON'T DO THAT TO HINA!"

"Do what?"

Hinako moaned. A cell-phone rang. "Moshi-moshi," Marie answered it. "Oh, Aneue-sama, is there a . . .?" She stopped as Negako's voice cut her off, and then her eyes went wide. "EH?!" she shrieked, making everyone stare her way. "_**SOMEONE KIDNAPPED OUR SISTERS?!**_"

As soon as that shout faded into the early afternoon air, another bellow echoed over Nerima from the general direction of the Tendou doojou. "It seems that we don't need to inform Ani-kun about this," Chikage mused.

* * *

"_**ELLE, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!**_"

Kasumi and Shinshi, standing at the doorway leading into the latter's bedroom, exchanged a look as Ataru's outraged scream rocked the Tendou home.

"I take it this must be a friend of Ataru-kun's," the former mused.

The latter fearfully chuckled. "Some friend!"

"'Friend?!'"

Both winced as Ataru marched up to them, finger rising in objection. In his hand was a folded note of white paper embossed with a pink rose. "Oh, no, NO, my friends! This lady's NO friend of mine!" He shook his head and finger before he turned to indicate the spot where Yotsuba had been standing. "No, indeed! She's a lot WORSE than that!"

"And she is?" Kasumi prodded.

Dramatic pause.

Ataru turned away. "My fiancée."

The Tendous gazed at him as he let loose another scream. "Gee, and I thought RANMA had problems with fiancées?!" Shinshi muttered.

Kasumi covered her mouth politely. "Oh, my!"

* * *

"Where am I . . .?"

Karen looked around, surprised to find herself in a softly coloured room of white, light pinks and browns. The room, possessing the same feel as a hotel room -- as the stepdaughter of a government official who often travelled overseas on business, Karen knew what _those_ were like -- came with a bed, nightstand, work table and chair, what seemed to be a television/entertainment centre, a small wardrobe with vanity and what looked like a microwave oven. Two doors lead from this room elsewhere. One clearly was the main entrance while the other seemed to go into a bathroom. The room's stylishness, more advanced than anything Karen EVER had seen, sent chills through her.

Where was she?

One of the doors opened, revealing a middle-aged woman in a dark dress akin to what Guenevere wore when she tended to Aria. "Good afternoon, Karen-sama," she hailed, bowing politely to her before she came up to guide the young woman back to the bed. "How are you today?"

Karen was quick to notice the lack of lip-synch between her mouth and voice. Realizing that, another chill ran through her, though she didn't resist the maid's guidance. "Where am I, miss?" she then hesitantly asked.

"You're aboard the Royal Ellsian Navy Ship _Rose Emperor_, dear," the maid replied as she proceeded to the microwave. "Your sisters and you are currently the guests of Her Majesty Queen Elle, your brother's betrothed. Computer, tea, Earth Japanese 'sencha,' one cup, serve standard."

The microwave -- _A replicator?!_ Karen wondered, her eyebrow arching -- beeped, and then the door opened to reveal a cup of tea. "Arigatou," she said as the maid handed it to her. "Queen Elle? Why would she want . . .?" Her voice trailed off as it suddenly hit her. "Onii-chan?"

"I'm not aware of the exact circumstances surrounding your brother's betrothal to Her Majesty, but it seems she desires to press through with the matter." The maid then gave her a sympathetic look. "And I recommend that you do nothing which could anger the Queen, Karen-sama. Many of us know that whatever Her Majesty desires, she gets."

Hearing that, Karen shuddered. "H-hai!"

A content smile then crossed the older woman's face. "If you require something else, please use the call button by the lamp." She pointed to the object in question before bowing to her charge. "Excuse me, please."

The maid withdrew. Karen watched her go. Setting the cup on the nightstand, she sank back into the bed. "Onii-chan . . .!" she whispered as tears welled in her eyes, her arms wrapping around herself.

* * *

"Rose?"

"Your Majesty . . .?"

"Why are there only NINE of Honey's sisters here?!" Elle, she seated in the Flag Admiral's chair on the bridge of the _Rose Emperor_, gazed intently at Seven Bake Rose. "You guaranteed there'd be ten of them ready for transport to the ship when I wanted them brought here! Where is Marie?!"

"I . . .!" The mercenary scratched her hair. "I can't understand it myself, ma'am! I had a positive transporter lock on Susumu, right to the point when I energized the system to bring her aboard! She should've been beamed right into the guest cabin set aside for her!"

The monitor's science officer came up. "It's true, Your Majesty."

The Rose Queen glared at her. "What do you mean?"

A datapadd was handed over. "Transporter lock was confirmed as soon as Rose activated the system," the officer explained. "But at the instant the system was energized, the target moved away from the location she was when transporter lock was made. At that moment, as you'll see, something got in the way and deflected the trace to the man now occupying Miss Susumu's guest room."

Elle gazed at the readout, blinking. "What caused this?"

The science officer shook her head. "Impossible to say at this time, Your Majesty. I'm having it analysed right now."

"I see. Very well, then." Elle handed the padd back, and then she gazed on Rose. "Well, save for this problem, you did carry out the mission assigned to you, Rose. Well done. In the meantime, Captain, I think it's time we left. Take us out of here and return us towards Toshitto."

The monitor's captain nodded. "By your command, Your Majesty."

Rose perked as orders were barked to break orbit. "We're not staying?"

Elle shook her head. "No. I'm taking her into the Slot. We'll place ourselves halfway between here and Toshitto to wait for Honey to react."

The Rose Queen then stood, heading to the turbolift to carry her below decks. Her entourage of aides and personal bodyguards moved to flank her as she stepped off the bridge. Rose followed her. "What makes you think Mr. Groom can follow you, ma'am?" she then asked.

"A test, Rose. Remember, Honey DID fight with the Noukiites when he decided to hunt down his grandmother's killers. I want to know how well connected he is when it comes to the Dominion. This might be turned to our advantage if we play our hand correctly. After all, you know what might happen if the Noukiites carry out their threat and withdraw from the Federation, much less secure formal ties with Ipraedos and the Seifukusu. If that leads to the Federation's collapse, I want the Kingdom to be on the winning side."

The mercenary considered that. "Smart thinking, ma'am. But what happens if Mr. Groom can't get any help to rescue his sisters?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, Rose."

"Yes, ma'am." Rose then perked as she remembered something else. "Oh! What about that guy who got snatched in lieu of Susumu?"

"Throw him in with Miyake and her friends. From what I've seen of him so far, he reminds me a little too much of Mendou Shuutarou."

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

"Headache, Ataru?"

Ataru blinked before a moan escaped him as Negako tapped a couple points on his neck. "Thanks, Onee-chan. You're a life-saver."

"I try not to be," Negako noted as she sat down beside him, canting her eyes to the shouting crowd in the middle of the old shrine's living room. "How quickly these fools so readily revert to type, ne?"

He shook his head. "Got that right."

After giving Kasumi and Shinshi an explanation about his "betrothal" to Elle, Ataru received a call from Marie, relaying information from Negako concerning the Rose Queen's absconding with Kunou Tatewaki and all his other half-sisters save Chikage and Hinako. Returning to the shrine, Ataru heard everyone's story, and then he sent Miree off to find Ranma.

Those Ataru immediately thought of as the "Tomobiki Idiot Brigade" arrived two minutes after the Hollywoodite high priestess departed. Deep down, he knew it wasn't fair to call them THAT, especially now with over thirty students somewhere in outer space, held hostage to make him surrender and marry that rose-loving twit. But given the way that some of the people in that group -- Sakura, Cherry, Onsen Mark, plus a half-dozen Kuromegane from the Mendou estate -- began shouting demands at him the instant they passed through the front door, it was a relief when Negako came up and temporarily silenced them with shiatsu strikes to the throat. At least Kotatsuneko had kept his peace, merely setting up a low table (complete with the requisite space heater) in the room, and then he began preparing tea for Ataru, Negako, Reiko and Kaneko.

The local idiot brigade arrived a minute later, trailed by Chikage, Hinako and Marie, plus Michael. Ataru recognized Tendou Nabiki in that crowd, though he strongly suspected that the old ninja in the dark green bodysuit was possibly Sarugakure Sasuke, Kunou Tatewaki's ninja retainer. As Chikage tried to give Ataru a detailed explanation on events at Fuurinkan High, the crowd of boys in sports gear and martial arts uniforms began loudly begging him to find the kendou-ka in question. When Ataru asked why, one of the newcomers, a kendou-ka himself, explained that, on behalf of Tendou Akane's school-wide fan-club, they were honour-bound to finish thrashing Kunou for all the bad things he had done to her. Hearing that, the crowd of parents from Tomobiki -- Ataru recognized only Shinobu's mother and father -- readily laid into them, wondering what made a narcissist like Kunou more important than their own babies. The shouting match started right then and there.

"Hey, Ataru!"

Ataru looked up, breathing out as Ranma slipped through an open window before making her way to the table. "Hi! Heard the news?"

"Yeah, Miree told me everything." She then blinked as a giant mi-ke cat handed her a cup of tea. "Oh, um . . .! Th-thanks!"

"Ah, sorry," Ataru apologized before doing introductions.

"Pleased to meet you." Ranma shook Kotatsuneko's paw, and then she gazed on the small crowd of people screaming and yelling at each other by the front door. "Man, what the hairy hell's wrong with them?!" she asked, pointing.

"Trying to prioritize who should get rescued first, I think."

"So what's the plan?"

Another groan. "Other than taking something for this headache I've got now? Nothing at all," he confessed as he covered his eyes with his hands. Then, as he pulled them away, he found himself staring at Cherry's face.

"Ominous," the old monk grimly intoned.

A sigh. "Cherry."

"Yes, lad?"

"Get out of my face or get ready to meet the Buddha."

Cherry jolted as the emotion on Ataru's face suddenly faded, leaving behind a steely mask which seemed to fit better on the face of the inhuman monster currently seated beside him. Before he could respond, an invisible fist grabbed him, sending him flying. "Heaven's Gate, monks weren't THAT pushy back home!" Reiko muttered as she took her place at the table.

"You try not to get used to him too much, musume-chan," Ataru noted.

A teary Hinako came up. "Onii-tama, when are we going to get Karen-chan and the others back?" she moaned as she dropped beside him, leaning her head against his arm. He wrapped his arm around her as a light kiss brushed her forehead. "How can that girl be so mean . . .?"

"No one, Hinako, has taken the time to imprint on Elle that kidnapping is a crime even a queen must be held responsible for," Negako noted.

"I'll damn hell imprint SOMETHING on that creep," Ranma snarled, her hands squeezing into fists. "Let's see how Miss Rose Queen likes getting a taste of the Amaguriken or the Kaze-te at point-blank range!"

"We have to be careful, Ranma," Ataru warned.

"Why?"

"Regardless of what we might think of her, she IS a queen."

"So?"

They exchanged a look, and then Ataru sighed. "True . . . "

Nabiki came up, sitting beside Reiko. She found a cup of tea in hand thanks to Kotatsuneko. "Why aren't you in Nerima?" she asked the cat-ghost, and then she took a sip. Good tea the big guy made. "So what's the plan?"

Ataru nodded towards the shouting crowd behind Nabiki and his daughters. "Hard to conceive of one with all that in the background."

"Right." Nabiki then stood, turning to face the crowd. "Okay! OKAY, people! Let's settle down here!" She clapped her hands.

No response; in fact, the crowd's words seemed to pick up in volume. Hinako sniffed. "I don't think they heard you, Nabiki-san."

Nabiki's eyebrow twitched. In all the time she had used her "ice queen" image, this had NEVER happened. Then again, she really couldn't blame the people from Tomobiki, especially the parents, for acting this way. Taking a big breath, she moved to shout them down, and then she blinked as a hand fell on her shoulder. Looking left, she saw Chikage standing there, a smile on the sorceress' face. Recognizing what the younger woman might have in mind, Nabiki took a step back, waving Chikage into the batter's box. Nodding her thanks, the sorceress then faced the crowd, raising her right hand, her thumb, index and little fingers splayed with the middle and ring fingers tucked in.

"_**OSCULUM PAPILIONIS!**_"

Nabiki's jaw hit the floor on seeing a floor-to-ceiling, butterfly-shaped wall of ki appear out of nowhere to slam into the crowd, mowing them down like they were dominos knocked over by a strong wind. As silence fell, Chikage lowered her arm, and then she gazed in amusement at Ataru. "I believe they'll be willing to listen to you now, Ani-kun," she announced.

"Thank you, Chikage-chan." Ataru rubbed his forehead. "So, atop nine of my sisters being kidnapped, everyone in Miyake-san's old class was also taken away? Plus Mendou?" He gazed on one of the Kuromegane, an eyebrow arching. Seeing him shakily nod, Ataru breathed out, "Okay . . . "

"So how can we rescue them?" Ranma wondered.

"Depends on what Elle might actually have in mind," Ataru mused as Marie stepped out of one of the guest bedrooms to join them. "If she knows about Karen-chan and the others, it means she probably had an agent active in Noukiite space when I was helping them put the Urusians down. It was around that time that I was given honorary citizenship in the Dominion, plus was allowed to have everyone registered on the 'Nehek' family registry."

Marie blinked as she sat beside Ranma. "We have Noukiite citizenship?!"

"Hai! Papa needed that when he adopted Kaneko-chan and me." Reiko then turned to Ataru. "Ne, Papa, why would this Elle creep want to marry you? You told us in Sanctuary you never did step on her shadow!" She then shrugged.

"True." Ataru sighed as the crowd by the door slowly stood, many of them shuffling closer. A warning glance from Chikage ensured their good behaviour. "So it'll be hard to determine why Elle would want me." He then rolled his eyes as he added, "Unless it's just out of vanity or pride."

Miyake Kimiki blinked. "'Vanity?!'"

"Hai. After all, I DID defy her when I found out about the Refrigerator of Love. And Lum and her friends did pretty much make sure that we never got married. I don't know everything I'd want to know about Elle, but I do know she's pretty proud. To lose face like that, especially in front of all those alien delegates at the cathedral in Baran . . . "

"How many fiancés has this girl got?" Nabiki asked.

"A hundred thousand."

Silence.

"A hundred . . .?" -- Nabiki's eyebrow twitched -- "THOUSAND?!"

"Yep. Matter of fact, Mendou would have been her one hundred thousandth 'cute boy' -- that's what she calls all those lifeless dorks frozen up in her refrigerator -- had she been able to freeze him."

Nabiki gaped. "They're cryo-frozen?!"

Ataru nodded, and then he jolted on hearing Hinako sniff. Eyes locked on the youngest sister. "Hina doesn't want Onii-tama to be frozen!"

Ataru rubbed his sister's hair before playfully batting his nose on her forehead. "Who says I'm gonna be frozen, Hinako-chan?"

"So if this chick's got all these guys all stored up like sardines, why waste the time goin' after you?" Takuichi Daikun, leading the delegation from the Horde o'Hentai, wondered. "I mean, pride's an important thing, but . . . "

"Hey, Takuichi, remember Kunou with Ranma?" Daisuke, who had come with Hiroshi in hopes of talking to Ranma, cut in.

Daikun gazed on him. "And this chick's a QUEEN?!"

"Daikun has a point," Negako mused.

"What do you mean, Aneue-sama?" Marie wondered.

"This all might be a test Elle desires to force on Ataru."

"A test?!" Sakura blinked confusedly. "But why?"

"Unless it's got something to do with Noukiios pulling out of the Galactic Federation," Kaneko then spoke up.

"What does that mean?" Miyake Toshoba demanded.

Kaneko reached into her shirt to pull out a circular device akin to the base of a sports trophy. Placing that on the table, she tapped a control to turn the projector on. Her eyes then glowed as she sent a psychic command to the projector's central computer. A three-dimensional local galactic map appeared in the air over the table. The domains of the different powers were shaded in individual colours. A pair of thick, wavy red lines rose up from the bottom of the projection, nearly came together by one star, form a space "bridge" in the direction of a nearby star, and then spread off to the top and right side of the projection. "Where are we?" Kimiki asked.

"There." Reiko pointed at a blinking star, right where the two thick lines first came together. "Everything between the red lines represents member states of the Galactic Federation." She then pointed to the gold space beyond the "bridge," a torrent of scorn appearing in her voice. "Oh, if you all want to know -- much that I can't understand WHY! -- this is Urusian space."

"Who are these guys?" Nabiki indicated the dark green area to the lower right of the projection. "And them?" She indicated the large mass of light blue that took up the upper left of the screen.

"Ipraedies and Zephyrites," Reiko explained, pointing to the dark green area. "The Ipraedies were the Urusians' other big enemies outside us. The dog people managed to make the rest of the Federation hate them, too, but my people don't mind them so much. They're pretty xenophobic, but once you get to understand them more, they're pretty alright."

"And the Zephyrites are the local galactic superpower," Ataru added. "My grandmother dealt with them pretty closely right up to her death; they're the ones who helped the Men in Black get all their special gear."

"And they border this link between our solar system and the start of Urusian space." Sakura pointed to the "bridge." Light blue and dark green flanked both sides of it from one end to the other.

Kimiki nodded. "That explains the First Tag Race! Ataru-kun, were the Ipraedies planning to invade us before the Urusians came?!"

Ataru nodded. "Yes, they were. Reiko-chan, expand the map. Show the whole galactic cluster from us out to Vos and Yehisril."

"Hai." Reiko tapped the projector, her eyes glowing.

The image soon became the upper left quadrant of a much bigger map. The viewers noted that the Galactic Federation states all formed a blobby, flipped-L shape around Ipraedies space. To the "right" of the Ipraedies Empire was a massive field of turquoise. Down "south" from that, touching both Ipraedies and Federation space, was a massive field of bright crimson.

Nabiki pointed. "Who are these guys?"

"The other galactic superpowers." Ataru pointed. "The Confederation of Vos . . . " -- the turquoise -- "And the Royal Kingdoms of Yehisril." -- the red areas. "All of them being enemies of the Ipraedies."

"They're hemmed in on all sides," Onsen grumbled.

"Yeah. Our area of space just happens to be beside the only thin area of 'enemy' territory their space borders." Nabiki indicated the point of light symbolizing Sol. "Unless these guys consider the Zephyrites enemies?"

Her eyes fell back on Ataru, an eyebrow arching. "Not really." Ataru shook his head as he crossed his arms. "Everyone, even the Vosians and the Yehisrites, would have to be totally out of their heads to challenge the Zephyrites head-on in an all-out sort of war. What the Ipraedies want most of all is to see the Federation broken up. Once that happens, their hostility to their neighbours -- save for Yehisril and to a lesser extent, Vos -- could then be dialled back somewhat. And the best break point is here." He pointed to Sol. "Fortunately for them, Uru's defeat makes things a lot easier."

"What about their plans to invade Earth?" Onsen demanded.

"It would now be seen as unnecessary." Ataru stared at Reiko. "Reiko-chan, change the map to show Noukiios out of the Federation, plus the proposed demilitarized area between us and Toshitto."

The map blew up to a close-up of the Earth-Triton area. A small sector of Ipraedies space, it possessing no star systems, switched to jet black, merging with the "bridge" connecting Earth with Urusian space. The Federation's space was severed at this area as the bridge faded from view. "North" of the soft gold area marking Urusian space, an area of emerald green lying alongside Zephyrite space was no longer framed in red lines. A yellow zone appeared to encompass the black zone once part of Ipraedies space, plus the bridge and some sectors of Urusian space, including the star that had been at the "right" end of the "bridge," plus three stars close to Noukiite space.

Sakura pointed to the areas of Urusian space marked as "demilitarized." "Noukiios is going to impose all THIS on Uru?"

Ataru gazed knowingly at her. "They have no choice in the matter."

"So what happens in this area?" Toshoba pointed to the zone in question. "'Demilitarized' means what in this case?!"

"It means that Uru can no longer send ships into this area to ensure 'free trade.'" Ataru smirked. "Which actually meant that any trade from potential 'enemy' states like Ipraedos or the Seifukusu worlds -- and yes, Noukiios -- would be stopped and subject to inspection and seizure by Urusian authorities. This is part of what's led to the famine on Noukiios and her colonies in recent years. Other Federation states -- the big grain and food producers such as Spotak, Zeiwan and Phentax Five -- have tried for years to sell their surplus foodstuffs to Noukiios to help alleviate their crop shortages. But all those states are in the out-spin regions." He pointed to the bottom of the map. "Once the ships got to Neptune and went through the Slot to Toshitto, they then had to face Urusian customs inspection."

"And once they learned the food was going to Noukiios . . . " Nabiki shook her head. "They impounded it, right?"

"Sometimes. Worse, some of the sneakier of the bunch would find ways to spoil the shipment to ensure they couldn't be put to use when they arrived. If Noukiios tried to get food from Ipraedos -- and such shipments have been generously offered in the past given how much the Ipraedies wanted to stick it to the Urusians -- it wouldn't have happened since Federation-wide policy -- policy forced on the others by the Urusians, by the way! -- frowns heavily on any trade with the Empire. The only other recourse for Noukiios would've been to deal with the Zephyrites, but the Holy Republic can only spare so much. And Noukiios would never trade with Uru as long as the Union kept demanding the 'return' of three colony worlds they never had any rights to in the first place." He indicated Okusei and her two sister worlds on the map.

"They were being starved into submission," Sakura concluded.

"Right," Ataru drawled.

"You learned of this while you were working for them?" Cherry asked.

"Yep."

"I hate to say this, but with the way you've described them, Lum's people are a bunch of two-faced HYPOCRITES!" Nabiki snapped.

"Focus that criticism directly on their government, Nabiki-san, not the people," he declared, reminding himself to keep mention of his former fiancée in past tense to maintain the illusion of her "death" to many of the crowd standing in his living room, especially those people from Tomobiki. "Lum would've not stood for any of this, so she was never told about it at all."

Hinako gazed on her brother. "Her papa lied to her, Onii-tama?"

Ataru nodded. "Yep. About a lot of things."

"That's fine and fair, but we've got a more important problem ahead of us. Namely getting everyone away from Elle," Ranma noted.

He spared her a glance, nodding. "True."

"Ne, Papa?"

"What is it, Kaneko-chan?"

"If you need a ship to go after that baka k'uk'e, we have one!"

Ataru blinked, and then he leaned up to his daughter. "You mean . . .?"

"Hai!" Kaneko grinned. "We brought it here with us! It can't do you any good sitting in orbit over Noukiios, can it?!"

"Nani?! Nani?!" Hinako looked at Kaneko, and then at Ataru, and then back to Kaneko again. "What's Kaneko-chan talking about, Onii-tama?!"

"Bring it here!" Ataru ordered as he gently squeezed Hinako's hand.

"Hai!" Kaneko nodded as she reaches into her jersey to draw out a flat, rectangular-shaped computer keypad. Her fingers darted over the keys as she typed out a command code, and then she hit the TRANSMIT button.

"Eh?!" Hinako leaned close to gaze intently on the keyboard. "Is this some new video game, Kaneko-chan? Can Hina play with it?!"

"Don't touch, Hinako-chan," Ataru warned.

"But Hina wants to play with . . .!"

Her voice was cut off as a rumble filled the air, it echoed by a tremor quaking the walls and floorboards. "What the hairy hell's THAT . . .?!" Ranma demanded as she got to her feet, heading to the window just as a shadow masked the early afternoon sun. "What the . . .?!"

Everyone scrambled outside, looking up to stare at the keel of a Noukiite scoutship, it hovering ten metres off the ground! As soon as she got outside, Hinako gushed, "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI! ONII-TAMA HAS HIS OWN SPACESHIP!"

"And where exactly DID you get this ship, Ataru-kun?!" Nabiki asked, an amused twinkle in her eyes as her mind filed this new little factoid into the mental file she had been building on Ranma's new boyfriend for the past while.

An embarrassed chuckle escaped him. "Well, after all Onee-chan and I did for Reiko-chan's and Kaneko-chan's people, they felt we DID deserve a reward for our troubles." He indicated Negako with a wave of his hand and a shrug.

Marie contently smiled. "Why, wasn't that nice of them?"

"Indeed, it would offer an excellent view of the stars," Chikage added.

"Hina wants to see Onii-tama's spaceship!" Hinako grabbed Ataru's hand as she moved to drag him to the waiting ship so she could look around. "Hina KNOWS there'll be lots and lots and LOTS of nice things for Hina to play with! C'mon, Onii-tama! Hina wants to see the spaceship!"

"Hey! Hey! HEY! Slow down, Hinako-chan!" Ataru tried to yank his hand away from his sister's determined grip. "We can't go yet!"

"But Hina wants to see Onii-tama's spaceship!"

Sensing their youngest aunt about to throw a fit, Reiko and Kaneko exchanged a look and a giggle before they dove in to rescue their hapless father. "It's okay, Papa! We'll take Auntie Hinako aboard!" the former promised as she and her sister guided Hinako away from Ataru.

"Waaaaaaaai! Hina's gonna see Onii-tama's spaceship!" Hinako gushed as the Noukiite twins telekinetically boosted their aunt into the air for the starship's weather deck aft of the main solar sail mast.

Marie covered her mouth. "Aniue-sama, Rinrin-chan is going to KILL you for keeping this a secret from her."

He chuckled. "Well, I only got the _Windrider_ the day I finished work on Noukiios! That was just before I went to Sanctuary for a whole week!" He waved his hand. "'Sides, there's no dock for me to park the thing anywhere on Earth! And I wasn't going to just plop it down anywhere, for heaven's sake!"

Marie blinked. "Maybe we can build a spaceship dock on the seashore beside Welcome House. I'm sure the people on the Island won't mind." She then gazed up, noting the solid metal hull lacking any sort of visible access hatches below what could easily serve as the _Windrider_'s waterline. "After all, your ship does look like it can land on water."

"A good point to consider," Chikage noted. "Now all we have to do is decide who'll come with us to help rescue the others."

Everyone blinked on sensing a large crowd of students, plus Sakura, Cherry and Onsen, loom over them. "_**WE'LL COME WITH . . .!**_"

"_**MOOKO TAKABISHA!**_"

One ki blast later, the crowd of idi- . . .! -- er, would-be rescuers! -- was smashed against the fence. "Thank you, Ranma." Ataru took a breath before he gazed on Nabiki. "Nabiki-san, please call your brother. You'll both come with us. Ditto with Miree and her daughters, plus Himiko-san and Mikiko-san if they're interested in helping out."

"ME?!" Nabiki balked. "Hey, wait a minute! I don't . . .!"

"I can trust you, Nabiki-san!" Ataru stared knowingly at her before he thumbed the crowd of people Ranma just blasted with the Mooko Takabisha. "Do you really, honestly think I can trust any of THEM?!"

Silence fell as the middle Tendou daughter considered his words. "Ataru-kun . . . " She flustered before nodding. "Oh, okay!"

"Relax, Nabiki-chan." Ranma winked. "If you want to be a full-time martial artist again, you HAVE to go on these jaunts!"

Nabiki gazed at her, her body quaking. "You just HAD to remind me of that, didn't you, Saotome?" she muttered.

Everyone laughed.

* * *

"So what's a Noukiite ship doing hovering over Nerima, Seiko-chan?!"

Seiko hummed as she, Sakiko, Ten and the four replica-bioroids who brought him to Earth relax in Tomobiki's town park. They had come here to enjoy a take-out lunch after finishing business with the SCAA downtown. From here, they had seen the sleek Noukiite ship soar down swiftly from the general direction of Siberia, it coming to a stop over the central part of Nerima. Despite the ship's size -- it was about the length of the average jumbo jet -- it stood out clearly in the afternoon sky due to the lack of tall buildings in the skyline between Tomobiki and Nerima. "I'm not too sure." Seiko's eyes narrowed as she focused her powers on the hovering ship. "Unless . . . "

Her hearing picked up the murmurs of several boys walking past the main gates. "Can you guys believe they cancelled classes 'cause the idiots in 3-4 got kidnapped by that queen who wanted to marry Ataru?" one of them wondered over the derisive laughter of his friends.

Seiko spun around, her eyes widening on seeing a small crowd of students in the Tomobiki High boy's uniform walk past the gates. "Heard Mendou got snatched," another noted as they headed down a side street. "Let's hope that queen'll keep the snob with her when she lets the others go!"

"Amen to that, bro'!" a third whooped.

"'Queen?!'" Seiko blinked as she exchanged a look with Sakiko.

"Elle!"

* * *

"AH-CHOO!"

"Bless you, Your Majesty! Are you alright?!"

A handkerchief was offered to the Rose Queen. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you." She wiped her nose, and then she gazed on the deckhead for a moment before they carried on. "Have the dockyard maintenance staff look at the air-freshener units. There must be something in the atmosphere . . . "

"Of course, Your Majesty. It will be done as soon," her chief servant replied with a nod as the small party passed through the door leading to the balcony overlooking the containment area holding Ataru's former classmates.

And one other.

"_**WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!**_"

Guess which one of Chikage's shiatsu strikes had just worn off?

"Kunou-san, please calm down! There is an explanation . . .!"

"_**WHAT FOUL MAGIC BROUGHT THE BLUE THUNDER TO THIS PLACE?!**_"

"I don't think he's listening to you, Mendou-san."

"_**I DEMAND TO BE RELEASED AT ONCE!**_"

"Jerk probably doesn't get tired of listening to his voice, ne?!"

"Got that right, man!"

"_**MOROBOSHI, YOU EVIL MAGUS! SHOW YOURSELF!**_"

"How does this guy know Ataru-kun?"

"_**FEAR NOT, OH VIOLET ONE!**_"

"'Violet One?!'"

"_**THE BLUE THUNDER WILL SAVE YOU FROM MOROBOSHI'S GRASP!**_"

"Ne, Tomomi-chan! You think he's talking about Chikage-san?!"

"_**OH, THE TRAGEDY OF IT ALL!**_"

"Hard to say . . . "

"_**TO BELIEVE THAT SUCH A VISION OF LOVELINESS IS ACTUALLY KIN BY **_**BLOOD**_** TO A LECHEROUS BEAST LIKE MOROBOSHI!**_"

"I guess he IS talking about Chikage-san, Kyooko-chan!"

"_**ALL THE GODS IN THE HEAVENS MUST **_**WEEP**_** AT SUCH A FATE!**_"

"Um, Shinobu-san. Is he trying to insult Ataru-kun?!"

"I think so."

"Right . . . "

_CRUNCH!_

"V-v-violet one . . .!"

Body dropped to the deck. "Mie-san! Why did you do THAT to him?!"

"He was giving me an earache with his yelling! 'Sides, I don't think Ataru-kun would appreciate being insulted behind his back!"

Silence.

"Ye gods! Is it POSSIBLE . . .?!"

"That someone . . .!"

"Actually LIKES Moroboshi Ataru?!"

Dramatic pause.

"IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!"

Running footsteps, and then one man's hands grasped a woman's.

"Mie-san! You must not think of pursuing Moroboshi . . .!"

_CRUNCH!_

"MENDOU-SAN!"

Multiple _thuds!_ as many women fainted, overwhelmed by shock on seeing Mendou punched head-first THROUGH the containment area's deck.

"Damned jerk! Who gave him the right to touch me _there?!_"

"He DID kinda deserve that, didn't he?!"

"I can agree to that!"

"Ditto!"

Stunned silence.

"Did you see that?"

"Ye gods! You mean there's actually a girl . . .?"

"Who's IMMUNE to Mendou?!"

Dramatic pause.

"THERE IS A GOD!"

"Hey, wait a minute! She still likes Moroboshi!"

Another pause.

"OH, THE TRAGEDY OF IT ALL!"

Most of the boys from Shinobu's class collapsed en masse to the deck, wailing at the heavens for cursing them with the presence of a young woman like Seikou Mie. Above, Elle's eyebrow twitched as her mind tried to take in what she just witnessed, and then she gazed on one of her aides. "I think I can now understand why Honey wanted to leave these people," she noted with a chuckle.

"Agreed," the aide said. "Shall I have Mr. Groom's sisters brought here so they can see these fools for themselves?"

"At once."

"By your command, Your Majesty."

* * *

"This is your room, Auntie Hinako."

"Waaaai!" Hinako breathed out as she walked into a small cabin located on the same deck as the _Windrider_'s pilotage. Looking around to take in the room -- it was fitted with a bed, nightstand and a large closet space, arranged not so differently from Hinako's bedroom at Welcome House -- the youngest of the sisters nodded. "Hina likes this place!" She then noted a side door situated next to the closet. Walking to it, she opened the door, looking beyond to find a Western-style washroom. "Oh, Hina even has her own bathroom on Onii-tama's ship!" she declared before turning to gaze on Reiko and Kaneko. "Ne, ne, Reiko-chan, Kaneko-chan, how soon can we get going?"

"We're going to go to the bridge to get things set up," Kaneko announced.

With that, the twins withdrew, Reiko closing the door behind her. Hinako watched her go, and then she sighed, staring at the Staff of Gihan in her hand. "Bou-san, do you think we should tell Lufy-san and her friends what happened?"

_**It would be a wise idea,**_ the Staff replied. _**Given the Daishi'cha's own feelings for your brother, they would be concerned.**_

"Okay, let's go!"

A flash of light later, Hinako's room was empty.

* * *

"Eh?"

Chikage had found her own cabin aboard the _Windrider_ by simple deduction; the doors to each of the cabins on the main deck level had name plaques. Standing up after she slipped the dozing Tendou Akane under the covers of the comfortable bed there, the sorceress gazed in the general direction of Hinako's cabin. Her eyes then narrowed as she quickly perceived the small space-warp that had teleported Hinako off the barque.

"Hinako-chan . . . "

* * *

"The _Rose Emperor_ is gone?!"

"Yes, Linna. It left orbit about a half-hour ago according to the decay of ion particles. The trail leads from Earth toward the Slot," Sylvie reported after looking up from the _Kiboo'cha_'s main scanner display.

Presently sitting in the warpsloop's command chair, Linna hummed as she took in that information. Before she could postulate what she should do next, a blinding flash of light nearly burned the eyes out of everyone on the bridge. "Lufy-saaaaaaaaaaaan!" Hinako screamed out as she materialized on the _Kiboo'cha_'s bridge. Then, when the light faded, she looked around. "A-ri-ri?! Where's Lufy-san, Linna-san?!" she asked.

"Hinako-chan!" the chief of Section One gasped as her subordinates leapt to their feet to salute Ataru's sister.

"Hinako-sama?!" a voice called out from behind Hinako as Sylia stepped onto the bridge, she followed by Priss, Nene and Ayumu. "What in Lyna's name are you doing here?! We told you we would contact you when it was decided to open contact with your brother . . .!"

"Hina knows that!" Hinako cut her off with a wave of her hands. "It's terrible, Sylia-san! It's terrible!"

"What?!" Priss demanded.

Hinako told them. "_**SAY WHAT?!**_" everyone else screamed.

"It's true!" Hinako whined. "That baka-baka Elle kidnapped Karen-chan and the others to make Onii-tama marry her!"

Silence fell as eyes focused on Sylia. The Troop commander's brow furrowed as she considered the options she could take in the wake of this. Taking a deep breath, she then turned to gaze on Priss and Nene. "Priss, Nene, do you think we can handle a hostage situation like this?"

The first officer and the coxswain exchanged a wary look. "We can't," the former then said with a regretful shake of her head. "We're nowhere near trained to deal with a situation like that. You know that! We're a special warfare force, Sylia. Not the Hostage Rescue Team."

"I don't think the HRT will be able to help out," the latter added.

"Agreed," Sylia breathed out.

A snap of the fingers. "Ah! Game winning auction wager!"

Eyes locked on Ayumu. "Ayumu-chan, you're supposed to say 'game winning home run!'" Hinako protested.

The master chief petty officer of the Sagussan Navy gazed at her. "But we don't play baseball on Sagussa, Hinako-chan."

"What do you have in mind?" Nene asked in exasperation.

"Simple!" Ayumu replied with a smile. "This is kidnapping, right?! Why don't we have Tomo deal with this?!"

The other Sagussans recoiled in shock as the implications of THAT idea sank in. "You CAN'T be serious!" Priss exclaimed.

"There won't be anything left of any of them once Tomo gets through with them!" Linna protested, she grabbing her hair and yanking on it.

"Left of what?!"

Everyone screamed as a shaggy raven-haired, brown-eyed, Yizibajohei-born woman in the black-and-dark blue of the Internal Security Force stepped onto the bridge. The four pips-and-windrider rank insignia of the SISF's senior non-commissioned officer adorned Tomo's collars. Behind Tomo came a brown-haired and eyed, bespectacled, Yehisrite-born woman with a spatula-and-knife tattoo on her cheek. Koyomi was draped in a gold-trimmed red coverall jumpsuit with dark brown leggings; this was the work uniform of members of the Engineering Ministry who were formally trained as construction engineers.

"When did you get here?!" Priss snapped.

"Just now!" Tomo innocently replied.

"Ah! Tomo, you're here!" Ayumu breathed out. "It's terrible, Tomo! It's so terrible! Ataru-sama's sisters were just kidnapped!"

Tomo jolted. "KIDNAPPED?! When?! By who?!"

"By that baka-baka creep Elle!" Hinako cried out.

Koyomi blinked as something came to her. "Oh, so that explains what that patrol monitor was doing heading towards Toshitto!"

"Eh?!" Tomo gasped as she spun to look on her bond-mate. "You mean we let criminals actually get past us?!" she demanded before grabbing Koyomi by the arm and dragging her off the bridge toward the "Kiboo'cha's" transporter room. "We're off in hot pursuit!" she then bellowed.

Koyomi cried out as she found herself being yanked through the air by Tomo. The members of Pathfinder Troop Six watched helplessly as the two other Sagussans vanished around a corner. Ayumu then stared at Hinako. "There you go, Hinako-chan!" she assured her with a raised hand. "Tomo's on the case! Karen-chan and the others are as good as rescued!"

"Yay!" Hinako cheered.

Sylia reached up to her forehead. _Dear Lyna, I beseech thee: Why me?!_

* * *

"Darling, that's horrible!"

"Tell me about it," Ataru complained as Hensou and Kamen wrapped their arms around him in a supportive hug. The Izumo sisters and their companions had just arrived at the old shrine. Many of those who had come to speak to Ataru concerning the kidnappings had left, the parents from Tomobiki having being given personal assurances their children would be rescued within the day. Miree, Jonna, Orin -- plus Kawamura Himiko and Serizawa Mikiko, neither of whom had been seen by any of the people from their hometown -- had already boarded the solar-sail barque to help Reiko and Kaneko with preparations. "No doubt, Elle must've had someone operating in Noukiite space when I was working with them." Ataru paused for a moment before continuing, "Seven Bake Rose would be my first guess on that regard; from what I learned from the Inquisition about her, she is good at what she does. After my family was added to the Dominion Family Registry when I adopted Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan, it would've been simple for someone to tap into it and get the skinny on everyone else."

"Darling, do you think you can rescue the others?" Sakiko asked.

He considered that for a moment. "It should be easy enough, especially with Hinako-chan and the Staff on our side."

"Too bad we couldn't call Nassur-chan and ask for his help," Ten, who was being held in Seiko's arms, mused.

"Hey, you got the next best thing, Ten-chan," Kamen then spoke up as she thumbed herself. "You got us! We can handle this!"

Ataru, the Izumos and Ten gazed on the four bioroids, all of whom had smiled at Kamen's assertion. Seeing the casual pride flashing in their eyes concerning their connection with the expat Vosian, Ataru slowly nodded. Despite his assertion to his old classmates the previous Saturday that he personally never wanted to meet the man, Ataru had -- while he was working with the Noukiites and the Zephyrites -- learned a lot about Nassur's reputation. It was quite solid. "Well, if you ladies would like to help us . . . "

His eyebrow arched. The replica-bioroids laughed. "Of course we'll help, Darling!" Hensou said. "After all, they ARE your sisters!"

"Quite cute ones at that," Damasu added.

Mienai gazed intently at Ran's replica. "Flirt!"

"Hey, I can look, can I?!" Damasu whined as she ducked away from the intensive stare Oyuki's replica was sending her.

Laughter shook the crowd before a voice spoke up, "We'll have to give these girls a proper reward for their assistance, Ani-kun."

The replica-bioroids gasped as they spun around to see Chikage standing there, the sorceress gazing amusedly at them. "Hey, Chikage-chan, did you train under Nagaiwakai-sama's ninjas or what's the damned story?" Kamen asked.

"I've had much more eclectic training, Kamen-chan," Chikage explained to Benten's replica, and then she stared at Ataru, her eyebrow arching in amusement. "So what sort of reward would you girls desire? A night of blissful snogging and shagging (as Yotsuba would put it) with Ani-kun?!"

As Ranma and Marie walked up to join the crowd under the _Windrider_, they trailed by Sakura, Cherry, Nabiki and Shinshi, Ataru acked as he took a fearful step away from the four Avalonians in question as they turned to stare leeringly at him. Seiko and Sakiko snickered on seeing him react THAT way to Chikage's suggestion, not to mention the replica-bioroids' receptive looks. "I'd go for it," Hensou answered with a predatory grin on her face.

"That sounds like a good idea!" Kamen added.

"What idea?" Ranma asked.

"Why, we giving Darling the time of his life, Ranma-san!" Mienai cooed. "And since we can sense that you ARE bonded to him . . . "

"The more the merrier!" Damasu finished.

"URK!" Ataru and Ranma acked in sync.

More laughter. Shinshi and Nabiki toppled over on seeing their late sister's former fiancé react as she did to THIS aspect of puberty. "Ye gods, I can't believe it!" Sakura sighed, she shaking her head in disappointment. "There are actually MORE girls who're interested in Moroboshi?!"

The laughter came to a stop with the speed of a falling guillotine blade as four sets of eyes locked on the priestess. "Who wants to do this?" Hensou asked as her body flashed with the bio-electricity she inherited from Lum.

"I'm in," Kamen asserted as she cracked her knuckles.

The air around Mienai began to chill. "I think we need some practice."

Sakura blinked, and then she jolted as Ataru and Ranma quickly cleared the field of fire. "Be our guest!" Ataru declared.

A few seconds' intense violence later, the burnt, bruised, frozen and youth-sucked priestess was sent on a ballistic trajectory back towards her shrine in Tomobiki. "Now THAT, she had coming to her!" Seiko asserted as they watched Sakura disappear into the afternoon sky.

"Nice moves," Ranma said. "Need to work on your follow-throughs."

The replica-bioroids stared at her. "You think so?" Kamen asked.

"Sure! When we get back from this trip, I'll show you some things."

"Sounds fair," Hensou asserted as she walked over to slip one of her arms around one of Ranma's. "Shall we go aboard, Ranma-san?"

Ranma nodded, and then the disguised Oni/Avalonian boosted her into the air for the _Windrider_'s weather deck. Sakiko then used her powers to boost Damasu, Kamen, Mienai, the Tendou siblings and herself aboard. "Can I come, Seiko-chan?" Ten asked as he stared at his transformed cousin.

Seiko and Ataru exchanged a look before both shook their heads. "It's better if you stayed with Negako-san," the former asserted as Marie, Michael and Negako walked up to join them. "Darling's daughters are going to be on this trip and they KNOW what you once were."

Ten jolted before a sad look crossed his face. Even if his just-acquired Avalonian powers were beginning to awaken, he had sensed enough of Reiko and Kaneko to know how the Noukiite twins viewed Urusians in general. "Yeah, that's true . . . " he lamented with a frown.

"He will be safe with me," Negako declared as she held out her arms for him. "Besides, I believe there is a young lady who would be more than happy to see Ten while you are off to retrieve the others." On sensing Ten stare wide-eyed at her, the ninjutsu grandmaster added, "Modoki Mako."

Ten jolted, his eyes going wide on hearing the name of the kindergarten-age girl who, shortly after he came to Earth, once tried to force Valentine's Day candy on him and -- as she believed -- make the young Oni her "husband." Screaming out in wide-eyed fear, he leapt into Chikage's arms, reaching over to draw the sorceress' cape around him to hide him from Negako's view. "NO WAY!"

"I suggest you change your viewpoint concerning Mako," Negako declared. "After the news of Lum's 'demise' was aired on the public news networks, Mako came to fear the worst about you. Her feelings of over-possessiveness where it concerns you have evaporated since that time."

Ten peeked out from behind the flap of Chikage's cape. "Really . . .?"

"It is true," Negako asserted with a nod. "In fact, from what I have sensed about her, Mako's depression has grown to the point where it may come to harm her physically. A visit from you would do much to restore her spirits."

The young Oni-turned-Terran/Avalonian considered those words before he breathed out. Slipping out from behind Chikage's cape, he leapt to the ground and walked over to stand beside Negako. The ninjutsu grandmaster leaned down to boost Ten into her arms. "Ten-chan, you make sure you keep an eye on Michael while we're gone, too," Marie told him, holding up a finger.

"Hai!" Ten affirmed with a nod, Michael barking in acknowledgement.

"We'll be back before you know it!" Seiko asserted as she reached for Marie's hand. "Marie-chan?!" she beckoned the other girl with her.

Marie nodded before she found herself boosted into the air by Seiko's telekinesis, both soaring for the _Windrider_'s weather deck. "Shall we go?" Ataru then said as he gazed knowingly at Chikage.

Before she could answer, a shrieking noise caused everyone to glance up. Soaring away from the _Windrider_ towards Tomobiki was a smoking Cherry, having just received a demonstration of the Staff of Gihan's power. "GET LOST, YOU CREEP!" Hinako -- she having just returned moments before from her meeting with the Sagussans -- screamed. "OR HINA'S GONNA GET REALLY, REALLY, REALLY MAD!"

"It's Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate!" echoed throughout the afternoon sky.

Those still on the ground below the _Windrider_'s keel blinked. "That, he DEFINITELY had coming to him!" Ataru asserted.

"Indeed," Negako affirmed with a smirk.

* * *

"You want to know something, my friend?" Ono Toofuu mused from the front porch of his clinic, a delighted grin twitching the sides of his mouth. "Maybe giving that thing to Hinako-chan wasn't such a bad idea in the first place."

(**INDEED!**) the panda signed.

Yes, folks! Even people in Nerima had heard of Cherry.

* * *

"Papa, the ship's sealed for space flight!"

"Waai!" Hinako gushed as everyone stepped on the _Windrider_'s pilotage.

"What a set-up!" Nabiki stated before she noted the kanji and kana etched into the backs of every chair there, each underlined with the han'geul-like symbols representing the Noukiite language. "I take it you had this ship built with your sisters AND your daughters in mind?" she then asked as she gazed knowingly at Ataru, her eyebrow arching in amusement.

Ataru scratched his hair, chuckling embarrassingly. "Well . . .!"

The others laughed. The _Windrider_'s pilotage was structured akin to how most university large lecture rooms were set up. The main view screen was located forward. It was flanked on both sides with small control station lecterns. Three rows of work stations ascended a step at a time to the main entrance to the pilotage, that opening to the corridor that eventually led to the master's and commander's cabins at the aft end of the barque's main deck. A half-circle stuck out forward from the second row of stations; this was where Reiko and Kaneko had positioned themselves. A central chair sat behind the twins' stations, it marked with the kanji for "Ani" on the back of the chair. Standing monitor stations and side exits lined both sides of the pilotage.

"So where do we all sit, Darling?" Seiko asked.

"Marie-chan, you're there." He pointed to the far portside station on the third row. "Chikage-chan, you're there." He indicated the near starboard station on the second row. "Hinako-chan, you're down front." He indicated the near port station on the first row. "Shinshi, you take Yotsuba's spot." He indicated the far starboard station on the second row. "Nabiki-san, take Rinrin's spot." He indicated the near starboard spot on the third row. "Mikiko-san, you take Sakuya's seat beside her. Himiko-san, you go here." He indicated Haruka's spot, the far port seat on the second row. "Seiko-chan, take Karen's place." He indicated the seat between his and Haruka's. "Sakiko-chan, sit beside Hinako-chan." He indicated Kaho's spot, the far portside seat on the first row. "Girls, you go to the spots by the view screen." He waved Jonna and Orin forward, and then he pointed to Shirayuki's space beside Marie's. "Miree-san, go there. And for you four . . . "

He faced the replica-bioroids. "We'll take the side stations, Darling," Hensou -- she having taken the name "Nomade Shinobi" in partial tribute to the time Lum disguised herself to date Ataru -- said with an understanding nod.

Ataru nodded as people sat down. "Thanks."

"Who's piloting this thing, anyway?" Nabiki wondered.

Reiko waved her hand. "I am! Where to, Papa?!"

"Hina wants to fly Onii-tama's spaceship!" Hinako protested.

"Hinako-sama, do you know HOW to pilot Ataru-sama's ship?" Jonna wondered as she turned to gaze amusedly on the youngest sister.

"Hina . . .!" Hinako stopped herself as she flustered. "N-not really."

Ataru sat at his chair. "Oh, relax, Hinako-chan! You'll all get the chance to fly her as soon as we get everyone else back . . .!"

"Ani-kun."

Everyone stared on Chikage. The sorceress' crystal ball was sitting on a holder, presently showing the image of the _Rose Emperor_ in warp. "I believe they've left the system," she reported as she stared narrow-eyed at the image. "Heading into a very dark and remote area of local space . . . "

Nabiki gaped. "You're able to see THAT through your crystal ball?!"

"Confirmed!" Kaneko called out as she gazed on her sensor readout. "The sensors've picked up an ion trail heading in the direction of the Slot, Papa! Isotopes detected are consistent with the warp drive of an Ellsian ship."

"She's trying to drag you back to planet Elle, Darling," Seiko warned.

"Then we play along," Ataru grunted. "Pursuit course, Reiko-chan."

Reiko tapped controls. "Hai!"

"Um, Ataru?"

Ataru gazed on Ranma. "Where do I sit?" the latter demanded.

In answer, Kaneko pointed with her hand as she telekinetically boosted her into Ataru's lap. "You sit with Papa, Mama!"

Ranma's face flushed as she sank into Ataru's lap, the embarrassment of being seen so close to her new boyfriend in front of over a dozen witnesses preventing her from making an objection. Seeing her flustering, Nabiki broke out in a peal of giggles. She was soon joined by Shinshi, and then Miree and her daughters. An envious look crossed Seiko's face before she, too, started to laugh. Soon enough, everyone was laughing, even Ataru. Ranma ducked their looks with a chuckle, she rubbing the back of her head.

* * *

Kasumi smiled, she on the porch of the Tendou home, as she watched the _Windrider_ soar away. "My, what a beautiful spaceship."

* * *

"You think they're gonna be okay, Ku-chan?!" Ukyou wondered.

The chef, Ranma's mirror-twins, Shampoo, Kodachi and Mousse relaxed in Hikarigaoka Park as they watched Ataru's ship race off. "Yeah, they'll be fine." Kumiko had an arm wrapped around Ukyou. "It's this Elle who has to watch out. For both Ataru-kun AND Ranma . . .!"

Toshiko snickered knowingly. "Agreed."

* * *

"Good luck, Ataru," Inu Chigaiko said as she watched the _Windrider_ soar from Nerima. The expat Tomobiki native was with Tokoro Yuka and Asano Sayuri by Yamada Fred's yatai in a different part of Hikarigaoka.

"Bring them back safe and sound," Yuka added.

* * *

"Sylia, the _Windrider_ is entering the thermosphere over Tokyo. She's moving to pursue the _Rose Emperor_," Nene announced.

"Distance between her and the bioroid factory?" Sylia asked.

Nene stared at the sensory readout. The _Kiboo'cha_ was at action stations; it was currently over the Moon's north pole. The warpsloop was still cloaked; when it had been built, it was fitted with a more advanced device than what the Avalon factory ship possessed. The tactical display on the view screen was projecting a graphic of orbital space over Japan's capital city. "She'll clear the factory by at least 600 kilometres; Nerima's to the east of Tomobiki and the factory's only now shifting back to where it had first assumed orbit when it came here from Phentax Twelve," the coxswain reported. "The _Windrider_'s now out of range of the factory's weapons systems. But it's a fair bet that they were spotted by whoever's aboard the factory."

A scowl turned her lips. "We'll have to do something about that, then."

"Already working on it," Nene asserted with a wink.

"You always are," Priss said from her station.

Everyone else laughed.

* * *

"THAT SHIP BELONGS TO THE GREAT EVIL?!"

"Confirmed, Mister President." Otako turned to gaze on Oogi. "According to its ID beacon, that craft is the ISS/C _Windrider_, home-ported at Magairu. Registered to Moroboshi Ataru of Japan, Earth. It . . . " She paused for a moment. "It was awarded to him by the Noukiite government in thanks for his assistance in their dealing with the Urusians, Mister President!"

Oogi remained still as he digested that information. He then shuddered, a fist quaking at the view screen as he gazed at the _Windrider_'s image; the solar-sail ship had just warped out. "A REWARD for destroying the Goddess and Her Faithful, you say?!" he snarled. "Fine! We'll destroy it when it returns and eliminate the Great Evil once and for all!"

His maniacal laughter then echoed throughout the factory.

* * *

Akane's eyes opened.

Taking a breath, she sat up, glancing around the darkened space. From what she could pick out in the faint light, the room appeared to be about the same size as Hinako's room at Welcome House. The absence of any of Hinako's toys dispelled any thoughts of her actually being in Welcome House, though. Gently swinging her legs out onto the floor, she gingerly stood to stretch herself. Gazing down at herself, she traced a hand over her breasts and abdomen before feeling her arms and face. "Wow . . . " She then closed her eyes as a storm of thoughts and images formed in her mind, relaying information she never possessed before. Once that was done, she sat back on the bed.

"So . . . "

The lamp on the nightstand beside the bed flicked on, illuminating the space. Akane winced as her eyes adjusted to the light. She noticed a folded note on the nightstand, her name in beautifully scripted hiragana there.

Opening it, she read:

_Akane,  
__By the time you awaken, you'll find yourself aboard Ani-kun's starship, the _Windrider_. Please, do not be alarmed. Shinshi and Nabiki are aboard at this time, as are several other Avalonians such as Miree, her daughters, Himiko and Mikiko, not to mention Ranma-anekun and Ani-kun. While you were undergoing insertion into your new body, an old _acquaintance_ of Ani-kun's decided to abscond with most of our sisters; only Negako-anekun, Marie, Hinako and myself were left. We're now in pursuit and should get them back within the hour.  
__Rest up as much as you can; you still need time to adjust to your body. You may be needed. As soon as I can, I'll look in on you.  
__Chikage_

"Starship . . .?" Akane whispered. Then noting a curtained window overlooking the bed, she shifted over to pull the fabric back.

"Oh, my!"

* * *

"There she is!" Koyomi announced with an icy grimace.

The construction chief engineer artificer's personal craft, RSS/C _Haengge'cha_, was a modified two-man warp courier ship about the same size as the _Kiboo'cha_. It was one of dozens of such vessels that had been found by the Sagussans ten years before over a dead Class D planet near Spotak named Den'sha Two. Having been extensively modified by Koyomi on her spare time, the _Haengge'cha_ was considered one of the fastest ships based on that reborn world outside the Galactic Barrier. Even so, given how slow ships from the races inside the Barrier were in comparison to anything from Sagussa, Koyomi didn't really have to push it to get her bond-mate close to the _Rose Emperor_.

As she manipulated controls to allow the _Haengge'cha_ to parallel the Ellsian patrol monitor, Koyomi smirked. "No shields up," she reported after taking a glance at the scanner readouts. "Lucky thing I put those particle mufflers on this thing. Even cloaked, we could be spotted by all the tachytron energy emissions our reactors and engines put out." She glanced over her shoulder at Tomo. "You set to go?"

The master chief warrant officer of the Sagussan Internal Security Force took a breath as she finished buttoning her shirt. On Koyomi's suggestion, Tomo had switched from her duty uniform to plain Terran Western-type civilians. "Even if this is an undercover mission, I've never done something like this before," she asserted. "Do you think we still have time to call in the HRT?"

"They're not trained to handle a situation like this, especially when military personnel are involved," Koyomi replied, she trying not to smirk at Tomo's show of nerves. She had long learned that her bond-mate, while always willing to project a mask of steely determination when in the presence of other people, was still human underneath. It was a good thing, the Pirpirsiw'r mused as she began an internal scan of the _Rose Emperor_ in hopes of locating Ataru's sisters and the other hostages. Cautious warriors, warriors willing to question anything and everything about missions assigned to them, were often the ones who survived to tell the tale afterward. "You can do it. Don't go totally hog-wild. When hostages are involved, you've got to be VERY careful."

"I hear you," Tomo asserted as she picked up a web-belt holding three personal defence pistols, she moving to strap that around her waist. Once that was done, she stood beside her bond-mate. "Where could I go in, anyway?"

Koyomi's eyes danced over the display showing the interior of the _Rose Emperor_. "Okay . . .! Ah, there they are!" She tapped a point in the lower hull amidships. "Terran life-sign readings. That's where Ataru-sama's old classmates are being held, no doubt. And . . . " Her smile widened as the fingertip shifted left slightly. "There're Ataru-sama's sisters. On the move by the looks of things. No doubt, they're being shifted over to keep them close to the other prisoners. Now, let's find out what's around there . . . "

She tapped controls. Tomo watched as another hologram appeared by the first, revealing an Intelligence Ministry data file on the internal structure of an Ellsian patrol monitor. "Enlisted crew quarters," she announced, pointing to rows of cabins close to the chamber where Ataru's old classmates were being held on the _Rose Emperor_. "Beam in there, get a change of clothes, then move in to deal with whoever's guarding Ataru-sama's sisters and everyone else. Once you're there, I'll beam you all out."

"Can the transporter do that?" Tomo then asked. "You were gonna replace the pattern buffer before we came out here."

"It should be okay." Koyomi then sighed. "I hope."

* * *

"Aniue-sama, you didn't tell us there were other people aboard this ship." Marie gazed quizzically at Ataru. "Who are they?!"

The sisters, Ranma and Ataru were standing in what served as the main engineering control space aboard the _Windrider_: The solar sail control room. Currently manning the stations that governed the winches, pulleys and feeds that gave the sail-barque her power was a team of golden-skinned men and women in utilitarian jumpsuits. All of them had given Ataru respectful nods when he had stepped into the room with his companions, and then they returned to their duties. "Well, Marie-chan, they're . . .!" He flustered.

"Androids."

Eyes locked on Chikage. "Robots?!" Ranma then peered intently at the crew. "Yeah, they are machines, aren't they . . .?"

"The Noukiites purchased them from the Zeiwanites when I told them I didn't want a volunteer crew assigned to my ship," Ataru elaborated as he stated at his companions. "You just wouldn't BELIEVE the number of people ready to drop everything just to serve as crew on a ship I might not put to much use, even if the Special Committee DOES permit me to dock her on Earth!"

"Rinrin-chan's going to be BESIDE herself when she finds out about them," Marie said with a chuckle, covering her mouth politely as she gazed on her siblings. "Could you imagine how fast she'll finish up her work on Mecha-Rinrin-chan when she gets a chance to examine them?"

Chikage scratched her chin thoughtfully. "Much less what she might do if Sakuya persuades her to create a 'Mecha-Anikun?'"

Ranma blinked. "'Mecha-Anikun?!'"

Ataru flustered even more. "That was a little idea Sakuya-chan came up with when Rinrin-chan first told us about Mecha-Rinrin."

"Hina remembers when Sakuya-chan tried to play Mecha-Sakuya-chan!"

"Hinako-chan, DON'T remind me of that!" Ataru yelped.

Hinako snickered. "Bad?" Ranma asked.

Ataru returned her look. "What do you think?"

* * *

"AH-CHOO!"

"Bless you, Sakuya-chan! Are you alright?!"

"Ugh!" Sakuya wiped her nose before she nodded assuredly at Karen. "Yeah, I'm fine! Someone must be talking about me."

Shirayuki fretted. "Hopefully, it's Nii-sama."

Haruka nodded. "I hope so, too."

The sisters were being marched through the halls of the _Rose Emperor_ by a platoon of heavily armed guards. Two of the maids assigned to them kept Aria and Kaho company. Seeing the fearful looks on her sisters' faces, Sakuya tried not to scream out in rage. DAMN that loony bitch! Who the hell gave her the right to frighten them to their wits' end just to try to woo Onii-sama?!

One of the guards stopped by a door to open it. "Here."

They were led through the door, finding themselves on the balcony overlooking Elle's other prisoners. Quick to recognize some of the jerks Onii-sama once went to school with, Sakuya's heart sank on seeing Yoshino Tomomi and Ikusawa Kyooko in the crowd. _When we get out of this, we DEFINITELY try to persuade them to come to the Island!_ Sakuya mused to herself. _They certainly don't deserve to spend any time with THESE nuts!_

"Ah, ladies, there you are! How nice of you to join us!"

They gazed right as a white-caped, green-eyed redhead with a white-and-silver headband stepped towards them. Gazing at Elle, Sakuya tried not to whistle in admiration. Damn, after seeing her in the flesh, she could understand why those idiots in the Rose Queen's refrigerator could fall for someone like this! "Queen Elle, I presume," Sakuya hailed, the other sisters massing in a group behind her. "So what's the idea? You realize the instant Onii-sama finds out that you've taken us away, he'll come rescue us!"

The other prisoners, including a recently recovered Mendou Shuutarou, were staring wide-eyed at the group of nine young women who had just joined Elle on the balcony. Kunou Tatewaki was still unconscious on the deck, being closely monitored by Tomomi, Kyooko and Sawada Minako. Those from Tomobiki who had not learned of Ataru's sisters before -- not to mention those who hadn't known how MANY sisters Ataru had these days -- were whispering to each other. Listening to what was being said by some of the boys close by, Miyake Shinobu could only shake her head in disgust. If Ataru DID come soon to rescue his sisters, things could get very ugly. VERY quickly.

Little did she realize how right she would be.

"Oh, I'm sure Honey WILL come after you girls." Elle then tittered, the gleam in her eyes lacking any mirth whatsoever. "As to his actually going all the way to rescuing you, that'll be a different story, I assure you."

"Why?" Karen demanded. "Onii-chan never stepped on your shadow when you played your shadow-tag game! He has no right to pursue a marriage . . . "

"Not that Aniki'd want to marry a girl who loves dipping all her boyfriends into cryo-tubes!" Rinrin snarled.

Elle jolted, gazing confusedly at the sisters for a moment before her eyes widened. "Why . . .?" she whined, a flash of real pain appearing in her emerald eyes. "Do you think I'd put Honey into my Refrigerator . . .?"

"The evidence stands against you, Your Majesty," Haruka icily noted, her eyes narrowing. "Much that it is something of a tradition for any ruling elite to possess their own harems to see to their intimate needs, the fact that you deliberately keep yours under such inhuman restraints . . .!"

"I KEEP THEM WHOLE AND PURE!" Elle shrieked, the force of her assertion making the sisters balk away from her. "I freeze them to ensure their love for me is preserved, kept as fresh, as complete as the day I first met them! What in the name of the Fates is wrong with that?!"

"Do they actually AGREE to such treatment?!" Haruka pressed. She then pointed to Mendou. "From what Anigimi-sama told us, Mendou-san there didn't agree at ALL to being made a part of your collection of 'cute boys!'" That comment caused Mendou to blink; he never expected Moroboshi Ataru of all people to stick up for him for any reason, even to these so-called "sisters" whom he hadn't known about until that very moment. "And you honestly believe that we'd accept your word that you won't do the same to Anigimi-sama?!"

Elle leaned back before a determined look crossed her face. "It doesn't matter," she asserted, dramatically pulling her cape close to her. "Honey and I will be wed as soon as he comes here, as I'm sure he's more than capable of doing given all he's done on behalf of the Noukiites! I'm more than sure that he holds your lives dear, so keeping you under my thumb should force him to see reason. A pity that I couldn't get hold of Negako, Chikage, Hinako and Marie; with ALL of you in my grasp, Honey's capitulation is assured! Now . . . "

An intercom whistled. "Your Majesty, long-range sensors have now detected a Noukiite solar-sail scoutship coming toward us from the direction of Earth," the monitor's sensor officer hailed over the intercom. "Her identification beacon marks her as the ISS/C _Windrider_. She's registered to Moroboshi Ataru of Earth, home-ported currently on Magairu . . . "

"Big Brother!" the sisters gasped.

"She's approximately ten minutes from reaching our position at present speed," the officer continued. "The captain wishes to know . . . "

"Stop the ship!" Elle ordered. "Weapons on stand-by. Raise shields to prevent their beaming anyone out! I'll be right there!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

The intercom clicked off. Elle faced the sisters. "Do excuse me, please, ladies. I'm off to have a long chat with Honey!"

She stepped through the doorway, her guards shifting themselves to ensure none of the sisters could escape with the door open. In a minute, the nine young women from Earth were left alone on the balcony, the door leading out of this place locked. Exchanging worried looks, the sisters then focused on the door. "What do we do now?" Kaho pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Why don't you guys c'mon down here?" Ryuunosuke's voice echoed from the main deck. "If we stay close together, we'll be a lot safer."

The sisters glanced down at their brother's former classmates. "As long as Sword-for-brains and Bokken-for-brains behave themselves," Sakuya asserted as she pointed at Mendou and Kunou. She then turned to Aria. "Here, Aria-chan, you go first. Tomomi-chan and Kyooko-chan'll catch you."

Seeing the big drop to the main deck, the young Parisian shuddered fearfully as the others gently pressed her to the balcony rail. "Aria . . .!" she burbled before she started to cry. "Aria doesn't want to fall . . .!"

Tomomi and Kyooko shifted themselves below her. "It's okay, Aria-chan!" the former asserted with a bright smile. "We'll catch you!"

"Kusun!"

* * *

"They're stopping!" Tomo reported.

"I see that," Koyomi asserted as she pressed controls to de-warp the _Haengge'cha_ close to the _Rose Emperor_. Glancing at the sensory controls, she then smirked. "And there's Ataru-sama's ship. Alright, here's our chance to get you aboard so you can rescue the others!"

"Right!" the internal security officer said as she shifted herself to the transporter unit at the aft end of the pilotage.

* * *

"Papa, they've raised shields and readied weapons."

The _Windrider_ was two hundred kilometres from the _Rose Emperor_. The solar sails had been drawn in, clearing the field for the ship's weapons, including a pair of swivel accelerator cannons amidships and concussion missile tubes located under the figurehead, to be used. On the front view screen in the pilotage, the Ellsian patrol monitor, a ship roughly the size of Invader's _Kashin_, glistened like a multi-faceted jewel in the pitch-dark of inter-system space. "Are they scanning us?" Ataru asked.

"They're trying to," Kamen -- who, these days, called herself "Fujikaze Nobuko" -- reported. "Ship's ECM systems are blocking the scans easily."

"They're blocking our scans too, Darling," Mienai -- she currently calling herself "Kanki Yukiko" -- reported from a port-side station next to Marie. "I'm trying to adjust the bandwidth to get around their ECM now."

"Don't be too obvious, Yukiko-chan," Ataru warned.

"Hai!"

"We can't fight them flat-out, can we?" Ranma, having shifted herself to stand behind Ataru's chair, wondered.

He thoughtfully tugged at his beard. "No, we can't."

"Darling?"

"What is it, Shinobi-chan?"

"Long-range sensors just picked up another ship heading our way from the direction of Toshitto," Lum's double said. "It's a Fukunokami-type starship, frigate-class. Trying to identify her now." She then tapped controls.

"What would one of them be doing here?!" Seiko wondered.

"Do you think the Ellsians've picked them up?" Ataru asked.

"Doubtful." Shinobi then frowned as the readouts danced before her eyes. "You've got quite a powerful sensory unit for a ship of this size, Darling. I . . .!" She paused. "Wait! The other ship just came to a halt. She's about ten million kilometres away. If I'm not mistaken, I think they just picked up the _Rose Emperor_. Hard to tell if they've been detected in return."

"They haven't."

Eyes locked on Chikage. "Is that bankable?" Nabiki wondered.

"Very." The sorceress then smiled as images swirled in her crystal ball. "It appears, Seiko, several of your friends were on their way to visit you and your sister when Elle decided to change all our social schedules."

Seiko blinked. "MY friends?!"

"Wait!" Shinobi cut in. "Got the ID on the second ship. She's the Independent Starship _Goddess of Luck_, out of Bensaikyou."

Nobuko stared at her sister Avalonian, her eyes wide. "Shogai Dakejinzou's ship?! You sure about that one, Hensou?"

"Chikage-chan, isn't that the bounty hunter Brother Sunfire put on retainer just in case something happened to us?" Marie wondered.

Chikage nodded. "The same."

"And the Ellsians haven't detected them?" Ataru asked.

"No, Ani-kun, not yet. But it could happen soon."

"Right." He then scowled, bracing himself. "Reiko-chan, ready a spread of concussion missiles. Use the subspace harmonic warheads. Bracket Elle's ship on all sides. I don't want them to see who else is out there."

"Hai, Papa!"

* * *

"You can't scan into that ship?!"

The sensory officer shook her head. "Negative, Captain. She's got quite a powerful ECM system for a ship that size . . .!" Her voice then trailed off, her eyes wide as a new reading came up. "Captain, she's readying missiles!"

The shock at that announcement was very brief as the captain barked, "All power to the shields! Ready anti-missile defences . . .!"

"She's firing!"

Slender torpedoes lanced out of the _Windrider_'s launch bays, darting to all sides of the _Rose Emperor_. Before the crew on the larger ship could realize what was happening, the first of the concussion missiles exploded, sending high-frequency subspace shockwaves all over the place. Since they were presently both in normal space, neither the _Windrider_ nor the _Rose Emperor_ was affected by the strikes save for molecular debris from the detonated missiles showering the larger ship's shields. It was in the various dimensions of subspace, where the most highly attuned of the Ellsian warship's sensors were currently locked, that the missiles had their full effect.

"Damn!" the sensory officer spat out. "He's blinded us!"

"What?!" the captain demanded.

"Long-range subspace, short-range subspace and weapons targeting sensors down! Subspace communications are off-line!" the younger woman read off the litany of problems facing them now. "Warp core's unaffected, but I'd recommend NOT going into hyperspace at this time, Captain!"

The captain blinked before she turned to stare at the image of the _Windrider_. The view screen was showing the static after-effects of the missile strike from the Noukiite ship. "What's he up to?" she whispered.

* * *

"What's that idiot up to?!" Benten demanded.

"Multiple subspace shockwave blasts," Nassur said as he adjusted controls on the _Goddess_' sensors. Like what was fitted on the _Windrider_, the sensory suite on Shogai Dakejinzou's ship was well above what was seen as standard for a vessel of that size. "No doubt, they're pretty much blind save for normal-space scans, plus they can't risk entering warp unless they clear the disturbed area." A nod of approval. "Smart move on his part."

"Why would Ataru do something like that, Nassur-sama?" Oyuki asked.

"Elle has hostages aboard her ship."

Eyes locked on Dakejinzou, the alien hunter's hand touching one of her earrings. "How the hell did you know that?!" Benten demanded.

"Signal from Brother Sunfire I just received right now, Benten. Nine of Ataru's sisters, plus all his former classmates at Tomobiki High, were kidnapped shortly after lunch local time. Elle demanded Ataru surrender himself to her in order for the hostages to be released."

Benten and Oyuki exchanged a look. "But Moroboshi never stepped on that idiot's shadow when they were kids!" the former said. "Why the hell's Elle after him now?" Her voice trailed as something came to her. "Unless . . . "

"With Lum-chan 'dead,' the Queen must have come to believe that no one else would desire Ataru," Oyuki noted. "After all, we did make quite a mess of things when we helped her rescue him from the altar . . . "

"Everyone knows how vain that woman is." Nassur then gazed on Dakejinzou. "So what's Brother Sunfire going to do now?"

"He would contact a crusade fleet on Magairu to force Elle to release her hostages," she reported. "A message would be passed to the Noukiites based on Toshitto to send their own force out. Hopefully, this can be done with as . . . " She paused before turning to tap controls on her flight board.

Everyone gazed on the view screen. "Why's he approaching her?!" Oyuki demanded as the _Windrider_ came in close to the _Rose Emperor_.

Nassur turned to his board. "Shields still up; he's keeping some distance from the _Emperor_." A hum. "This is interesting . . . "

"What's he tryin' ta do, anyway?" Benten wondered.

The expat Vosian shook his head as he sat back in his chair. "Hard to tell since I've no idea what he's capable of doing. If he's got some hidden surprises up his sleeve and he's prepared to use them, Benten, I'd say his chances of rescuing his sisters and the others are very good."

"Why say that?! He ain't ever done this before . . .!"

"True, which could potentially give him an advantage, especially dealing with Elle." Nassur held up an objecting finger. "An experienced warrior would know what sort of manoeuvres to avoid in a situation of this nature, Benten. I'm willing to strongly bet that he wouldn't know what mistakes to make. Atop that, Elle's probably still thinking of Moroboshi Ataru as the sex-crazed idiot she met a year ago. I think after what you both saw happen on Phentax Two, that doesn't apply anymore. Ne?" His eyebrow arched knowingly.

Benten moved to disagree before a thoughtful look crossed her face for a moment. "Yeah, ya got a point." She gazed out the front view ports of the _Goddess_' pilotage before she watered her response down with a muttered, "Still, it IS pretty hard to believe, ya know!" She smirked.

"Agreed," Oyuki affirmed with an understanding nod.

"Wait . . .!"

Eyes locked on Dakejinzou. "What is it?" Nassur asked.

"He's hailing her," the alien bounty hunter reported.

* * *

"Beam-in successful," Tomo whispered into a communicator in her collar.

"Gotcha," Koyomi's voice echoed through a speaker fitted in the officer's ear. "Lucky thing we got you over before Ataru-sama fired those missiles." A pause. "Ataru-sama's starting a parlay with Elle right now, Tomo. Get to the hostages and get ready. I'm prepping the transporter unit now."

"Okay."

* * *

"Hello, Elle. It's been some time."

"Hello to you, too, Honey. My, it HAS been some time since I last saw you. The beard and moustache are very nice touches." The Rose Queen seemed to quiver with delight on seeing her "fiancé." A condemning glare then crossed her face. "What you just did to us was very rude, Honey." She wagged her finger at his image. "It's not nice to launch subspace-harmonic concussion missiles at your fiancée, you know!" she admonished.

All emotion drained from Ataru's face as he icily replied, "Kidnapping my sisters is equally rude, Elle. Especially on the false pretext that we're engaged. You WILL recall what we discovered when we took that small jaunt into the past after you and I nearly got married. So what's the idea? If you wanted to talk to me, all you had to do was call me direct."

Elle seemed to freeze for a moment as she took in who and what sat alone on the bridge of the _Windrider_; before hailing the Rose Queen, Ataru had the bridge cleared out of everyone else, especially his sisters, his daughters and Ranma. "Well, in spite of what did happen when we were children, the fact remains that I still do care for you. And yes, I still wish to marry you. And NO, you're not destined for the Refrigerator of Love. Why in the name of the Fates would I place my husband inside the Refrigerator?"

Ataru's eyebrow arched. "And the Cute Boys? What about them?"

She made a dismissive wave with her hand. "Oh, just fleeting liaisons that struck my fancy, Honey. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, you yourself tried to gather your own harem. Before, of course, you learned of that delightful family your late father parented on the side."

"True, I was that way," he verbally admitted the hit, sitting back in his chair. "However, I'd like to think I've outgrown that stage of my life. I hope that one day soon, you'll be able to do the same, Elle." A pause. "Besides, why is it you targeted boys who were, almost to the end, suffering from a host of incurable illnesses like Hifuto Syndrome?" He ignored the shocked look on her face on hearing those words. "Elle, if you were really trying to preserve their lives for a time when medical technology might cure them, it might've done you a lot of good to come out and admit the truth. Your people might actually respect you a lot more that way, you know."

"H-how . . .?!" she sputtered.

Ataru thinly smiled. "There's little the Inquisition doesn't know."

* * *

"Is he tellin' the truth?" Benten asked.

Nassur's eyes were scouring the image of the Rose Queen on his board. "By the looks of it, yes. Hard to believe, ne?"

Dakejinzou quirkily smiled. "Agreed."

* * *

"Sylia on _Kiboo'cha_ to Koyomi on _Haengge'cha_. Status report, Chief?"

Koyomi tried not to frown on seeing Sylia's image appear before her. Everyone on Sagussa knew that when Sylia addressed someone by rank instead of name, she was clearly upset about something. "The Master Chief's aboard the _Rose Emperor_ right now, Commander. So far, so good. Ataru-sama's in a parlay with Elle as we speak. I'll pipe you the transmission." She then tapped controls to link the transmission back to Earth.

* * *

Elle quickly gathered control of herself, and then she made another dismissive wave. "Well, that doesn't matter, Honey. What does matter is you." She winked at him, her lips widening in a smile. "I WILL marry you, Honey. I just can't imagine living another day without you at my side."

Ataru then sighed. "Elle, I AM quite flattered . . . "

"You deserve it." The Rose Queen then blew him a kiss before she sat back in her chair. "Even better, the Devil's Daughter is now radioactive dust over what's left of Onishuto thanks to your Noukiite friends, so we don't have to worry about any interruptions from that quarter. And with her gone, all her friends from space won't interfere since, as you and I are aware of, they never cared one bit for you, much less Lum's interest in you."

He nodded. "Yes, that is true, isn't it? Hell, there are times these days that I kick myself for actually taking interest in the likes of Benten and Oyuki in the first place. I mean, would you believe that the day Lum dragged me to their Setsubun festival, Benten tried to entice a kiss out of me just to help her side win that stupid ball-toss? And Oyuki!" He rolled his eyes. "Other than dumping enough snow to sink the _Titanic_ into my bedroom every time she visited, there's that so-called 'bodyguard' of hers, B-Boy. Sheesh!" He threw up his hands before turning to wag a finger. "I swear, Elle-chan, the NEXT time I see that pathetic imitation of a yeti, I'm gonna take my qu'f-piaqu'r and use him for BAYONET practice before using my eunuch swords on him!"

* * *

"He WOULDN'T!" Oyuki shrieked.

Dakejinzou gazed amusedly at the princess. "Bets?"

The Neptunian shuddered before she turned to look anywhere else but the view screen re-playing images transmitted between the _Rose Emperor_ and the _Windrider_. Nearby, Benten was muttering a litany of dockyard-grown curses about Ataru. Watching their reactions, Nassur tried not to fall over laughing as he exchanged a knowing look with his old partner. Dakejinzou winked back.

* * *

"Excuse me."

Tomo tensed as the voice from behind her made her stop. "Eh?"

She turned to see a chief warrant officer step up to adjust something on the back of her uniform. "You belt wasn't looped properly," the older woman declared as she made the necessary changes to the sleeveless bodysuit Tomo had appropriated from the cabin she beamed into. "This is the Royal Flagship. You have to look your best, especially when the Queen's aboard. Remember that!"

Tomo braced herself at attention. "Aye, ma'am!"

The older woman nodded before she marched off to carry out her rounds. Tomo watched her go, inwardly stunned that the Ellsian woman hadn't taken notice of the fact that the visiting Sagussan wasn't a local; all one had to do was look at the back of her thighs to find her Daishi'cha sequential tattoos. _Guess people serving in this bunch ARE as pack of idiots,_ she mused to herself as she waited for the chief warrant officer to disappear around a corner. Once that happened, the patrol officer picked up her small duffle bag containing her weapons -- that was from the quarters where she had got her uniform -- and then she turned to head down the corridor to the holding area.

* * *

"Oh, Elle-chan?"

"Yes, Honey?"

His eyebrow arched. "Do you still wear that very nice perfume I smelled on you when we were dancing in the garden at your palace?"

Elle's cheeks reddened. "You still remember . . .?"

"Hai, Elle-chan. I haven't changed THAT much, you know."

One of the Rose Queen's hands touched her cheek. "Oh, Honey!"

"I guess I'll just have to reacquaint myself with that lovely scent." Ataru then reached forward to tap controls at Reiko's station. "See you in a couple of minutes . . . " He fixed her with a wink. "Intended."

The screen blanked out on the _Rose Emperor_, leaving behind a bridge full of stunned, wide-eyed women. Their queen was quivering like a schoolgirl who just landed a date with the most popular sports star for the prom. "He's lowered his shields, Captain," the sensory officer reported, causing the others to blink, save for a very twitterpated Elle. "All weapons now deactivated."

"I . . .!" The captain then nodded. "Um, r-right! Lower shields to allow him to come alongside, Pilot." She then stared at the officer of the deck. "Tractor him into the portside quarterdeck airlock," she then ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Oh, Honey . . . "

Eyes locked on Elle. Her cheeks were still aflame like a pair of spring mountain roses after a morning shower. "Are you alright, Your Majesty?" the captain gently asked as she approached the Rose Queen.

The Rose Queen jolted before she noticed everyone staring concernedly at her. "I . . .! Ah! Oh, y-yes!" She cleared her throat with a discrete cough. "Have a reception committee ready at the place Honey is to come aboard, Captain. Let's be cautious." She raised a finger in warning.

The captain saluted. "By your command, Your Majesty!"

* * *

"He's surrendering that quickly . . .?"

Seven Bake Rose scowled at the blank image on her view screen inside her private cabin, which was located not too far from where the prisoners were currently being held. The unit had been tapped into the _Rose Emperor_'s main transmitter unit, allowing the mercenary a chance to overhear everything that had been said between Elle and Ataru. "Something's going on here," Rose muttered as she sat back in her chair, her mind calling up all the relevant information she had acquired about Mr. Groom in the last while. It then focused on one interesting point about Ataru's time with the Noukiites.

He was The Brother Who Danced on the Wind.

That name had been bestowed -- according to Noukiite propaganda -- to an Ip'ihu warrior who had personally gone to Uru and several of its colonies to deal with those high-ranking Onis who had escaped the atomization of Onishuto midway through that conflict. Finding out THAT tidbit about Mr. Groom's secret life on Noukiios had been difficult for Rose, but not impossible.

In fact, that action had proven once and for all how stupid the Urusians had been altogether when it came to the natives of the planet Earth. After all, even a sex-crazed idiot like Moroboshi Ataru had been able to learn the intergalactic specialized warfare trade quite quickly. Almost TOO quickly, Rose often mused from time to time during her recent investigative trip on Noukiios. Then again, after learning the truth about his grandmother's murder at the hands of agents of the Devil Invader, adding that to his parents' betrayal of him three years before the First Tag Race, plus an understandable fear concerning the safety of the family he just acquired . . .!

Well, that could easily prompt ANYONE to make himself the best unconventional warfare fighter in the local cluster.

Yes, even a sex-crazed idiot like Moroboshi Ataru.

The Brother Who Danced on the Wind.

Rose's eyes then widened. "Diversion . . . "

Quickly, she bolted to her feet, reaching for her sidearm.

* * *

"Tomo, Sylia, the parlay's ended," Koyomi announced to the transmitter in her bond-mate's ear and to the _Kiboo'cha_ over the Moon. "The 'Windrider's' moving to dock alongside the 'Rose Emperor' now."

"Gotcha," Tomo whispered into her collar-mounted communicator.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here."

Tomo's eyes turned up to see two guards standing post by the entranceway to the holding area. Noting that only one of them was facing her, the Internal Security Force's master chief warrant officer grinned. "Actually, Sarge, I AM supposed to be here," she cheerfully announced.

Both guards jolted on hearing Tomo's odd accent. "Who . . .?" the other guard demanded as both turned to stare at her.

Tomo's fist smashed through the first guard's face shield, pulping the poor woman's nose as she was flung into a bulkhead by the force of the blow. Before the second guard could grab her pistol, the Yizibajohei-born patrol officer's foot caught her under the jaw, sending the hapless woman slamming into the holding area's doorway with a broken neck. Catching them both single-handedly before they could slide to the deck and mark the scene with blood, Tomo drew out a small transmitter from her duffle bag. Aiming it at the security lock by the doorway, she pressed a button. The lock unsealed, the door opening in response. Without pause, she threw the dead troopers onto the balcony deck before surging through herself, she closing the door behind her.

"Hey! Who're you?!"

Tomo spun around to see the crowd some metres below staring wide-eyed at her. Grabbing her duffle bag, she jumped down to join the prisoners. Opening her duffle bag, she drew out a pistol as she headed over to Haruka. "Here ya go, Haruka-sama," she declared as she stuffed the loaded weapon into the back part of the martial artist's waistband.

"Ano . . .!" Karen then spoke up.

Tomo grinned. "It's okay, Karen-sama. I'm helping with the rescue."

The hostages blinked as they took that in. Some distance away from the Internal Security Force master chief, a brown-haired girl with wide blue eyes was staring in shocked disbelief at the newcomer.

_I KNOW HER!_ Seikou Mie railed in her mind.

* * *

"To quote the great cartoon . . . "

"'What a maroon!'" everyone in the corridor aft of the bridge chimed as one after Ataru closed the door behind him.

"Will they be able to sense how many people're aboard this ship now?" Nabiki wondered. "Especially since we're going to get . . . "

The deck lurched slightly. "Tractor beam," Kaneko warned.

"Perfect." Ataru glanced at the deckhead before he turned to Sakiko. "You can use your powers to lock in on Ryuunosuke, right?"

The flame-haired Nendo-kata winked. "Easy as pie, Darling."

"Okay. As soon as we're aboard, Ranma'll use the Umisen-ken to snatch Elle. I'll leave the moment to strike to you, okay." He stared at Ranma before turning to Seiko. "Seiko-chan, you stay with Ranma, help her as you see fit. Reiko-chan, Kaneko-chan, you'll come with Chikage and I." He looked to the others. "Rest of you, stay here. Hinako-chan, you keep the Staff locked on me." He tapped the Staff. "After I find the other girls, I'll give a signal and you use the Staff to bring us all aboard, okay?"

Hinako sniffed. "Hina wants to come with Onii-tama!"

Ataru firmly shook his head. "No. I don't want any knowledge of Bou-san to be plastered from one end of the galaxy to the other, Hinako-chan. You'll never know a moment's rest if that happens. Okay?"

The youngest sister nodded. "What of us, Aniue-sama?" Marie wondered.

Ataru gazed on the others. "The rest of you'll stay here. Miree, you're in charge of a rescue party in case things get out of hand. If I get caught -- which I'll try to avoid -- I'm counting on you to bail us out, alright?"

The Hollywoodite chief priestess nodded. "Of course."

A grinding noise echoed through the hull. "We're locking alongside, probably at one of their quarterdeck gangways," Reiko warned.

"How many people might be on hand?" Ranma wondered.

Seiko's eyes glowed as she directed her telepathic powers towards the patrol monitor. "There's about forty people within ten metres of us right now, Ranma. I . . . " She then grinned. "Good. Elle's waiting."

"Perfect." Ataru stared at Seiko and Sakiko. "Keep the use of your powers to a minimum. They might expect it from Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan, but not you. Same deal as with the Staff." He nodded towards Hinako in emphasis.

Marie shuddered. "Be careful, Aniue-sama."

"Everyone, let's get to the bridge," Miree ordered, waving those remaining behind through the door into the sloop's pilotage.

"Watch your back, Ranma-chan," Shinshi warned.

"I'll be cool," Ranma assured before she slipped under the ki cloak.

The grinding came to a halt. A clanging noise echoed. Ataru waved the others with him to the gangway. Sakiko slipped up to the airlock controls, nodding on seeing the readout. "Soft seal, Darling. We can go in."

She tapped controls to open the lock. Ataru blinked as the darker light of the Noukiite ship was instantly chased away by a tidal wave of bright light flooding in from the Ellsian monitor. His eyes adjusted to the light as he stepped aboard the _Rose Emperor_, finding himself in a breezeway leading to a circular reception area. Placing Reiko and Kaneko before him, he motioned his daughters forward. Seiko, Sakiko and Chikage fell in behind him, the invisible Ranma behind them. "Let's go," he whispered, waving the others with him.

Behind them, the _Windrider_'s airlock automatically closed. The small crowd boarding the _Rose Emperor_ ignored it as they stepped out of the breezeway onto the monitor's quarterdeck. Around them stood nearly three platoons worth of security troops, stun rifles at port arms. By the main doors leading into the remainder of the ship, there stood a familiar figure in a lime green battlesuit. "Oh! Hello again, Captain!" Ataru hailed with a smile on remembering the first Ellsian he had met a lifetime ago at Tomobiki High's clock tower. "It's been a while. Oh!" He caught himself, placing his hands on his daughters' shoulders. "Permission to come aboard."

The woman blinked. "Um . . .! Ah, granted, Mr. Groom! Granted . . . "

Her voice was cut off as the door behind her opened. "Honey!"

Reiko and Kaneko ducked as a white-and-red blur slammed into Ataru. Fortunately, since he was the only man standing on the quarterdeck at the time, Elle didn't repeat the faux pas she made when she first encountered Ataru (then accompanied by some of his classmates) back in Baran. "Hey!" Ataru grunted as the Rose Queen squeezed him. "Take it easy, Elle-chan! I need to breathe!"

Elle pulled back to give him a close look, a finger reaching up to stroke his beard. "This IS a great improvement," she cooed with delight, leaning in to rub her nose on the end of his chin. "It's been so long, Honey! I'm so delighted you've decided to come join me!"

He wriggled his eyebrows. "Well, much that I hate to remind you, you didn't give me much of a choice, I'm afraid."

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Elle made a dismissive wave with her hand. "They're all safe and sound, Honey. You needn't fear . . . " Her voice then trailed off as she saw the young girls flanking Ataru. "Who . . .?"

"Ah, sorry!" He then made introductions.

Elle's eyes widened. "Your daughters?!" she gasped before kneeling to gaze upon them. "Oh, they're so precious! And Yekhu, too!" She tapped their golden sun caste tattoos. "Well, only the best for Honey's babies, eh?"

Reiko stared up at Ataru. "She's really pretty, Papa."

He nodded as Elle straightened herself. "That she's always been." He leaned forward, his nose flaring slightly. "You remembered."

Elle's cheeks reddened. "You remembered for me, Honey . . . "

"I was happy to. Oh, good grief, I forgot!" He then turned around to indicate Chikage. "Since you've already met some of my sisters, here's another. Elle-chan, this is Chikage. Chikage, Elle."

Chikage curtly nodded. "Elle."

"A p-pl-pleasure, Ch-chi-Chikage-chan," the Rose Queen sputtered, a shiver running through her as the sorceress' dark eyes seemed to bore into her very soul. She then turned back to Ataru. "But Honey, where are Negako-chan, Marie-chan and Hinako-chan? And who are . . .?"

She indicated the Izumo sisters. Seiko and Sakiko then introduced themselves. "One of the people you kidnapped from Tomobiki is my girlfriend, Fujinami Ryuunosuke," the latter announced, keeping her voice level as she fought down the urge to lash out at this sub-creature. "A lot of people are very upset with you right now because of what you did, Your Majesty."

Elle made a dismissive wave with her hand. "Well, it was necessary. Besides, all the incidents provoked by the Devil's Daughter living there were far worse. And from what I've heard from them, you yourself don't seem to care too much about what happens to them, Honey." She gazed knowingly at Ataru.

"What do you expect?" Ataru shrugged, sensing Seiko quiver at Elle's barb. "If it wasn't Lum they were fawning over, it was Mendou." His eyebrow then arched. "Oh, speaking of which, what about him? Will you send him into the Refrigerator with the rest of your collection?"

"No, of course not." Elle then gave Ataru a thoughtful look. "Unless you want me to dispose of him myself, Honey . . . "

Ataru shook his head. "Nah, don't bother. Living well's the best revenge, after all. And he DOES have to get married this Saturday or else he'll get tossed out of his family. I don't want him to miss that."

The Rose Queen then tittered. "An odd revenge, indeed!" She took a deep breath before snapping her fingers. "Ladies!"

The guards instantly levelled their rifles on Ataru and his party. "I guessed you'd try that." He then barked, "NOW!"

Two telekinetically propelled waves of compressed air slammed into the guards and the captain, sending them flying into the bulkheads. The air behind Elle fizzled, revealing Ranma. "_**KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!**_" she barked as she rained a storm of punches into Elle's back, sending her flying against the glass bulkhead beside the breezeway leading to the _Windrider_.

* * *

"PIG-TAILED GIRL!"

Everyone shrieked as Kunou leapt to his feet, and then he lunged for the balcony. Yanking out a spare bokken, the kendou-ka roared as he unleashed his storm of righteous vengeance on the door. "_**THE BLUE THUNDER WILL SAVE YOU, MY PIG-TAILED ONE!**_" he bellowed as the door exploded from the air pressure.

Kunou lunged through, racing off with a determined scream. The crowd left on the main deck of the containment room gaped at the sight. Yotsuba then turned to her sisters. "Um . . . do we follow him out?!"

People exchanged looks. Noting this after she slipped the last of the pistols she had brought with her into the waistband of Shinobu's skirt, Tomo then tapped her communicator. "Yomi, this is Tomo! Something's happening! You got that damned transporter working or what?!"

"Just a second . . . " echoed in her ear, and then a belching noise nearly popped Tomo's eardrum. "Oh, DAMN . . .!"

"What?!"

"The transporter buffer's blown! Interference from those concussion missiles Ataru-sama fired from his ship!"

Tomo sighed, her head drooping. "It's always something . . .!"

"HEY!"

The Internal Security master chief's head snapped up just as a panicked scream echoed from her left by the balcony. Her eyes locked on a tall, brown-haired woman who currently had one of Ataru's old classmates in a headlock, a pistol pointed at the back of her head. "Momoe-chan!" Gekasawa Kumiko cried out on seeing her beloved friend being held at gunpoint by Seven Bake Rose.

"Oh, ki . . .!" Tomo muttered under her breath.

Yeah, it was ALWAYS something!

* * *

"GO!" Ataru barked as he raced for the door leading off the quarterdeck to the rest of the ship, his finger lashing out at the metal. "_**SHINZOU BAKUHATSU SHOKU!**_" he barked as it hit the door's breaking point.

It exploded. Ataru and Sakiko leapt through, they racing off towards the centre of the ship. Reiko, Kaneko and Chikage leapt through next. The twins snapped up a telekinetic defence field to block off a storm of stun bolts fired at them from a team of security officers charging at the women from aft. "_**OSCULUM PAPILIONIS!**_" Chikage barked as she unleashed her own attack.

Reiko and Kaneko ducked as the wall of ki mowed down the Ellsians like a giant bowling ball. "Where's the engine room?!" Chikage demanded as they raced down a corridor. "We need a distraction to give Ani-kun and Sakiko the chance to locate the others for Hinako to retrieve them!"

Reiko's eyes glowed, and then she pointed to her left and up. "There!"

Chikage's eyes narrowed as she focused her senses on the distant room in question. She then grabbed the twins' hands. "Come on!"

They vanished in the flutter of the sorceress' cape.

* * *

"Open the damned door!"

Marie pressed the panel to open the airlock. Elle's body was the first thing tossed through, followed by Ranma and Seiko. The latter hit the control to seal the lock, and then the intercom. "Miree, this is Seiko!" she called to the pilotage. "The ship's sealed! Break us free of them right away!"

"Hang on!" Miree's voice echoed throughout the _Windrider_ as the howl of metal being twisted echoed throughout the ship.

* * *

Chikage and the twins appeared in a cavernous, tubular space divided down the middle by a slender shaft blazing with energy. Taking note that the _Rose Emperor_'s main engine room could easily swallow the whole of the rotunda at Welcome House, the sorceress drew one of her crucifix-shaped magical charms from under her cape. Then, with a flick of her hand, she sent it flying into the monitor's warp core. The cross easily phased through the hardened glass keeping the blazing plasma within from escaping. Then, once it made contact with the energy in question, Chikage's charm flared.

By the time the outer containment shell of the warp core shattered, showering the surprised engineering crew with ultra-hot plasma, Chikage had already snared Reiko's and Kaneko's hands and teleported them to safety.

* * *

"Commander, the _Windrider_ is breaking free of the airlock!"

The first officer jolted before she looked to the view screen to see the sloop pulling clear of the _Rose Emperor_. "Tractor it . . .!"

The deck lurched as a explosion echoed through the ship, the shockwave from that sending everyone flying out of their chairs to smash into consoles and the deck. A computerized voice warned, "_Alert! Alert! Warp core breech in progress! Estimate time to critical overload, three minutes. All personnel, abandon ship! All personnel, abandon ship! Alert! Alert . . .!_"

The first officer paled. "The warp core?"

* * *

"Uh-oh!" Hinako said as she watched a plume of exploding gas erupt from the hull of the _Rose Emperor_. "Someone broke their ship!"

"It's a warp-core breach, Mother," Jonna reported. "I estimate three minutes before her singularity core goes critical."

"We best be clear when it happens." Miree grimaced. "Any chance of scanning into that ship to find the others?"

"Trying now, ma'am," Nobuko reported from her station.

* * *

"Aria-chan, are you alright?!"

"It . . .!" The young Parisian sniffed as Sakuya laid a broken part of Mendou's katana sheath against her lower left arm. "Hurts . . . " she moaned as Sakuya took the ripped sleeves of Mamoru's sweat top to tie the makeshift splint on Aria's arm. "Kusun . . . " she quietly sobbed.

As the sisters administered to their sibling, Tomo was keeping her pistol (the one she had hidden in Shinobu's skirt) trained on Seven Bake Rose's forehead. The mercenary had kept her footing when the ship had lurched, her grip on Momoe's neck tightening even more. "Drop the pistol, girlie!" Rose snarled. "Or this little pretty gets a new ear!"

"You're hearing your ship's computer right now," the Internal Security officer reported. The faint echo of the ship's computer rebounded from the corridor beyond the observation balcony. "We've got less than three minutes to clear out of this junkheap before we all get a one-way ticket into the Te'a. So let's call it a day and let the girl go."

Rose cackled. "Not a chance, honey."

* * *

"Darling, Rose has Momoe-san hostage right under the balcony," Sakiko whispered as she and Ataru crouched to either side of the doorway leading into the balcony. "Her gun's pointed at Momoe-san's head. I don't recognize the girl who came in here, but she feels like an Avalonian . . . "

"Never mind," Ataru quietly cut her off as he drew out his Lawgiver from under his camouflage cape. "Hinako-chan . . .?" he hissed.

_What is it, Onii-tama?_ Hinako's voice echoed in their minds.

"We've got a hostage situation. The creep who kidnapped Karen-chan and the others is holding one of my old classmates hostage. Can you get the Staff to beam everyone else back to the 'Windrider' while I deal with this jerk?"

_Onii-tama, Hina can save her . . .!_

"No," he hissed. "If Rose senses anything, she could squeeze the trigger and kill Momoe. The sisters first. Ten seconds."

_Okay!_

Sakiko stared curiously at him. "Darling . . . "

He gave her a weak smile. "They have to understand, Sakiko-chan."

* * *

A noise echoed through the room. "Hey, what's . . .?!" Rinrin gasped.

Before she could say "that," a flash of energy blinded everyone in the room as the Staff of Gihan whisked away Ataru's sisters. As the light receded to normal, a lithe form leapt off the balcony, somersaulting himself around to make a three-point landing on the deck close to Shinobu and Tomo. Another person landed right in front of Ryuunosuke. By the time Rose's vision began to clear, the mercenary turning to see that nine of the hostages had just vanished right before her eyes, a snarling voice barked out, "_**DROP IT!**_"

Her eyes locked on a bearded figure in camouflage in a classic kneeling position, a gun aimed at her. Quickly sensing who it was, Rose roared as her gun hand, which had shifted to shield her eyes when the sisters were taken away by the Staff of Gihan, began to drop down so she could aim her weapon at the back of Marubeya Momoe's head. "MOROBOSHI, DON'T . . .!" Mendou screamed.

The Lawgiver barked, the bolt of highly charged energy punching Seven Bake Rose right through the bridge of her nose! As the mercenary's brain was pulped, the impact sent her flying into the bulkhead behind Momoe. The latter was able to stumble clear before she collapsed to the deck, her head snapping around automatically to stare at her captor. The look on Rose's face seemed frozen in shock and disbelief as the dead mercenary sank to the deck, her pistol dropping from an unfeeling hand to clatter on hard metal.

"Perp's down!" Tomo barked.

Ataru took a deep breath, and then he lowered his weapon. Standing, he holstered the Lawgiver as several of the others moved closer to him. Shinobu and Kumiko ran over to help the shivering Momoe. "Fuckin' stone cold or what?!" Koi Shinjin muttered under his breath as he stared at the dead Rose.

"Damn good shot, though!" Ryuunosuke added, and then she gasped as Sakiko embraced her. "Hey, what took you so long, Sakiko-chan?!"

"Traffic!" Sakiko whispered as she kissed her lover's cheek.

By then, Momoe had been shifted closer to the rest of her classmates. The former was starting wide-eyed at Ataru, speechless at what just happened. Before anyone could say anything more, a tremble shook the deck. "We better get outta here!" Tomo warned before she tapped her communicator. "Yomi, PLEASE tell me that you got that damned transporter fixed?!"

"I'm working on it!" the engineer's voice echoed in her bond-mate's ear.

_Tomo-chan, Bou-san can send you back to Yomi-chan!_ Hinako called out.

"Okay, do it!" Tomo called back before she gazed on Ataru. "By your leave, Ataru-sama!" she said, saluting him with her pistol.

Ataru blinked as the Sagussan vanished. "Wait . . .!" Mendou gasped.

"Who WAS that girl, anyway?!" Tomomi demanded.

"Don't look at me," Ataru asserted with a shake of his head, and then he looked up. "Hinako-chan, if you wouldn't mind?!"

* * *

Hinako raised the Staff as the crystal flared. "Hai, hai!"

* * *

"MOROBOSHI! Where are you, you slime . . .?! Urk . . .!"

"Help . . .!"

Kunou turned before he gasped on seeing a woman about Ninomiya Hinako's age, she in a green strapless bodysuit similar to what the other women on this ship wore, hanging on for dear life from being sucked out a shattered doorway into deep space. Air was steadily rushing out that breech in the ship's hull; despite there being an atmospheric containment field fitted in this part of the _Rose Emperor_, it wasn't forging a perfect seal. He grabbed her arm, and then braced himself as he pulled her into the main hallway.

The captain threw her arms around the helpful young man's waist as he pulled them towards the nearest airtight door down the hallway. Strewn on the deck was a pile of unconscious security officers. As they moved, the ship's computer dutifully noted the countdown, "_ . . . breech in progress! Estimate time to critical overload, two minutes twenty seconds. All personnel, abandon ship! All personnel, abandon ship . . .!_"

"We must leave this ship!" Kunou grunted.

"Escape pods . . . " the captain gasped.

"Where?!"

She reached over to open the airlock. "Past the door . . . "

A strong wind flowed through the door, causing the crew moving to escape their doomed ship to cry out with surprise. "Captain!" one of them screamed in relief on recognizing the woman presently hugging Kunou. She then raced over to help them. "Here, sir! This way!" She pointed to a waiting pod.

"The others!" the kendou-ka snapped.

He lunged to pick up three of the security officers, and then he passed them back through a chain of crewmembers to load into the pods. By the time the computer announced that the _Rose Emperor_ had ninety seconds to live, the last of that group were safely in their escape vehicles. "This way, sir!" one of the crewmembers called out as she grabbed Kunou, and then she forced him into a pod holding the captain. "Thank you for saving our commander, sir!" she then said before she closed and sealed the hatch.

Kunou grunted as the ejection bolts were blown. He then gazed out the small view port in the middle of the hatch as the escape pod flew clear. "Will they be safe . . .?" he whispered before he sensed a slender hand grasp his. Turning to look, he then nearly passed out in shock as a teary-eyed young captain swamped him with a warm hug and kiss.

They remained still for a moment, and then she pulled back from him, a relieved smile crossing her face. "They should be fine," she whispered, her voice still quite hoarse from about a minute's exposure to near vacuum. "There are only about three hundred people aboard my ship. Escape pods are readily accessible all over." Taking another breath, she then blushed. "I'm sorry. We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Anna du Kohln. May I know the name of the gallant rescuer who just saved my life?"

He stiffened proudly. "My dear, I am . . . " he launched into his usual introductory spiel, and then his voice trailed off before he relaxed. "My name is Kunou Tatewaki, Anna-san. I was happy to help. And I pray . . . " -- he looked through the view port -- " . . . that your crew also escapes what is about to happen to your ship. Do you . . .?"

"No!" Anna leaned against him. "Please don't make me look."

Kunou gazed on her before he nodded, he placing a hand on her hair.

* * *

Karen fretted. "Onii-chan, are they going to make it out?"

"Hinako-chan?"

Hinako listened to the Staff's response, and then she turned to Ataru. "Bou-san says that when the ship goes _boom_, a lot of those little ships are going to go _boom_, too . . . " She then sniffed. "This isn't any fun . . . "

"Hinako-chan, can the Staff contain the explosion?!" Rinrin asked.

Hinako jolted before she relaxed as she listened to the Staff's response. "Hai!" she replied with a smile, and then she frowned, gazing fretfully at the bridge deck. "But Bou-san says she'll have to go to sleep for a while . . . "

"Never mind, Hinako-chan! Do it!" Ataru barked.

"Hai!"

The Staff flared.

* * *

"Thirty seconds," Nassur intoned.

Benten tensed. "Not all of 'em are gonna make it."

"Maybe . . . " Dakejinzou's eyes then went wide. "Gods!"

A bolt of _something_ leapt out of the _Windrider_, it moulding into a spheroid of energy encompassing the _Rose Emperor_. "What in the name of the Fates is that?" Oyuki gasped as everyone morbidly watched.

"Are any of the escape pods inside that field?!" Dakejinzou asked.

"Negative," Nassur said after checking the readout. "Fifteen seconds."

Everyone on the _Goddess_ braced themselves as the Vosian made the countdown. On reaching "zero," people automatically averted their eyes as the main hull of the patrol monitor exploded. Fragments of the ship slammed into the energy field surrounding her, shattering into nothingness as the force of the detonating warp core was forced straight up through the metal "petals" forming the ship's rose flower-shaped superstructure. Within two seconds, the only thing of the _Rose Emperor_ larger than microscopic-sized fragments were the several dozen escape pods spared being caught in their mothership's death-throes by the energy emitting from the _Windrider_. Another second later, the near vacuum of surrounding space snuffed out the last of the fires as the shield protecting her escape pods faded from existence. Silence fell on the bridge as people exchanged shocked looks. A buzzer then sounded off.

"Ah." Oyuki jolted before she turned to stare at the readout before her. "Um . . . I . . . the _Windrider_ is hailing us, Shogai-sama."

Dakejinzou tapped a control. "Right . . . "

On the view screen, Izumo Seiko appeared, currently seated in the _Windrider_'s central chair. "Hi, Shogai-san . . .!" she hailed before her eyes went wide on seeing who else was there with the alien bounty hunter. "Nassur-chan! Benten! Oyuki-chan! What are you guys doing here?!"

Shocked silence responded. "Well, we were coming by to look in on you, your sister and Ten-chan, Lu- . . .!" Nassur caught himself, flustering, and then he nodded in apology. "Er, Seiko-chan! Sorry!"

Seiko waved him down. "It's okay . . . "

As a giant brown eye appeared on the screen, staring at the people on the _Goddess_ via a HUGE spy glass. "CUTE ALIEN CHECKY!"

"YOTSUBA! GET AWAY FROM THERE!" someone yelled from off-screen.

A handsome young man stepped into view to drag Yotsuba away. "Yo-chan, don't butt in! You can check them later!"

"Yotsuba wants to check them NOW!" the would-be detective whined.

His voice then turned sultry as he leaned close. "Yo-chan, I have something very nice for you to check," he sensuously purred.

Yotsuba jolted as her mind wrapped around that comment. She then quickly shoved Shinshi out of camera range. "Yotsuba has to do her checky of Shi-chama somewhere private!" she declared as they headed off the barque's pilotage.

Sweat drops appeared. "Lum, who the FUCK was THAT?!" Benten demanded.

"HEY!" An older girl with absurdly long ponytails jutted into the camera range. "Who's the trash-mouth over there?!"

"That's gotta be Benten," a younger woman called from off-screen. "Anii said she could out-swear a pack of drunken bikers!"

Benten exploded. "HEY! I RESENT THAT!"

"Actually, Benten, I believe Ataru was giving you a compliment."

She stopped before she glared at the Neptunian. "Et tu, Oyuki?"

"This is YOUR friend, Seiko-san?" another girl asked from off-screen.

Nassur and Dakejinzou were both quick to notice the slight flush crossing the Oni-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran's face as she faced her questioner. "W-well, B-b-Benten takes a lot to get used to, K-k-Karen-san . . . "

Dakejinzou gazed on Nassur, she glad they possessed a Vosian pe'cha bond so they could communicate in private. _What's with her?_

Nassur shrugged. _Search me! Must be a Nendo-kata thing . . . _

"Sakuya-sama, long-distance sensors are picking up a Zephyrite crusader fleet now de-warping from Magairu," another woman reported from off-screen. "The force commander just signalled us. They're commencing rescue operations."

"Any problems?" the girl with the long ponytails demanded.

"Negative, Sakuya-sama, but the force commander would like to know what has happened to Elle," the other girl replied.

"Ya mean Anee can't beat her up ta make her leave Anii alone?!" the girl who had spoken of Benten's profane loquaciousness asked.

Sakuya hummed. "I think we'll need to get a message across to these dorks about Elle and her so-called 'interest' in Onii-sama."

"What do you intend to do, Sakuya-chan?" Karen asked.

"Orin-chan, can we beam a signal into those life pods?"

"Easily," the woman who reported on the arriving Zephyrites replied. "Would you like to make it a live broadcast, Sakuya-sama?"

"Hai. Haruka-chan, you're here, but where's Chikage-chan . . .?"

"Here."

Screams echoed from all over the "Windrider's" pilotage. "_**CHIKAGE! WILL YOU STOP DOING THAT?!**_" over a half-dozen women's voices bellowed.

"Stop doing what?" another woman tonelessly asked.

Moans responded. "Sounds a lot like Cherry, eh?" Benten mused.

Oyuki shook her head. "That could be said."

* * *

"Are you able now to communicate with your shipmates, Anna-san?"

Anna twisted a wire sticking out of the emergency communications unit, and then she adjusted the tuning. "I think so. Let's see . . . "

A garbled squawking noise belched from the speakers before a woman's voice called out, " . . . -llo, minna-san! I hope you can hear me!"

"Who's that?!" Kunou demanded. "She sounds familiar . . . "

The last captain of the _Rose Emperor_ blinked before she grimaced as she recalled where she first heard that voice. "That's Sukeyama Sakuya. She's one of Moroboshi Ataru's sisters. Let's see, now . . . " She gazed at the controls. "Okay, it's a visual signal . . . "

Kunou blinked. "Another sister . . .?"

Anna tapped a control. A tiny view screen at one end of the life pod flicked on, revealing the image of three young women. "Violet One!" Kunou yelped on recognizing the dark-dressed one to the right of the screen.

"This message will be repeated as long as you're stuck inside those lifeboats," the girl standing in the middle announced, her fists on her hips. "For those of you formerly of the _Rose Emperor_ who didn't get the news by the time we were rudely kidnapped from Onii-sama's home by your queen, I'm one of Moroboshi Ataru's sisters, Sukeyama Sakuya. These ladies beside me . . . " -- she indicated her companions -- " . . . are also Onii-sama's sisters, Hirosaki Chikage . . . " -- Kunou perked as Sakuya waved to his violet-haired temptress -- " . . . and Tenhiro Haruka." She indicated the other woman, a very beautiful black-haired girl dressed in a pink-and-black hakama.

"Now, I'm sure that a lot of you are pissed off at the fact that Onii-sama, in rescuing us and those people from Tomobiki your queen also kidnapped, managed to blow your starship up." Sakuya faced the camera. "I'm sure if it happened to me, I'd be pretty angry too. But before you get any funny ideas, you better know now that a Zephyrite crusader squadron is arriving in the area. A Noukiite task force is about another hour away, so you won't have to stay in those little life pods for much longer. So if you gotta go, hang on and you'll get plucked out of there as soon as it can be arranged.

"As for your so-called 'queen,' she is currently our prisoner aboard Onii-sama's ship." The smile then slipped from Sakuya's face. "As we speak, Onii-sama's REAL fiancée is having a _discussion_ with Elle about her coveting our brother for no reason whatsoever. Despite what you might have heard, Onii-sama does NOT, nor will he EVER, want anything to do with Elle! So, after Onii-sama's fiancée gets done with Elle, we'll transfer her over to the Zephyrite Inquisition. You can probably guess what'll happen next."

Anna paled. "No . . .!"

"What is she talking about?" Kunou demanded.

" . . . if you people are hoping the Inquisition'll let your queen off the hook that easy, think again," Sakuya added, her voice ice-cold. "During the rescue, one of our younger sisters nearly broke her arm and a few of Onii-sama's old classmates got bruised up pretty badly when your ship's warp core went on the fritz. And all of us who got kidnapped, not to mention our parents and friends back on Earth, are VERY peeved at Elle for pulling this garbage! So if any of you get any ideas about revenge, I suggest you keep in mind that the United Nations are going to be inviting the Zephyrites and the Noukiites to take up PERMANENT residence in our solar system until such time as we've caught up with our interstellar neighbours. Besides . . . " A smile crossed her face. "From what Onii-sama told me, your planet's monarch is elected into her post. Maybe when you get back home, you might force your Senate to IMPEACH Elle and get a more COMPETENT person on that throne. Think about it!"

She winked as she pointed at the camera. The image then faded for a moment before it began to replay. Anna stared at the screen before she reached over to switch off the feed. Gazing at the captain, Kunou was quick to see the lost look on her face. "Anna-san . . .?" He gripped her shoulders.

She quaked, tears brimming in her eyes. "I can't believe this . . . " she whispered. "This isn't the Mr. Groom we met a year ago . . . "

"Moroboshi?!" the kendou-ka probed.

"Yes . . . " she stammered, allowing her companion to draw her into an embrace. "A year ago, Mr. Groom was so . . .! So carefree! He seemed so RIGHT for the Queen to marry! And now . . . " She waved to the blank video screen. "Look how easily he . . .! He . . . "

A sob escaped her as she hugged him. Kunou remained in place, a hand threading through her hair as he gazed out the view port.

* * *

"Mission accomplished!" Tomo declared as she slumped into the chair beside Koyomi, once again dressed in her duty uniform.

The latter nodded as she tapped controls to guide the _Haengge'cha_ away. Setting a course that would allow the Sagussan courier to present a wide birth to the arriving Zephyrite fleet -- not to mention get them clear of the disturbed areas of subspace which had become even MORE disturbed because of the destruction of the _Rose Emperor_ -- the chief engineer artificer then sent her ship into warp for the trip back to Earth and a rendezvous with the _Kiboo'cha_. "You really didn't do much in the long term."

"At least I held off that bitch before Ataru-sama got there," Tomo noted.

"True, true."

* * *

"So where the hell did Ataru get hold of this ship, anyway?"

The members of Shinobu's homeroom class were standing in the hallway aft of the pilotage. When they had come aboard, Ataru had guided Shinobu, Kumiko and Momoe into the master's cabin at the aft port end of the deck before he headed to the bridge to deal with the _Rose Emperor_'s destruction, and then he headed back to look in on Momoe. Since the _Windrider_ didn't have a separate master (the owner) and commander (the captain) -- Ataru was seen as both in the eyes of Dominion authorities -- only one of the two large cabins aft was prepped for full-time use. The other acted as a guest cabin.

"Search me, man," Ryuunosuke replied to Shinjin's question as everyone took in the details around them. A few of the students had tried the doors leading into the sisters' cabins, but found all of them locked; Ataru had a security system fitted into the _Windrider_ that would respond only if he, his sisters or any of the ship's android crew wanted to access those spaces.

"This isn't Urusian construction by any stretch of the imagination," Mendou noted. "Is this a Noukiite ship, Sakiko-san?"

"Hai, it is," Sakiko replied, having just given the remainder of the people there a cursory pass with her empathic powers to gauge their current mood. For almost all of them, the prevailing mood was shock, clearly thanks to what they had just witnessed aboard the _Rose Emperor_ before Hinako had brought them aboard the _Windrider_ with the Staff of Gihan. If she worded her response correctly, she wouldn't accidentally let it be known to everyone else that Lum was, in a sense of the term, alive. "He got the ship as a reward for his helping the Noukiites deal with the Urusians, especially those leaders in government who might've been involved in the murder of his grandmother."

Ryuunosuke snapped around. "The Onis killed Moroboshi's grandmother?!"

"Yes," Sakiko replied. "She had close ties to the Zephyrites, Ryuu-chan. If the Urusians' plans for the First Tag Race -- had he lost, of course -- were to work, the Zephyrites had to be pushed out of the way. Killing Nagaiwakai-sama guaranteed that." A sad smile crossed her face. "What they didn't count on was the fact that Negako-san could tell the difference between murder and dying by heartbreak. Not to mention the Zephyrites being willing enough to wait until the time was right to deal with them."

The tomboy considered that, and then she breathed out, "Shit . . . "

The door to the master's cabin then opened, Ataru emerging. "Moroboshi . . .?" Mendou called out to him.

Footsteps heralded Shirayuki's arrival from the galley a deck below, a small tea tray in hand. "Nii-sama, here you are!"

"'Nii-sama' . . . " some of the students around them muttered.

"Great! Thanks!" Ataru replied as he took the tray and headed back.

The door closed behind him. Shirayuki nodded, turning to head back to the galley. Before she could take a step, she found her way blocked by Koi Shinjin. "Hey, hold on a minute!" he said as he tried to glare her down. "How the heck can you be Ataru's sister?! He doesn't HAVE sisters!"

Shirayuki stared at her questioner before a snicker escaped her, and then she moved to walk past him. "Silly boy! Hime was adopted into Nii-sama's family!" That had been the explanation the sisters had agreed to use if or when they ever encountered anyone from their brother's past.

"So where's Ataru-kun living now?" a girl asked.

Shirayuki stared at them for a moment, and then she sighed. "Himitsu desu no!" she declared before walking past Shinjin.

Everyone remained rooted in place as the chef descended to the galley level. "Hey, Sakiko-chan, ya ever get the funny feeling that these girls've been proofed against everyone in Tomobiki?" Ryuunosuke whispered to her lover.

"Most likely," Sakiko replied.

Everyone jolted as the _Windrider_ shook from stem to stern, a series of _clangs!_ echoing through the hull. "What the hell's that?!" one boy demanded.

The door to the pilotage opened, revealing Sakuya. "Okay, everyone! Good news!" the eldest sister declared. "We just docked alongside a Zephyrite warship. They've got a courier ready to take you back to Tomobiki right away!"

"You're not coming back with us, Sakuya-san?" Sakiko asked.

Sakuya shook her head as the door to the master's cabin opened to reveal Ataru, Shinobu and Kumiko. "Nope. We've got someplace else to go to first. As to where that might be, well . . . " She then winked. "It's a secret."

Before anyone else could react, Mendou zipped up to grasp Sakuya's hand in his own. "Sakuya-san, we can only thank you enough for your more-than-generous hospitality in our time of need," he stated as he gave her a heart-melting gaze, one guaranteed to succeed in winning a girl to his side.

Sakuya's response was to reach up and forcefully tap Mendou's hand away from hers. "Don't touch," the former warned as she sent her Onii-sama's rival a look that could melt lead. "I've got no time to play with a jerk like you!"

Seeing that, Mendou staggered back, the surprise he felt at Sakuya's reaction etched over his face. That caused everyone to blink in shock as they exchanged looks. "Guess we were right about Moroboshi proofin' his sisters against us," Ryuunosuke whispered to Sakiko.

Sakiko giggled. Shinobu glanced at Ataru, surprised to see a calm look on his face. "Ataru-kun, aren't you going to say anything?"

He returned her look. "About what, Miyake-san?"

Shinobu jolted; like Ranma's fiancées had reacted to her addressing them so formally, she wasn't used to being called anything else but "Shinobu-chan" by her former boyfriend. "Mendou-san just tried to molest your sister!"

Mendou spun on her, his eyes widening even more. "Shinobu-san . . . "

"Well, I really can't do anything about it, Miyake-san," Ataru admitted before snapping his fingers as he realized something. "Although . . . " Everyone blinked as they watched him straighten. "Mendou Shuutarou-san."

Mendou jolted. "Moroboshi . . . "

Ataru then bowed. "I give you my most sincere apologies, Mendou-san."

Silence.

More silence.

Still more silence.

Then . . .

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Mendou screamed out.

"For my behaviour concerning your sister, Ryooko," Ataru added, ignoring the chorus of snickers from the boys in the room, not to mention the Avalonians in Shinobu's class and Seikou Mie. Mendou remained frozen in place, a shocked look on his face as the future patriarch of the Moroboshi Clan continued, "Even though Ryooko-san has often tried her best to drive you totally insane, your love for her shone through like a nova every time you believed her personal space and dignity were in danger. Given my own relations with my sisters, it is an inspiration to look upon how much you love and care for your own sister. Many times in the past have I taken advantage of that whenever my own lusts overwhelmed me when I was in Ryooko-san's presence. Be assured, I will gladly offer her my own apologies for my behaviour vis-à-vis her in the past. And I give you my assurances that such behaviour will never occur again."

Silence fell over the scene as Ataru straightened himself, he calmly waiting for Mendou's reply. The scion of Japan's richest family remained as still as a statue, his hands raised as if he was warding off an evil spirit. The others from the rivals' former class looked first at Ataru, and then at Mendou, and then back to Ataru again. Finally, Sakuya breathed out, "Well, Onii-sama, since you've apologized to this idiot, what say we get the Inquisition aboard here so Miyake-san and the others can go home?"

"Hai," Ataru replied.

* * *

"Are you people alright?!"

"Yes!" A panting Kunou Tatewaki nodded as the escape pod's hatch was opened, revealing what appeared to be two flight deck technicians dressed in blank work jumpsuits. Both, as standard for most Zephyrites, resembled Europeans from Germany and the Scandinavian nations. "Where are we . . .?" He looked outside, shifting himself to give Anna a chance to look herself.

"Aboard the Holy Republic starship _Windrider Dreams_," one technician reported, the lack of lip-synch more distracting than the black phoenix tattoo on his and his companion's cheeks. "You're not Ellsian, are you?"

"No!" The kendou-ka nodded as the other tech helped him out of the pod. "I'm from Earth. Japan to be exact. I was absconded from my high school by Anna-san's friends at the direct order of her queen . . . "

"Ah!" The technician laughed as he helped the late _Rose Emperor_'s captain out of the pod. "Your queen didn't fancy the idea of challenging the grandson of a Righteous Gentile without some insurance, eh?"

Kunou perked. "'Righteous Gentile' . . .?!"

Reverent looks appeared on their faces. "The Most Righteous Lady Nagaiwakai Moroboshi, may Eternity bless her for all she did. She was from Japan herself," one of them noted. He then sniffed back a tear as both gazed on the deckhead. "I'll wager that all the Spirits in the Heavens Themselves wept after those heretic Urusians assassinated her!"

"Don't worry about it." His companion patted his shoulder. "The Inquisition and the Noukiites dealt with those heretics."

"Aye, true . . . "

"Captain du Kohln?"

Anna perked as a beautiful woman Elle's age walked up. Dressed in a dark blue jumpsuit with a red version of the Zephyrite broken phoenix insignia on her chest, she had long, wavy blonde hair and deep blue eyes. The rank insignia on her collars quickly identified her to the "Rose Emperor's" captain as a captain herself, no doubt this ship's commander. She straightened herself, nodding. "Yes, I am she. And you are . . .?"

The new arrival respectfully bowed to the older woman. "Captain Sunhair Windrider, PRCZ, commander of the _Windrider Dreams_."

Anna took a deep breath. Even if, in a way, she could be seen as a prisoner aboard the Zephyrite battlecruiser, she still had her duty to her own crew to perform. "What of my crew, Captain Windrider?" she asked.

"We're pulling the last of the escape pods aboard now," the Zephyrite commander reported as the hangar deck technicians headed off to carry on with their duties. "The count might change as soon as stations report in, but according to my science chief, about two hundred and thirty got clear of your ship before her warp core detonated." Her eyes bowed. Death in space was NEVER pretty. "The chances are very good that the majority of your casualties might all come from your engineering crew, Captain . . . "

"Not to mention those of the security detail Mr. Groom's friends aboard his ship allowed to be sucked into space when that ship pulled away from mine just as the warp core started to overload," Anna added.

The Zephyrite commander blinked before she nodded understandingly. "Well, that's the price you had to pay when you kidnapped Ataru-chan's sisters just so your so-called 'queen' could marry her precious 'Honey' . . . "

"'Ataru-CHAN?!'"

Eyes locked on Kunou. The shock on the kendou-ka's face took the two starship commanders by surprise. Anna then spun on their host. "Excuse me, Captain Windrider, I don't mean to sound shocked, but you KNOW him?!"

A beautiful smile crossed the younger woman's face, her eyes glistening with delight for a moment. "Of course I do, Captain du Kohln. As you might know, my father is Magistrate-Bishop Fireye Windrider, the chief administrator of Magairu. He was very good friends with Ataru-chan's grandmother. I met Ataru-chan myself when we both young adolescents. In fact . . . " -- her smile slipped -- " . . . if things hadn't gone wrong five years ago, I might have been engaged to him." A knowing look crossed her face. "I guess you can suspect what our government's reaction might have been if your queen tried to press her own claims on Ataru-chan had THAT happened. Ne?"

Anna blinked before she nodded. Then, to both ladies' surprise, the man beside her lunged over to grab Sunhair's hands. "Miss, how could you even THINK of holding any feelings for that lecher- . . .?!" Kunou demanded.

The echoed _clicks!_ of dozens of firearm safety switches being turned froze the kendou-ka in place. Anna quickly looked around, her eyes picking out the members of the ship's security team glaring her way, Lawgiver pistols and even the odd Peacemaker rifle aimed at Kunou. Glad to see that her ship's crew were still on the ball for a team of home guardsmen -- naval reservists -- just recently brought up to crusader -- active naval -- status, Sunhair slipped her hand away from Kunou's grasp. "I thought you were from Earth," she spoke in accented Japanese, without need of translator. "No doubt, you're that ultra-rich heretic, Mendou Shuutarou. I've heard from some friends of Ataru-chan's grandmother about all the times you've tried to kill Ataru-chan . . . "

"Um, excuse me, Captain . . . "

Sunhair stared at Anna. "What?"

"This isn't Mendou Shuutarou."

"Oh?" The younger captain then stared at Kunou. "So who are you anyway and what's your problem with Ataru-chan?"

Shuddering at the total lack of apprehension this lovely woman showed concerning the vile beast Moroboshi, Kunou straightened himself as he launched into his normal introduction. "I, Captain, am the Blue Thunder of Fuurinkan High School, the rising star of the kendou world, Kunou Tatewaki . . . "

He drew his bokken, and then he yelped as several bolts of energy disintegrated the wooden sword! Quickly drawing his hand down, he looked wildly around the hangar to spot all those who had fired on him. "I see, then." Sunhair crossed her arms, making a finger gesture to her crew to make them stand down. "Fuurinkan? Is that in Tomobiki, by any chance? I've personally never been to that warren of heretics myself . . . "

"No, ma'am," Anna cut in. "We obtained Tatewaki from the Nerima district of Tokyo. It's to the east of Tomobiki. I assume the school he was at when we beamed him aboard is the one he currently states he's attending . . . "

"Foul traitors!" Kunou growled, that statement causing both women to gaze on him. "Was I not distracted by the lovely violet-haired one who's forced to claim that beast as blood-kin, I would've put them all into line . . . "

"'Violet-haired one?'" Sunhair asked.

"One of Mr. Groom's sisters," Anna said. "Chikage, to be exact."

"Right," the Zephyrite drawled before she glared anew at Kunou, who was still muttering about what his classmates had done to him after lunch. "So what exactly did Chikage-chan do that 'distracted' you so much, Kunou-san?"

The kendou-ka stopped. "The beauteous Chikage was testing her skills against me. I was about to defeat her, of course . . . " His voice trailed off as a surprised grin crosses Sunhair's face before peals of laughter escaped the Zephyrite. "What's so funny?!" he then demanded.

"YOU?!" Sunhair shrieked, pointing at him. "Defeat CHIKAGE?!"

"But of course!" Kunou affirmed with a snort, trying not to twitch from what Sunhair's laughter implied. "Only the late, beloved Tendou Akane and the fiery pig-tailed girl can defeat the Blue Thunder in combat . . .!"

"Oh, REALLY?!" the Zephyrite wondered. "Kunou-san, a word of advice before I have you escorted to the brig while we process Captain du Kohln's crew for repatriation! From what I've heard, Chikage-chan only ranks below Ataru-chan's adopted sister Negako in martial arts skill! And Negako-chan is one of the best martial artists on your planet, PERIOD! I suggest that when you finally get back to Tokyo, you take a crash course in something called 'reality' before you think of challenging Ataru-chan's relatives!"

She turned away. "Also . . . " She snapped her fingers.

Kunou yelped as a bolt from a Lawgiver slammed into him, sending him into the deck. Anna screamed, and then she moved to help him as Sunhair glanced over her shoulder. "I don't tolerate ANY insults directed at Ataru-chan OR members of his family, Kunou-san. Especially aboard my ship!" Her voice turned to ice as she gazed on her crew. "The brig!" she barked out.

"YES, MA'AM!" a dozen voices chanted in turn.

* * *

"Ooooh . . . "

"About time you got up, Elle."

The Rose Queen gasped as lances of PAIN ripped through her spine and ribs, her eyes fluttering. Blinking confusedly on finding herself in a dimly lit room no bigger than a storage closet on the _Rose Emperor_, she grunted as she tried to get back up. She then collapsed on the mat protecting her from the chilly deck. "Wh-where . . .?" She blinked on spotting a pair of feet. Turning to look, she then glanced up to stare into Seiko's impassive face. "Y-you . . .?" Elle sputtered as she tried to sit up. "Wh-what . . .?"

"You're aboard Darling's ship right now," Seiko declared, her arms crossed. "Your own ship's warp core was destroyed when you were captured and brought aboard. Most of your crew made it to the life pods, but your ship's gone. Fortunately for you . . . " -- her eyes narrowed -- " . . . Darling's sisters and his old classmates all made it out alive and intact, though Aria-chan nearly broke her arm along the way."

Elle blinked before a chill warped through her as the word "darling" set off a warning bell deep in her mind. "Why are you . . .?" she hissed as she peered at Seiko, and then her eyes went wide. "No!" She gulped. "L-l-Lum?"

The Oni-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran smirked. "In part."

They stared at each other. The Rose Queen then grunted as she moved to get back to her feet. Seiko remained in place, not moving to either assist or hinder her former rival as Elle nearly dropped back onto her face when the scalding pain in her spine overwhelmed her. Finally, Elle got back to her feet, though she slumped against a bulkhead opposite Seiko, panting heavily as she fought back the tears streaming down her cheeks. "This . . .!" she spat out, glaring at Seiko. "This is . . . an outrage . . .!"

"An outrage?!" a woman's voice echoed from every point in the room. "Then what do you call kidnappin' Ataru's sisters, bitch?!"

Elle gasped, paling as the air between her and Seiko fizzled, revealing the presence of a busty redhead with eyes as blue as a clear sky. Before the Rose Queen could stammer out a question, Ranma walked over, slamming her hand around the Ellsian's neck. Elle croaked as her air was cut off, and then she was effortlessly boosted off her shaking legs. "So this is the little bitch who loves ta store guys inside some big refrigerator to 'preserve' their love for her, huh?!" the martial artist said with an icy sneer as she yanked Elle over so they could gaze eye-to-eye. "I sure as hell ain't impressed, Seiko. Why didn't you off this bitch when you had the chance?!"

"Much that the temptation was there to do just that, she IS a recognized head-of-state, Ranma," Seiko reported, shaking her head. "Atop that, when we accidentally got shot back in time after my friends and I rescued Darling from the Baran Cathedral, we learned that Darling never did touch Elle's shadow when they had their shadow-tag game. We assumed . . . "

"The whole thing wasn't legal, so there should've been no worries about this bitch ever coming back to hurt Ataru again, right?"

"Hai."

"You . . . can't . . . "

Ranma sneered as she leaned close to Elle. "Can't what?"

"Judge me . . . " Elle's hands reached up to pull Ranma's arm away. She gasped as Ataru's girlfriend increased the pressure. "You won't . . .!"

"What? Get away with this? Boy, are YOU livin' in a dream world, girl!" Ranma grinned as she cupped her free hand. "Kontou . . .!"

A buzzing noise filled the room as the soulsword appeared. Elle's eyes widened as Ranma brought that blazing ki-weapon up to hover right beside her head. The hairs on the Rose Queen's head stood on end as her skin tingled from VERY close proximity to that killing energy. "Now, you got a simple choice to make," Ranma's voice lowered to a growl. "You can guess what that choice is." She swung the soulsword away as she leaned up to glare into the other woman's emerald eyes. "And the only choice for you if you want to survive to see your home planet again is to accept this . . . " Her eyes morphed to the burning red cat-slit eyes of the most savage part of Ranma's soul. "**If you value your life, THOU -- SHALL -- **_**NOT**_** -- COVET -- **_**MY**_** -- MATE -- AGAIN!**"

Elle's eyes went wide as she found herself glaring into those demonic orbs. Then, a spasm of desperation-fuelled strength flooded her arms enough to make her shove Ranma's hand away from her throat. "NO!" she screamed out.

Ranma staggered back as the Rose Queen collapsed against the wall. "RANMA, WAIT . . .!" Seiko screamed, she moving to constrain her.

"**Suit yourself, bitch!**"

Before Seiko could seize Ranma, the martial artist's hand flicked the soulsword around. The tip of the burning katana blade ripped into Elle's skull just above her left ear, cleaving across her brain in the blink of the proverbial eye. The Rose Queen's body locked up for a moment as a surprised look was flash-frozen on her face. She then dropped like a discarded marionette to the deck, not a sound escaping her. By then, Seiko had grabbed Ranma's arms, throwing in her telekinetic powers to keep the martial artist from doing anything more. Not that anything more needed doing.

"No . . .!"

Seiko stared at Ranma as the soulsword in the latter's hand faded. The wild rage that had twisted the redhead's features into a hideous scowl not seconds ago had just melted into wide-eyed confusion before her skin started to sallow as she remembered what her other-self -- what SHE -- just did. "Oh, no . . .!" Ranma sank to her knees as her eyes locked on the frozen mask of horror Elle's face was twisted into. "No, please . . . "

Sobs stole her voice as Seiko immediately moved to comfort.

_**To be continued . . .**_


	18. 8th Part: Staffs, Wands and Sagussans

"The planet where I was first activated."

The man sitting in the control centre of the probe gazed out a view port on the glimmering orb lying off his larboard beam. Tapping controls on the console, he waited for information files to be called up. He glanced at the holographic readout before returning his attention to the archipelago coming into view. "Sub-planetary political unit, indigenous name: Dai-Nihon. Terran worldwide communicative language 'English' reference name: Japan. Population: Approximately 125,000,000 sentient beings." He tapped a button. "Unit Two, begin carbon-protein humanoid DNA scan. Locate all sentient beings and/or physical evidence of all sentient beings possessing DNA compatibility to Nagussan organic sentient, designate 'Kaeru ryi'Kouhae-Raikue.'"

"_Working_," the probe's on-board sensor control robot replied. A minute later, it spoke, "_Scan complete. Evidence of one exact carbon-protein DNA/RNA duplicate of organic sentient, designate 'Kaeru ryi'Kouhae-Raikue,' located._" A quick pause, barely noticeable even by Kaeru, and then it added, "_Additional information. Scan indicates twelve additional sentient beings, female, possessing same patrilineal parentage as organic sentient Kaeru ryi'Kouhae-Raikue, though possessing different matrilineal parentage than subject sentient. Indicating primary locations of DNA fragment scans on display. Scan does not indicate any of the target sentient beings are currently on Earth._"

Kaeru glanced at the map. Target icons flashed. One was on the mainland of Japan's largest island, within the limits of its most populous habitation and political control centre, Tokyo. The other was on an island bearing 230 degrees from Tokyo's city centre, Oomure-jima. Gazing on small graphs being projected on the screen, Kaeru also noted that the scan of Oomure-jima had a significantly greater and fresher amount of DNA fragments in comparison to Tokyo, indicative that his relatives currently resided on the island.

"Unit One, engage visual cloak. Commence atmospheric approach to Oomure-jima. Scan for best possible landing site to ensure minimal disruption."

"_Compliance_," the ship's on-board navigation robot replied.

The probe faded out in a torrent of bent light beams.

* * *

"She just cloaked?"

Otako gazed on her monitoring screen, grimly nodding. "Affirmative, Mister President. Whatever type of cloak that ship possesses, it's more advanced than anything the factory's sensors have ever encountered. I can't even scan for an ion trail or any gravimetric disturbance."

Oogi blinked as he absorbs that information. "But that's impossible! Even if they've been gone for over ten thousand years, the Sagussans ARE the technological leaders in the galaxy! You MUST be able to detect that ship, Otako! Do a diagnostic on the scanners!"

"Already done, sir," Otako declared as she waved to her screen, and then she sat back in her chair. "The only possibility I could surmise from this is that this alien ship is actually NOT from this galaxy."

The bodiless president of Phentax Two paused before a nod twitched his chin. "Yes, that could be possible . . . " His voice trailed before he gazed on Otako. "From where did this ship come from? Directly from the Barrier?"

The Avalonian replica of the late leader of the Church of Lum's Hegane Sect shook her head. "No, Mister President. She came from a stable wormhole beyond the fringes of Hustari space that connects our quadrant with the quadrant directly opposite ours beyond the galactic core. And the factory's databanks have no up-to-date information on any races lying in that direction, sir. You DID instruct us not to contact the Gatherer and request an exploratory update." She gave him a reminding look on saying that.

Oogi stiffened for a moment. "Yes, I did." He nodded. "And I expect total silence between this factory and the Voyager, Otako!"

"Of course, Mister President."

"Keep an eye out for that ship or any signs of its crew."

"Yes, Mister President. Oh, if you wish to know, final programming has commenced on the units tasked to Operation: Hashish."

"Excellent."

* * *

"What sort of ship, Lou?"

"Couldn't tell from this distance, but according to the master databank on all the known races in the galaxy, she might be Nagussan," Louise, the blonde, blue-eyed, Seishin-born demolitions officer in Pathfinder Troop Six's Section Two, reported as she looked up from the controls connected to the sensory suite on the _Kiboo'cha_'s pilotage. "Small probe-class ship, probably a scout from a larger vessel in their Defence Force."

Taking that in, Asukanoevan sat back in the command chair. The crimson-haired, blue-eyed Oni-born chief petty officer in charge of Section Two -- in her previous life, she was, in fact, Lum's paternal great-grand-aunt -- reached up to rub the bridge of her nose as she considered what her subordinate just told her. "A Nagussan ship all the way here over Earth?" she muttered.

"Where was it going when it cloaked, Lou?" Megan, the crimson-haired, green-eyed Pirpirsiw'r section sniper, wondered.

"It was over China when it started descent, Meg. Heading towards Japan."

The members of Section Two took that in, and then they started to exchange confused looks. Asuka wasn't so confused. As she was the only person currently on the _Kiboo'cha_'s bridge who had been on Sagussa before Ataru's visit, she knew of the series of events that had led RSS _Hasei'cha_ to visit Earth the day an apparent malfunction of the Central Warp Chamber on Triton (a gift from the Gatherer a thousand years before, a gift which had saved Oyuki's people from extinction thanks to the long occupation of Neptune by the hordes of the Seifukusu Dominion) nearly transported a young Oni girl to a city named Sendai. Running the possible scenario in her mind for a moment, Asuka then nodded as she tapped an intercom switch. "Asuka to Nene."

"Go, Asuka," the Troop coxswain replied.

"Is Linna eating you out right now?" Asuka teasingly asked.

The junior members of Section Two snickered at Asuka's blunt question. Nene and Linna had been lovers for years, though -- to the surprise of many on Sagussa -- they had not become bond-mates. "No, she's asleep right now," Nene replied, clearly not bothered by Asuka's blunt question. "What's up?"

"Can you find a way to put a virus into the factory's sensory to ensure it can't detect a Rover?" Asuka then asked.

"Easily enough. Why?"

Asuka smirked. "It appears that the Daimon'cha's brother has returned home from Nagussa, Nene. That's why."

The members of Section Two stared in dumbfounded shock at their chief. "Is that a fact," Nene trilled.

* * *

_**Lonely Souls  
**_By Fred Herriot  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

* * *

**THE EIGHTH PART - STAFFS, WANDS AND SAGUSSANS **

"Susan Aglukark?! Who's she, Ataru-kun?"

"An Inuit singer Yotsuba-chan discovered a few years ago," Ataru replied. Then, noting the confused looks on the faces of the women in the master's cabin aboard the _Windrider_, he added, "Canadian northern Ainu; what they used to call 'Eskimos' back when political correctness wasn't an issue in that country. For most of her life, she lived in what they call Nunavut these days."

Shinobu and Kumiko exchanged a look. "Eastern part of the old Northwest Territories," the latter noted.

Nabiki took that in, and then she slipped the CD out of its cover. Putting that into the player by the bed where Momoe was currently resting, she hit PLAY. As the massed drum beat of the preamble to _One Turn Deserves Another_ began to play, the middle Tendou daughter began to nod approvingly. "Might want to order a copy of this when I get the chance," she noted as she gazed on the CD cover before she set it aside. Looking then on her friend from Tomobiki, Nabiki asked, "How're you doing, Momoe-chan?"

"My ears are ringing from having that bullet whiz past me," Momoe moaned as her eyes locked on her former classmate and current host, he busying himself with several packets of herbs Haruka had provided him to create a tea for her.

"I apologize for that, Marubeya-san." His eyes flicked in her direction. "But at that moment, Rose was lowering her pistol at your head. The ship was self-destructing. A fool could've seen what the real options would've been at that moment and time." A deep breath. "She decided that her loyalty to Elle mattered more than her survival. I've encountered more fanatics like that over the last couple of months than I'd have cared to meet in my lifetime. There's only one way to deal with people like that."

The Tomobiki High seniors stared at their former classmate, the shock they clearly felt at his words and actions over the last several hours chilling them like nothing else Ataru had done in the last two years could. The very CONCEPT of Ataru being serious about ANYTHING at all was something that had always frightened most of his female classmates, even Shinobu at times. But the events of the last couple of months -- the bombing of Tomobiki High by Ibrahim Alhamzi, the deaths of the Bodyguards and the others, the revelations of Ataru's activities concerning the Noukiites and their war against Uru, plus what just happened aboard the _Rose Emperor_ -- went beyond just "serious." WAY beyond "serious." "Doesn't this bother you?!" Kumiko then asked.

"What?" Ataru asked as he stared at her, and then he sighed. "Rose, you mean. Hai, it does bother me, Gekasawa-san . . . "

"Ataru, PLEASE! Will you stop doing that?!"

He looked at Shinobu. "Doing what?"

"Calling us by our family names!" she snapped, her eyes glistening with frightened tears. "It's bad enough that you were made to see three billion people die, that you found out that your grandmother was murdered by Lum's father, that your parents betrayed you like they did, but PLEASE . . .!"

Hands reached out for her. Shinobu sobbed as she flung her arms around Ataru, burying her face into his neck. Staring at them, Nabiki, Momoe and Kumiko could only smile understandingly. Like Nabiki's sister concerning Saotome Ranma, Momoe knew, Miyake Shinobu had always been quite mercurial when it came to her friendship and brief relationship with Moroboshi Ataru. Even after they had broken up in the wake of Lum's and Mendou Shuutarou's entrance into their lives, Shinobu always did her best to ensure Ataru behaved himself, even during times when his lechery hadn't directly involved her. Yet, there had been times when Shinobu had been the only friend Ataru truthfully had in Tomobiki. And like Akane concerning Ranma, Nabiki pretty much understood that the changes that had overcome Ataru over the last couple of months were SO great, nothing -- NOTHING AT ALL! -- Shinobu could do would change her former boyfriend back to what he had been like before Lum's departure.

"Shinobu . . . "

Shinobu sniffed before she wearily looked up at Ataru. "Ataru . . . "

He closed his eyes. "Go live your life. Stay as far away from me as you can. I'm too dangerous for any of you to know right now."

Hearing that, she shook her head. "NO! No . . .! Please . . .!"

Ataru shuddered as her grip tightened. He took a breath, remembering something he had noticed about his ex-girlfriend and one of her new classmates when they had been brought aboard the _Windrider_. "What about Minako-san?"

Silence.

Shinobu blinked, pulling away to gaze into his eyes. "What?"

"Don't you know that she's very attracted to you?" he calmly asked.

Shinobu acked, her eyes going VERY wide. Momoe and Kumiko exchanged a shocked look. A thoughtful look crossed Nabiki's face for a moment. "I . . .!" Shinobu sputtered before her throat locked up, she stepping back from him. "I . . .! M-m-Minako-chan . . .?! M-m-ME?!"

"Why not?" he asked as he turned back to finish preparing the tea for Momoe. "She is part-Avalonian, remember? If you didn't know this, they're all functionally bisexual. And from what I know of their parent society, it's considered normal for Avalonian women to seek out another woman to psionically bond with before they'd seek a man to serve as the father of their children." All that knowledge had been given to him by Negako shortly after Miree and her daughters, plus Kawamura Himiko and Serizawa Mikiko, had beamed into the lives of Ataru and his sisters. "Minako-san can try all she wants, but she can't fight off thousands of years of genetic programming passed onto her through the factory from its creators. Neither can Tomomi-san and Kyooko-san."

"Ataru-kun, what are you talking about now?!" Kumiko demanded. "Are you saying that Minako-san's part-alien?!"

"Hai, she is," Shinobu spoke up, the shock she currently felt at Ataru's words shaking her from head to toe. "Minako-chan . . . "

Ataru held up a finger. "But DON'T say anything about that to anyone, Gekasawa-san," he warned as he turned to stare her in the eye. "There's someone in orbit right over Tomobiki as we speak who has control of a VERY large ship that can create bioroids like Minako-san's mother just like that." He snapped his fingers several times. "And they can be programmed to do anything that bastard could desire. I mean ANYTHING, Gekasawa-san! Minako-san and her friends have already got enough problems on their heads being what they are. They don't need anything else heaped on their heads. Ne?"

Kumiko blinked confusedly, her mind still trying to absorb the series of bombshells Ataru had just dropped on her head. Momoe, who knew more about the Avalonians thanks to her encounter with Kitahara Yukimi and her friends the previous Sunday, could only breathe out. "No, they don't," Shinobu then spoke up, reaching up to scratch the back of her head. "But still . . . "

"I have to confess, Shinobu-san, Minako-san does have exceptionally good taste in potential bond-mates," Nabiki then noted.

Shinobu acked, her whole body turning red in embarrassment. Momoe blinked, her head snapping around as she peered at Nabiki. While she hadn't learned everything she would have wanted to know about the middle Tendou daughter, she did know that Nabiki's sexual tastes were normal for a girl her age. "What the heck made you say that, Nabiki?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Nabiki breathed out. "I'm an Avalonian now, Momoe."

Silence.

"WHAT?!" Momoe and Shinobu shrilled in sync.

Nabiki sighed. "Several key points, Apprentice," she said as she held up a warning finger. Hearing her call her that, Momoe braced herself to give Nabiki her undivided attention. "My father." Nabiki held up a fist, she raising a finger to mark a point. "The Nanniichuan casket sent for the wedding. Ranma-chan being turned into a girl in body AND soul thanks to Jusenkyou. Ranma-chan also being bonded to Ataru-kun here since LONG before Lum OR Akane . . . " -- a flash of pain appeared in her eyes on her mentioning her sister -- " . . . came into their lives. Joining the schools. Result . . . " Her voice faded as she sent out a psionic transmission to a nearby cabin.

Everyone blinked confusedly for a moment, and then they perked as a knock was heard at the door. "Enter!" Ataru called out.

The door opened, revealing Tendou Shinshi. "What's up, Nabiki?"

Momoe and Kumiko's jaws hit the deck in shock. Shinobu, who knew nothing of Tendou Nabiki beyond the usual spiel of rumours that had flowed from Nerima since the day Saotome Ranma and her father moved into town, blinked in confusion. "Ladies, meet my twin brother -- and Yotsuba-chan's current boyfriend, I should add . . . " Nabiki amended as she gazed amusedly at Ataru. "Tendou Shinshi. Shinshi, you know everyone here, don't you?"

"That I do," Shinshi declared. "Nice to see you alive and safe, minna."

Stunned silence followed.

* * *

"Brace up, Young Mistress!" Firesky Owleye declared as two orderlies picked up the stretcher bearing the comatose Elle and carried her away to the medical station of the _Windrider Dreams_. "What you did was the proper thing. No court in the galaxy would convict you of what you just did."

Ranma took that in before she felt Seiko's supportive embrace tighten. Ataru's past and present girlfriends, along with Sakiko, Ryuunosuke, Seiko's friends and Shogai Dakejinzou, plus several of Ataru's sisters, were standing in the quarterdeck beside the hatchway connecting the _Windrider Dreams_ to the _Windrider_. The _Goddess of Luck_ was docked at the hatchway on the other side of the battlecruiser's superstructure from the solar-sail barque.

"I lost control," Ranma muttered. "I should know better."

"Onee-sama, you were defending your relationship with Onii-sama," Sakuya then spoke up. "After what that bitch did to all of us, what she got is what she deserved! Right, girls?" she asked the other sisters standing beside her.

They empathically nodded. "What'll happen now, Firesky?" Nassur asked.

"We've contacted the Ellsian government, Nassur," the senior Inquisitor, a grey-eyed, silver-haired man with a thick moustache and chin beard, replied. "We've warned them that as long as their government continues to support their queen's . . . oh, shall we say, more _eccentric_ actions . . .?" Everyone save Ranma laughed. "She will remain our prisoner. And, if the good and true magistrates at the High Court of Star Chamber on Jiyuu so decide, she will be put on trial for multiple accounts of kidnapping, forced confinement, attempted murder, not to mention instigating an overt intrusion on the sovereignty of Earth. Which, I add, will soon fall under a more restrictive interpretation of the Non-Interference Edict than we've applied to them to date."

"Will the Noukiites help you on that regard, Your Grace?" Oyuki asked.

"They will. We've even received a very positive note of support from the Dowe'on Tribunal on Ipraedos concerning Earth." Firesky then held up his hand to forestall any verbal objection from the Neptunian princess. "Fear not about that, Your Highness. I was told that Crown Prince Schwartzkoff himself will persuade his father and the Asan'on Home Council to go along with it, plus make an open guarantee of your home planet's continued sovereignty as an independent planet state. He even mentioned the possibility that the Ipraedies Empire might be willing to help your kingdom engage in a more thorough clean-up of Neptune than what you've done to date with the Federation's support."

Oyuki's eyes widened as she took in that message, and then her eyes turned in on herself as she considered what the Inquisitor had just told her. Benten quickly noted this, a chill warping through her as the implications of a Neptune-Ipraedos alliance, guaranteed by Zephyrus and a Noukiios free from the Federation, could mean for the cluster. As the daughter of Commander Shigaten Hotei, one of the senior members of the Fukunokami Union's ruling body, Benten knew what the break-up of the Galactic Federation could mean. Before she could say anything, though, Seiko walked up to place a supportive hand on her friend's shoulder. As Oyuki gazed on her, the Oni-turned-Nendo-kata/Terran said, "Your first duty's to your own people, Oyuki-chan. Don't forget that."

The crown princess and heir to the Throne of Koori blinked before she breathed out, "I know that, Lu- . . .!" She caught herself, and then she said, "Seiko-chan." Her eyes then focused on Firesky. "Your Grace, Emperor Schwartz has made it quite clear that he would desire nothing more than to see me married to his son. What's to stop him from pressing those ends if the Kingdom and the Empire do become economic allies?"

The Inquisitor made a dismissive wave. "Pay no mind about that, Your Highness. Prince Schwartzkoff is quite aware of your relationship with Ryooki Koosei." He didn't notice the perked looks on the sisters' face on his mentioning that name. "The Crown Prince is in love with a delightful local girl, Gella -- who, according to the Central Registry of Ipraedos, might be an actual relative of the late final Emperor of the First Dynasty -- and he wishes to marry her as soon as he can make his father see the light. And, I should note that the Emperor might soon face the Imperial Corps of Executioners for what he did on Cademus all those years ago. After all, with the direct 'threat' to the Empire's continued independence -- the Federation led by an anti-Ipraedies Uru, not to mince words -- about to vanish, the people of Ipraedos might become more inclined to accept increased trade and social relations with its neighbours." He then gave the Neptunian princess a knowing look. "If Neptune and Ipraedos worked in concert towards that end, the reward to the Federation as a whole might be tremendous. Perhaps all the way to having the Empire itself become a member of the Federation."

A thoughtful look crossed Oyuki's face on hearing that. "Where did Yotsuba hear that name before . . .?" Yotsuba then wondered.

Chikage smirked. "He was Ani-kun's neighbour when he lived in Tomobiki."

The would-be detective blinked before her eyes went wide. "Oh, Yotsuba's stupid!" she moaned, bopping the side of her head. "Yotsuba learned that when she went to Tomobiki during the Pseudo-War! Yotsuba no baka! Baka! Baka!"

The other sisters laughed. Sakuya then turned to gaze on Oyuki. "I've seen pictures of him when he was attending Kitatookyou High School along with Sakurambou Sakura," the elder sister noted, an eyebrow arching. "He's quite the hottie! I assume he's still pretty good-looking."

"That, Sakuya-chan, I can guarantee," Dakejinzou noted.

"Really?" Haruka mused as she drew out her gunsen to fan herself. "Well, one must applaud Oyuki-sama's exceptionally good taste."

Oyuki's pale skin instantly became the shade of ripe tomatoes as the martial artist's words sank in. Seiko and Sakiko exchanged a knowing look and snicker, and then the latter stared at the Neptunian. "By the way, Oyuki-chan, would you like to adopt Ten-chan when you and Koosei finally tie the knot?"

The princess gazed on her transformed former middle school classmate. "Whatever do you mean, Ra- . . .! Er, Sakiko-chan?"

"When he re-registered with the Men in Black after he came to Earth, he took the name 'Ryooki Tennosuke,'" Sakiko explained.

"That's a nice name," Ryuunosuke noted.

Oyuki blinked before a content look crossed her face. Having wandered deep space since the Ipraedies had kidnapped him from Earth a decade before, Ryooki Koosei had briefly served as Redet Jariten's personal babysitter before Lum's cousin travelled to Earth. "I see," the princess then said, she nodding. "Well, when I see Koosei-kun next, I'll tell him that."

"If he doesn't melt into mush when he gets close to you," Benten noted.

Seiko, Sakiko, Nassur and Dakejinzou laughed. "What's this?" Sakuya asked. "Are we dealing with another case of love-madness here?"

"You mean like Doc Toofuu with Chikage?" Ranma wondered.

"By the sounds of it," Haruka mused.

Oyuki flustered. "Well, indeed . . . "

More laughter. Oyuki then turned her attention back to Firesky. Sensing what the princess might presently want to know, he gave her a reassuring smile. "Your Highness, concerning what I've said before about your people's future course -- not to mention your own desires -- you have the full and ironclad guarantee of the Six Churches," he firmly declared.

Oyuki nodded. When it came to situations like that, whenever a person of bishop rank or higher -- especially if they were members of an important state organ like the Holy Inquisition -- spoke words like that, they WERE speaking on behalf of the WHOLE of the Holy Republic! The future of the Kingdom of Neptune-Triton was secure. Taking a deep breath, she then said, "On behalf of my kingdom and my people, I thank you very much for those kind words, Your Grace. And on behalf of my kingdom and my people, I state now on my parents' behalf that whatever future course of action the Holy Republic of Zephyrus takes concerning the United Nations of Earth -- as long as my kingdom and my people are not threatened by it -- will not be opposed from our quarter."

"As long as you respect the wishes of the people of Earth, that will be accepted by us as well," Firesky declared, nodding.

"Your Grace?"

Everyone turned as a junior engineer came up, the younger man bowing respectfully to the Inquisitor. "What is it?" Firesky asked.

"Your Grace, the courier set aside for the Young Master Ataru's former classmates' return to Earth is ready to depart."

"I see, then."

Sakuya sighed. "We better chase the rest of those people off the ship."

* * *

"Mie-san is a Sagussan?"

"Is that the name of my people?"

"Uhn!" Hinako replied with a nod. She and Seikou Mie were seated in the former's cabin. The Staff of Gihan, its focusing crystal barely lit with the eternal fire that gave the Haijo-ju prototype its power, was tucked into the sheets at the head of Hinako's bed. The pistol Tomo had stuck into Haruka's hakama trousers when the Sagussan internal security officer had boarded the _Rose Emperor_ was in the Kyushu native's hand, it having been disarmed and unloaded. "Hina met some of Mie-san's people when she went to the bioroid factory to get Akane-san's new body for her. They're really, really, really nice! And they really, really, really love Onii-tama!" She frowned as her eyes fell on the Staff. "Hina only wishes that Bou-san didn't have to sleep because of Elle's ship going _boom_ like that. If Hina could, Hina'd take Mie-san to meet Lufy-san, Priss-san, Ayumu-chan, Tomo-chan and their friends."

Mie smiled. Reborn as Daishi'cha #337 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa nine thousand years before, the woman known these days to her friends as "Seikou Mie" had been living on Earth for over a decade. Having crash-landed off the shores of Tsushima in her starship for reasons she hadn't come to understand to this very day -- she suffered from near-total amnesia as a result of the crash -- Mie had been later adopted by an elderly couple from Yame who had lost their first-born daughter (also named Mie) the previous year. Since that time, Mie, whose slowed aging process guaranteed that she still looked like a teenager even after eleven years on Earth, had lived a quiet life in the mountainous backwoods of Kyushu. A quiet life that ended two months before when she had seen Moroboshi Ataru on NHK shortly after the Second Tag Race began. "I'd like to see them again. If only to understand why I came to be on Earth when I did. And why is it that I know your brother. As far as I can recall, I've never, even ONCE, been close to him until the day his daughters beamed down at the school and he and you showed up." She breathed out before adding, "If only Tomo had stayed behind . . . "

"Well, according to Sylia-san, all the people on Sagussa aren't really sure what might happen if they met up with Onii-tama again and all those baka-bakas who'd want to hurt Onii-tama find out," Hinako added, she gazing in sympathy at Mie. "It really, really, really hurts them, too."

"Well, maybe it's a good thing that they met you first, Hinako-chan."

The youngest sister perked. "Really?!"

"Hai . . . "

A knock echoed from the doorway. "Hai!" Hinako called out.

The door opened, revealing Kaho. "Hinako-chan . . .? Ah, Mie-sempai, there you are! Kaho heard from Sakuya-chan that it's time for you to go home!" the cheerleader announced as she leaned past the doorway.

"Mie-san won't go back to Earth just yet, Kaho-chan," Hinako declared. "She's gonna stay with us when we go get Tsue-san!"

Kaho blinked. "Really?! Aren't your parents worried about you, Sempai?"

Mie giggled. "Don't worry about that, Kaho-chan. My parents trust me a lot more than most parents would trust their children."

Kaho took that in, and then she tittered. "Sempai's lucky!"

"Kaho-chan!"

"Eh? What is it, Hinako-chan?"

Hinako made a shushing motion. "Kaho-chan, you can't tell anyone about Mie-san staying with us! It's a secret!"

Kaho blinked confusedly before she nodded. "Oh, okay!"

* * *

"This is bland," Momoe admitted before sipping the rest of her tea.

"It's supposed to be," Ataru said as a finger probed several of her shiatsu points. Momoe was sitting up in the bed. Shinobu, Kumiko, Nabiki and Shinshi relaxed by the door as Ataru continued to work. "Momoe, I'm not going to lie to you. You WILL have some pretty doozy nightmares about what happened on the _Emperor_. Rose is going to scream at you from the grave, demanding to know why an 'insignificant nobody' like Marubeya Momoe survived while a 'noble warrior' like her was shot dead. Or something stupid like that. Let it happen, but don't let it overwhelm you. Believe me, I wish it could have gone down better than it did, but it didn't happen. If necessary, go visit Onee-chan. Nabiki knows where she lives. She knows what to do in cases like that. If it becomes necessary, she can go all the way to blocking out those memories until you acquire the emotional strength to deal with them. Fair enough?"

Momoe took that in, and then she nodded. "If that's your idea of an apology to me for the times you got fresh with me, it's one I can accept with open arms, Ataru." She took a deep breath. "And in that regard, I should apologize to you for the times I helped force you to stay with Lum just so all of us could fawn over Mendou-san." She bowed her head as she said that. "After hearing about Sakuya-san being the head of your family now that your grandmother's dead -- with her having full power and control over whom you'd end up marrying -- I strongly have to wonder what might have happened had your sisters decided to drop into your life a lot sooner than they actually did."

"Talk to Onee-chan about that," Ataru advised. "She can explain more."

Momoe smirked. "I just might."

"Just remember a few things when it comes to Negako-san, Momoe-chan," Nabiki warned with a raised finger. "She despises titles like you wouldn't believe. To her, the whole and unvarnished truth is ALL that matters. Lies, half-truths, even tact, are not relevant. Above all else . . . "

Ataru, Nabiki and Shinshi, in sync: "DON'T CALL HER 'SENSEI!'"

Hearing that, Shinobu nearly fell over laughing. Kumiko rolled her eyes. "I'll try to remember that!" Momoe stated. Then, setting her teacup aside, she slipped out from under the covers. Positioning herself beside Ataru, she reached over to draw her arms around him, planting a warm kiss on his lips. The door to the master's cabin then opened, revealing Sakuya, Chikage and Haruka. The elder sisters stopped on seeing one of their brother's minor pains-in-the-butt giving him such a kiss, and then they exchanged surprised looks. Momoe then pulled away from Ataru, her hand reaching up to rub his beard. "It's a nice touch," she admitted before standing, moving to leave.

"Get a good night's rest when you get back home, Momoe," Ataru advised as he gave her a concerned look. "If you feel it's necessary, take tomorrow off from school. I'm sure your parents and the teachers at school'll understand."

"Hai," she replied. Then, standing at attention, she gave him a bow.

The others watched her as she turned and left, and then Kumiko sighed. "Well, we better head off, too, Shinobu-chan."

"You go ahead," Shinobu told her.

"Right," Kumiko replied before she gave Ataru a bow, and then she left.

Right after that, Ranma walked into the room. "Hey, Nabiki!"

Nabiki perked. "What's up?"

"What're we gonna do with Kunou?"

The Tendou siblings and Ataru blinked. "He's alive?!" Nabiki demanded. "I thought he got blown up when the ship was destroyed!"

"No such luck. According to Bishop Owleye, Kunou saved a whole slew of the Ellsians when their warp drive went bonkers. In fact, the Ellsian captain wants to take ol' Bokken-boy back to her planet and keep him there."

Ataru hummed. "Yes, I can see why she'd want that. There is something of a dearth of eligible young men on Elle these days."

"Ataru, how could you even SUGGEST such a thing?!" Shinobu demanded.

"Shinobu-san, please don't tell me that you've never heard of Kunou."

Shinobu blinked as she considered Nabiki's words, and then her forehead furrowed. "He's the kendou team captain at your school, right?" she asked, gazing on Nabiki. After she nodded, Shinobu added, "A real arrogant creep who loved to lord it over everyone because his father's the principal, right?"

"Yep," Nabiki said. "Compared to Kunou, Mendou is something of a saint."

A wary look crossed Shinobu's face. "Really . . .?"

Ryuunosuke's voice boomed through the main hallway connecting the cabins aft of the pilotage. "Hey, Shinobu, c'mon! Get the lead out!" the tomboy screamed from the gangway. "We're waitin' for you! You comin' or what?!"

"Hai!" Shinobu called before she turned to leave. "See you guys later!"

"Shinobu."

She stopped, turning to stare at Ataru. "Hai?"

"Remember what I told you about Minako-san."

She considered that, and then she sighed. "I'll think about it, Ataru."

She headed out. "What was that about?" Ranma asked.

"Long story," Ataru replied, walking over to embrace her. "You okay?"

Ranma blinked before a shudder rocked her. "I'm not sure."

The others gazed sympathetically at her.

* * *

"Himiko-san, Mikiko-san, daijoubu desu no?"

The two Terran-turned-Avalonians jerked on hearing Shirayuki's question, and then they turned to stare absently at her. Both of them were seated in the _Windrider_'s main galley, located one deck below the pilotage. "You say something, Shirayuki-san?" Himiko asked.

The chef was quick to see the tears brimming in their eyes. "What's wrong?!" Shirayuki gasped as she placed her tea tray aside, and then she moved to gently grasp the former swim team captain's hand. "Why are you crying?!"

"Oh, it's nothing much," Mikiko admitted. "Just us recovering from having our illusions shattered, that's all."

Shirayuki blinked. "'Illusions?'"

"A-ri-ri? What's wrong with Himiko-chan and Mikiko-chan?!"

"That's what Hime's trying to find out, Hinako-chan . . .! Eh?! Mie-san, what are you doing here?!" the chef asked on recognizing the person who had accompanied Hinako to the galley. "Aren't you going back to Earth?"

"I'm sticking around, Shirayuki-san," Mie admitted as she and Hinako took seats at the table being used by Himiko and Mikiko. "There's something that I need to find out and I need to stay close to your brother so I can find it."

Shirayuki blinked. "You're not going to try to hurt Nii-sama, are you?"

"I'll hopefully avoid it," Mie promised her.

Hearing that, the chef grinned. "Desu no!"

She headed to the kitchen. By then, both Himiko and Mikiko were staring intently at the amnesiac Sagussan, their Avalonian psionic powers telling them much about the other woman. "You're like us in a way," the former then noted. "But you're different. Not really sure how . . . "

"I wish I could answer the questions I'm sure that you both want to ask me, but I can't answer them now," Mie admitted.

"And you think Ataru-kun can help you find that out?" Mikiko asked.

"Pretty much so. You weren't involved in the rescue, right?"

"We were waitin' to help in case things got screwed up," Himiko said.

"Well, while things were going crazy on Elle's ship, someone whom (I think) came from whatever planet I hail from came to help with the rescue," Mie explained. "She took off just after that Rose creep took the Magic Carpet Ride to Eternity thanks to Ataru-kun and his pistol. I didn't get any chance to ask her any questions 'cause right afterward, Hinako-chan brought us here."

The other girls nodded. "Ah!"

"I see you've decided to join us for the remainder of the voyage."

Everyone turned as Chikage stepped into the galley, followed by Sakuya and Haruka. "Oh, hi, guys!" Himiko hailed.

"Himiko-san, what's wrong?!" Haruka demanded as she walked over to sit beside the swimmer, a hand reaching over to grasp the latter's as the martial artist tried to provide some sort of comfort. "Were you hurt on seeing your old schoolmates so soon?" she gently asked.

Himiko shuddered as she felt Haruka's concern flood her nervous system with a type of delicious warmth she had NEVER felt before, even when she was just a Terran instead of an Avalonian physically disguised as one. Blinking several times as she found herself gazing on the raven-haired, blue-eyed beauty beside her, Himiko took a breath. "It wasn't that, Haruka-san. It was . . . "

"Don't tell us," Sakuya cut in. "Let us guess. Mendou, right?"

* * *

"AH-CHOO!"

Eyes locked on Mendou Shuutarou. "Mendou-san, are you all right?" one of the girls in Shinobu's class asked concernedly.

The scion of Japan's richest family sniffed before he took the chance to look around the passenger cabin of the small courier ship that would soon take Elle's former hostages back to Earth. "Someone must be talking about me."

Instantly, several handkerchiefs were handed to him. He smiled his thanks to the girls who were being so kind to him.

* * *

Eyes locked on Sakuya. "How'd you guess, Sakuya-san?" Mikiko asked.

"Couldn't help but notice how much he freaked out when Onii-sama apologized to him for what he did around Mendou's sister."

"It was more than that."

People stared at Himiko. "What do you mean, Himiko-chan?" Hinako asked.

The swimmer closed her eyes for a moment, shifting herself a bit to lean against Haruka. The latter raised her arm to wrap around Himiko. "Mendou hated the fact that Ataru-kun apologized to him," the former hissed.

"I couldn't believe I actually sensed that from him!" Mikiko added as Sakuya sat beside her. As Haruka had done to Himiko, Sakuya reached over to gently grasp the other Terran-turned-Avalonian's hand. That contact also began to do interesting things to Mikiko's mind and body. Squeezing her eyes shut, she then added in a near-sob, "Now I wish I'd stayed dead . . . "

"Mikiko-chan, don't say such awful things!" Hinako whined.

"Take it easy, Hinako-chan," Mie soothed. "They just became Avalonians, remember? Adjusting to what they've got to live with now's going to hurt them real bad at times. Let them vent themselves out. They need it."

Himiko and Mikiko gave her thankful smiles. Sakuya and Haruka moved to embrace them. "Do not think of it as hate when it comes to Shuutarou's feelings for Ani-kun, girls," Chikage spoke up. "It's fear that drives him."

"'Fear?'" the former Tomobiki High sophomores chorused in sync.

"Hai, fear. After all, as long as Ani-kun continued to behave like a sex-crazed moron, Shuutarou could act as he pleased," Chikage elaborated. "After all, as long as Shuutarou behaved as one expected of him, people could focus their anger, outrage and revulsion at Ani-kun without reservation or question. Once Ani-kun changed, however . . . "

"The game was up," Mie finished for the sorceress.

"Exactly."

"Could it potentially cause problems for Anigimi-sama?" Haruka asked.

"Not really, especially given the planned wedding on Saturday. Once he's married to Mizunokooji Asuka, Shuutarou'll be too busy with her to worry too much about Ani-kun, much less his social standing with the girls at Tomobiki High School. THAT is . . . " The sorceress raised a warning finger, a mirthless smile crossing her face. "IF Shuutarou, of course, survives the wedding night and the honeymoon," she finished with a knowing wink.

Hearing that, those who knew of Asuka's superhuman strength began to snicker. "What's that about?" Mie asked.

"Long story," Sakuya said.

* * *

"Um, Marie-sama?"

Marie looked up to see Jonna staring at her. As the eldest sister currently in the _Windrider_'s pilotage, she had been given the right to sit in the central chair. Reiko and Kaneko were back at their stations prepping the barque for the voyage that would take them to locate the Genesis Wand of Parah. Orin and Miree were in Aria's cabin, keeping an eye on the young Parisian as she slept, still recovering from her injuries on the _Rose Emperor_.

"What is it, Jonna-san?"

"Did you know that there's another Avalonian aboard the ship right now?"

Marie blinked. "What do you mean? Where is this person?"

Jonna pointed aft. "In Chikage-sama's cabin, Marie-sama."

The replica-bioroids once made for Nassur by the Niphentaxians, they at their side stations and helping the Noukiite twins prepare the _Windrider_ for deep space flight, turned as one to gaze on Marie and Jonna. "That's funny," Damasu -- living now under the name "Arashi Mika" -- spoke up as she turned her eyes aft. "I just started to sense her. Why didn't I sense her before?"

"She's waking up, I think," Nomade Shinobi said. "Who is that, anyway?"

"Let's go find out," Fujikaze Nobuko proposed.

With that, the four replica-bioroids moved to step off the pilotage. Marie stood up to follow. "Mamoru-chan, can you call Aniue-sama and tell him what we found?" she told her sister, who had been half-asleep at her chair.

"Right!" the tomboy chimed back.

The five women walked off the pilotage, heading to the door leading to Chikage's cabin. Kanki Yukiko shifted herself to shield Marie's body with her own as the latter moved to press her hand against the security lock panel located beside the doorway. As Mienai, the Tritonian/Avalonian had often used her ice-generating powers to form a quick shield against incoming fire, thus allowing Hensou, Kamen and Damasu to shoot around that to get at their targets. Marie tried not to moan at Yukiko's show of over-protectiveness. It was sweet, but given that Chikage probably had something to do with this, truthfully unnecessary. "Yukiko-chan, please don't do that . . . "

The silver-haired woman looked over her shoulder to give Marie a smile and a wink. Marie pressed her hand against the palm reader fitted in the panel. The door unlocked. Holding up a hand to keep Marie back -- thus earning her an annoyed stare from Ataru's sister in return -- Mika then opened the door to peek inside. One look was enough to make her drool. "Very nice."

Yukiko, Nobuko and Shinobi looked in. "Agreed," Lum's replica cooed.

"What?" Marie demanded as she pushed Yukiko aside to see for herself.

One look was enough.

"_**AKANE-SAN?!**_"

* * *

The shout echoed throughout the ship, including the galley one deck below. "Uh-oh!" Hinako said as she and Chikage's heads turned to the ladder ascending up-deck. "Hina thinks we forgot about Akane-san . . . "

The sorceress sighed as the faint _thump!_ of a body hitting the deck echoed through the air. "Wonderful," she muttered.

"What's this all about, girls?"

Chikage and Hinako turned to gaze on Sakuya and Haruka.

* * *

"_**I DEMAND TO BE RELEASED AT ONCE!**_"

"Lad, do you not get tired of listening to your own voice all the time?"

Kunou Tatewaki, who had recovered minutes before from the stun-bolt shot a crewmember on the _Windrider Dreams_ delivered to him at the order of the battlecruiser's captain, spun around to see Firesky Owleye staring intently at him. Standing to both sides of the elder Inquisitor were an amused Tendou Nabiki and a neutral-faced Sunhair Windrider. "Tendou Nabiki!" the kendou-ka said as he surged toward the holding cell's door . . .

He not realizing a force field was there! "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Kunou howled as thousands of volts of electricity surged through his system. Then, mercifully, he collapsed unconscious to the deck.

Nabiki shook her head. "Kunou-chan, you just don't learn, do you?" she muttered before gazing on her blonde, blue-eyed host. "So what's the plan with him, Windy-chan?" she asked, her eyebrow arching. "I can tell you flat out that Ataru-kun, Ranma-chan and the sisters are NOT going to let this idiot anywhere close to their ship anytime soon. If EVER!"

Windy -- the nickname had been bestowed on Sunhair Windrider by Moroboshi Ataru years earlier when the daughter of the magistrate-bishop of Magairu first met the grandson of Earth's only Zephyrite Righteous Gentile -- grinned. "Well, technically, when we rescued him, he was in the custody of the Royal Ellsian Navy. Granted, he had been taken from Earth unknowingly, but how in the name of the Fates are we to know if he hadn't been charged with anything under Ellsian law? Since we're not at war with the Ellsian Kingdom -- though that might change if those hotheads in Baran decide to support their queen against common sense -- we'll send him off with Captain du Kohln and her crew."

"Unless you believe it proper to return him to Earth," Firesky added.

Nabiki considered that for a moment before she shook his head. "No. Some civil rights lawyer might say it isn't right to allow him to be whisked to another planet when the chance existed to bring him back home to Earth. But all of us in Nerima are getting sick and tired of his idiocy, especially when it comes to my sister Akane and Ranma-chan." She closed her eyes for a moment, and then she breathed out, "I have to take some responsibility for this. To help support my family doojou, I goaded this idiot's fantasies concerning Akane-chan and Ranma-chan almost to the point where he could've gone all the way to raping them had he ever got the chance . . . "

"You are repentant, child," Firesky sagely advised. "Repentance in your heart is the first step to atonement. It is a good thing."

"So what can we do now, Your Grace?" Windy asked.

"Could there be objections from the lad's family?" Firesky wondered.

Nabiki shook her head. "Nope. Kodachi, his sister, is fully on our side now. His mother's been dead for years. And his dad's gone off on a sabbatical to Hawai'i." A light smile then crossed her face. "Besides, look at it this way: All we're REALLY doing is hooking Kunou-chan up with a very bright, intelligent, MATURE woman who is more than ready to walk down the aisle with him. All we have to do to guarantee that is prevent him from thinking anymore about Akane-chan and Ranma-chan. And that's a good thing if you ask me. Given Ranma-chan's relationship with Ataru-kun, if Kunou-chan pressed matters with them, it could have lead to a blood feud. And given how busy Ataru-kun's been over the last while, that's gonna be one feud Kunou-chan will lose! Badly!"

"We are agreed, then," Firesky concluded. "In the meantime, ladies, I'll leave you two to attend to your business."

Nabiki and Windy bowed respectfully before they headed off. The elder Inquisitor waited until he was alone with the dazed kendou-ka before he reached over to deactivate the force field holding Kunou at bay. Firesky Owleye had cleared the brig level of any other crewmembers long before Windy and Nabiki had come to look in on the latter's classmate. "You can come in now, Ladies."

A transporter beam sparkled to life, revealing three women dressed in Sagussan jumpsuits. The leader of the group was dressed in a civilian uniform, coloured in the black-and-gold denoting a member of the Republic's central government. The three wreath-of-laurels denoting minister's rank adorned her arms. "Hello again," she hailed, her voice tinged with a Celtic-like lilt.

Firesky smiled as he waved the visitors into the cell.

* * *

"Is this everyone?"

Shinobu quickly took a look around the courier's passenger cabin to see who was seated there. Quickly noting that Izumo Sakiko had elected to come back to Earth with them instead of staying with Ataru and his family as they went off to wherever they were planning to go, she then turned back to the deck technician standing at the gangplank. "Just a second and I'll find out."

He nodded. She then moved to take a head-count. Pausing after she finished, she then blinked. Someone was missing. Who . . .?

"Something wrong, Shinobu?" Sakiko asked.

"We're missing someone," Shinobu said.

The Seishin-turned-Nendo-kata blinked as she took that in, and then she turned to make a head-count using her telepathy. Closing her eyes to prevent the others from seeing them glow, she got to work. Seconds later, they opened. "Mie-san's not here," she then announced before she tilted her head in the general direction of the docked _Windrider_. _Mie-san, it's Izumo Sakiko_, she called out telepathically, again closing her eyes to hide their glow. _We're about to head out. Aren't you coming with us?_

_Afraid not, Sakiko-san_, the amnesiac Sagussan replied. _I've got to stick around your 'Darling' for a bit. Go on ahead._

_Okay!_ Sakiko replied before she relaxed her powers, turning to the technician. "We're all here."

"What about Mie-san?" Shinobu asked.

"She's staying with Darling and the sisters."

"Oh . . . "

Before Shinobu could say anything else, Mendou bolted up. "WHAT?! Mie-san is being forced to stay behind by Moroboshi . . .?!"

_WHAM!_

Gasps filled the cabin as everyone turned to see the scion of Japan's richest family having been driven into the deck thanks to Sawada Minako's elbow. "Minako-san, why did you do that to Mendou-san?!" one girl wailed.

The rose-haired Avalonian sighed as she glared at Mendou. "You know, I'm beginning to appreciate the idea of him actually NOT being part of the class!" she snarled before turning to stare at the technician. "Yo, let's get this damned show on the road! We got classes tomorrow!"

The technician shook his head. "I see all the rumours about Tomobiki aren't only just true, they're _understated_," he muttered.

Shinobu blinked confusedly. "What rumours?"

"That everyone who lives there would gladly blame Young Master Ataru for EVERYTHING odd that happens in that place."

Ataru's former girlfriend jolted. Was THAT the way outsiders looked on people like her?! "Gomen nasai," she apologized.

"It's alright," he assured her before stepping off the gangplank.

The hatchway was sealed. The courier's engines turned over. Everyone relaxed as they gazed out the view ports to watch the launch. The courier began to taxi towards the main doors of its host ship's hangar. Within a moment, it was free of the _Windrider Dreams_, moving to do a beauty pass of the battlecruiser before angling towards Earth. Seeing the _Windrider_ and the _Goddess of Luck_ docked alongside the superstructure of the Zephyrite ship, Shinobu took a breath. She then sensed a hand gently grasp hers. Turning, her eyes widened on seeing Minako seated beside her, a concerned look on her face. Shinobu blinked as she wondered what to say to her classmate, given the fact that they were in a crowd of thirty people, most of whom knew her quite well.

Sensing that, Minako smirked as she rose, beckoning Shinobu with a nod to follow. As the courier finished its beauty pass, the two teens walked through an aft doorway to find themselves in a small lounge complete with a bar and stools. It even gave potential visitors an even better view of surrounding space; it was located at the aft end of the courier's small superstructure. "Saw this when I came aboard," Minako noted as she took a seat by the bar, turning herself to stare aft at the receding image of the _Windrider Dreams_. "The adrenaline's starting to wear off in most of the guys from what happened on Elle's ship. They'll probably sleep all the way back to Earth."

Shinobu sat beside her. "You know how long it'll take us to get back?"

"Couple hours according to the pilot of this thing," Minako replied. She then closed her eyes. "You know now, don't you?"

Ataru's former girlfriend perked on hearing that statement, and then she felt her cheeks redden slightly. "Hai."

Silence fell as the two considered what to say next. Finally, Minako clicked her tongue. "I never thought it would happen to me."

Shinobu blinked. "What?"

"The urge to get a bond-mate." Here, Minako paused as she marshalled her thoughts, and then she continued, "One of my friends from down south, Ishida Nagisa, bonded with a buddy of hers, Sakakibara Chiharu, a year ago. They told me what it was like when 'the urge' . . . " -- she made finger-quotes -- "Hit them. It was like a freakin' tsunami came outta nowhere to swamp their minds with all sorts of crazy thoughts. Friends, family, school . . .! It just didn't matter anymore. All that mattered to Nagisa-chan and Chiharu-chan were each other. You couldn't pry them apart no matter how hard you tried."

"And you've felt that for me?"

Minako stared at her before she nodded. "Hai."

Shinobu found herself gazing at the deck. "When we met on Monday?"

"Hai."

The brown-haired girl took a deep breath as she absorbed what her companion had just admitted. She then gazed on Minako. "I need to think about it, Minako-chan," she then said. "I really need to think about it. Okay?"

Minako nodded. "Sure."

The background noise of the courier's engines suddenly dropped before a high whine heralded its entrance into hyperspace. Cries of shock and cheers echoed from the cabin forward as Minako and Shinobu watched the surrounding stars melt into a shower of lights. As they turned their attention aft, Minako's hand drifted over to gently grasp Shinobu's. The latter tensed for a second, and then she relaxed herself as she felt Minako's chestnut eyes fall on her. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Minako stood, nodding to the row of sofas lining the aft end and both sides of the lounge. Shinobu rose, walking over with her classmate to a sofa poised in a way that would allow them to gaze aft. Sitting down, they relaxed, Shinobu leaning her head on Minako's shoulder as they watched the stars fly past.

Unseen by either, Sakiko was staring at them from the lounge's entrance. She was quick to note that no one else, not even Yoshino Tomomi or Ikusawa Kyooko -- they were seated together in the aft-most row of chairs in the cabin, holding each other's hands as they leaned their heads together -- was considering coming back to the lounge and watch the stars pass from there. Gazing at Minako's friends, Sakiko didn't need to use her own telepathy to sense that the two Avalonians were currently engaged in things non-psi species couldn't begin to contemplate. Grinning as she gently closed the door to give Minako and Shinobu privacy, she headed up to sit with Ryuunosuke.

* * *

"Benten, I'm not that person anymore . . .!"

"Dammit, Lum! Don't say that!" the Fukunokami shrilled. She was confronting Seiko in the lounge aboard the _Goddess of Luck_, just aft of the frigate's bridge. Nassur and Dakejinzou were currently there preparing the ship for the short flight back to Uru so that the former could reclaim his own starship, the _Renegade_, and return to Home Base. Oyuki had taken the Warp Chamber to Triton to report on things concerning Earth to her parents, King Fuyu and Queen Samui. Benten would get a ride with Dakejinzou to Uru, and then take her air bike back to Fukunokami. "Look, you already explained this whole damned 'crossing over' thing to me! That don't matter! Please . . . "

Seiko surged up to forcefully grasp her friend's shoulders, shaking Benten to force the latter to look into her eyes. "Benten, stop this!" she snapped. "Things haven't really changed! Will you quit acting like the whole Cosmic Chain of Life's going to end . . .!"

"Then come live with me, for Bensaiten's sake!" Benten pleaded.

Seiko blinked as she stared on her friend's face. "I can't do that."

"Why the fuck not?!" Benten roared. "Is it Moroboshi?! You ain't got a chance with him! You can't have kids unless you have 'em with another girl, remember?! Why the hell're you stayin' on Earth?! They're gonna slam the doors closed on all of us anyway! If you stay there, you're STUCK there! Do you really want that?! C'mon, Lum . . .!"

"Seiko."

That one word made Benten stop. "Eh . . .?"

"My name is Seiko. Izumo Seiko. Lum is dead."

Silence fell as Benten stared wide-eyed at her transformed friend. Friend . . .? Shuddering as the finality of Seiko's words slammed into her heart like a meteorite, Benten sobbed as she spun away from the Nendo-kata, racing out of the lounge. Seiko watched her go, squeezing her eyes shut as the Fukunokami teen slammed the door leading to one of the guest bedrooms closed behind her. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Seiko then whispered, "Gomen nasai, Benten. I didn't want it to be this way . . . "

"She just needs time to let what happened to you sink in."

Seiko turned to see Nassur staring concernedly at her. "Hai, Nassur-chan, I know." She crossed her arms as she turned to stare out a view port into the space around the _Goddess of Luck_ and the _Windrider Dreams_. "They teach us in the Great School that one must have patience above all else to allow the Unity to property foster. But with people like Benten . . . "

A wry chuckle escaped her. "Yes, she can be pretty stone-headed," the Vosian mused as he moved to stand beside her.

"Nassur, why didn't you tell us about Hensou and the others?"

He perked as Seiko's dark gaze fixed on him, and then he breathed out, closing his eyes. The Nendo-kata was quick to sense the surge of guilt her friend felt concerning the replica-bioroids who had rescued Ten and brought him to Earth. "I'm really sorry about that, Seiko-chan," he apologized. "I thought it was a good idea at the time. Business took me once to Phentax Two when I met one of those Avalonians. Of course, I couldn't sense her brainwave patterns and she didn't even come close to looking like a Yehisrite. And . . . " A disgusted look then crossed his face. "Seeing her 'owner' play with her like she was some expensive love doll, I could only come to one conclusion."

"Android."

"Android," the Vosian confirmed with a nod. "So, since this was just after the bio-bombing of Lecashuto, I came to realize I had to do something to keep you and Benten safe just in case the worst happened. The Mikado would've kidnapped you in an instant if he got the chance, especially after Oogi murdered all those people." A pause. "And since Oyuki and Ran were your best friends from middle school, it wouldn't be much of a leap of logic for someone to consider going after them just to get to me. So, after I convinced your father, Benten's father and King Fuyu to go along with it, I went to Oogi and had them built. Of course, I never thought to question their origins . . . "

"And the Niphentaxians would've done everything to ensure you'd never learn the truth about them," Seiko finished.

"Hai. How are they, anyway?"

Seiko smiled. "Adjusting to life on Earth, not to mention trying to deal with a massive crush they ALL have on Darling!"

Nassur smirked. "And after all the times he dreamt of a harem . . . "

"It only happened AFTER he got over that!" Seiko finished.

Snickers filled the _Goddess_' lounge for a moment, and then Nassur sighed. "You don't seem to be too jealous of Ranma-san."

Seiko blinked before she shook her head. "More envious than jealous, Nassur-chan. After all, someone bonded Darling and Ranma-san together when they were very young. I REALLY would like to learn who that was. Then again, what could I really do to change that? If any of us tried to break the bond between them, we'd end up killing them. Or worse, allow Darling's Cyborg-self and Ranma-san's 'Neko' persona to take over. And given that from what I've sensed from them both, the Cyborg and Neko-Ranma really don't like many of the people their other-selves have had to deal with in the past . . . " A shudder raced through her as the potential result of THAT scenario came to her.

"Right," he drawled before his eyes glowed. "It's Karen-san."

Seiko turned as the hatchway connecting the _Goddess of Luck_ and the _Windrider Dreams_ opened, revealing the pianist in question. "Hello?! Seiko-san . . .? Ah, there you are!" She grinned on seeing the Nendo-kata. "Gomen nasai, Seiko-san, but we're almost ready to head out to get the Genesis Wand for Aria-chan. Onii-chan was wondering if you were going to come with us."

"I'll be right there," Seiko promised before she leaned over to kiss Nassur's cheek. "You be careful now, Nassur-chan."

"I'll be fine," he promised. "Watch yourselves out there, Karen-san."

Karen grinned. "Hai!"

* * *

Watching from the privacy of her guest cabin's window, Benten blinked back her tears as she saw Karen and Seiko race out of the _Goddess_, heading to a corridor that would lead them to the gangway for the _Windrider_. Sniffing, the Fukunokami teen squeezed her eyes shut as she turned away. "Good-bye, Lum . . . " she whispered before her strength let go and she dropped.

Strong arms supported her as Benten wept, crying into Nassur's tunic.

* * *

Seiko stopped, her eyes turning to stare once more at the _Goddess of Luck_. Karen took several steps before she herself stopped, turning around to gaze questioningly at the Nendo-kata. "Seiko-san, is there something wrong?"

Seiko jolted, and then she sighed before smiling. "It's alright."

Karen gazed curiously at her before she nodded.

* * *

"Hello? Negako-san? Are you here?"

"Enter, Kasumi."

Kasumi smiled pleasantly as she stepped through the old shrine's front door. Quickly focusing her attention on the people seated around the table in the living room, her smile broadened a fraction. "Hello, Sensei, Panda-san," she hailed Negako's present guests with a polite bow.

"Hello, Kasumi," Toofuu returned her greetings with a smile. Beside him, the panda raised a sign that echoed his employer's words.

Kasumi sat down. "Any news from your brother, Negako-san?"

"Ataru should be contacting us concerning the status of the operation against Elle soon," Negako said as Toofuu picked up the teakettle to pour a cup for his student. "If they were successful -- as I suspect they should have been given Hinako's possession of the Staff of Gihan -- Ataru will no doubt make arrangements with the Zephyrites to see his former classmates transported to Earth within the next several hours. Certainly before midnight tonight."

"I hope so . . .! Thank you, Sensei."

Kasumi beamed as she was handed a cup. The front doors opened again, revealing Inu Chigaiko. Following her was Tendou Kimiko. "Tadaima!"

"Okaeri ne!" Kasumi called back before she blushed as she turned back to her host. "I'm sorry, Negako-san . . . "

The ninjutsu grandmaster shook her head. "Pay it no mind, Kasumi."

Toofuu was quick to sense the annoyed look on Kimiko's face. "Are you alright, Kimiko-san?" he asked as the first Avalonian replica of Tendou Akane sat to the right of her adopted older sister. Chigaiko took her seat beside Negako. "What's wrong? Did something happen today?"

Kimiko sighed, and then she nodded thanks as a cup of tea was handed to her. "It appears that some of the boys who once chased Akane-sama seem hell-bent on the idea of pressing their challenge against me," she flatly declared.

Kasumi perked. "Oh, my! Are you serious, Kimiko-chan?!"

"Unfortunately," Kimiko confirmed with a nod before she sipped her tea before she continued, "I was with Hikaru-kun at a bistro when several of Akane-sama's would-be suitors spotted us. They came up to haze Hikaru-kun about his interest in me. I was forced to defend him."

"You didn't hurt them too much, did you?" Toofuu asked.

"No. Ninomiya-sensei intervened before matters got out of hand."

"That might not stop them," Kasumi warned.

"Agreed, it will not," Negako warned. "Further, with Pauline's departure for Hawai'i, some of the students at Fuurinkan might decide the time has come to remove all remnants of Pauline's influence on the student body." The ninjutsu grandmaster ignored the snickers from Kasumi and Chigaiko on hearing the principal's given name as she continued, "Hinako represents the most profound 'threat' Pauline has unleashed 'against' the student body at Fuurinkan over the previous year. To remove her once and for all . . . "

"Her powers should be able to protect her," Toofuu mused.

"Toofuu, you should know well that no defence is perfect."

The chiropractor paused as he considered Negako's point. "Agreed."

The panda raised a sign. (**YOU PROMISED HINAKO THAT YOU'D HELP HER STAY AN ADULT FULL-TIME.**) It was flipped around. (**DO YOU WANT ME TO TELL HINAKO TO COME SEE YOU SO YOU CAN START TREATING HER?**)

"Do so."

(**ALL RIGHT.**)

A faint buzzing noise echoed from the direction of the grandmaster's bedroom. "I got it!" a young boy's voice called out.

"Who's that?" Chigaiko demanded.

"Jariten," Negako replied before she called out, "Is it Ataru?!"

Toofuu, Kasumi and Kimiko quickly noted Chigaiko's twitching eyebrow. "It's Sakuya-oneechan, Negako-oneechan!" Ten called back.

"Bring the phone here!" Negako ordered.

A moment later, a young boy of five walked into the living room, an alien-looking portable communicator unit in hand. Seeing the transformed Ten, Chigaiko blinked in shock. The Nerima natives were also taken aback by the changes in Ten's appearance; Lum's cousin was as well known among the general public, especially in the districts and towns on Tomobiki's borders, as Lum herself. "Here ya go!" he said as the communicator was handed over.

Negako pressed controls to allow the speakers to transmit Sakuya's voice openly. "Hello, Sakuya. Toofuu, Kasumi, Kimiko and Chigaiko are with me right now. I trust the rescue went off without problems."

"Hai, everything went a-okay!" Sakuya replied. "Miyake-san and everyone else got sent back to Earth on a Zephyrite courier ship a half-hour ago. They should be back in Tomobiki in a couple hours at the most."

Cheers whooped. "Are your sisters alright, Sakuya-san?" Kasumi asked.

"Aria-chan chipped one of her arm bones when the warp drive on Elle's ship went bonkers after Onii-sama started the rescue. A Zephyrite medic looked it over and patched it up for her. She's asleep in her cabin right now."

"Guenevere-san won't like hearing that," Toofuu ruefully muttered before he spoke up, "Sakuya-chan, when will you come back?!"

"Not just yet, Sensei," Sakuya replied. "We have to go off and find a friend for Hinako-chan's friend first."

Toofuu's, Kasumi's and Kimiko's eyes widened on hearing that. "Are Nabiki-chan or Shinshi-chan around?" Kasumi asked.

"Right here, Onee-chan," Nabiki's voice echoed from the speakers. "Shinshi's with Yotsuba-chan now in her cabin. We're okay."

"What about that boor Kunou, Onee-sama?" Kimiko asked.

"Being held prisoner," Nabiki said. "He won't be coming back to Earth."

Surprise crossed everyone's faces. "What happened?" Negako asked.

Nabiki quickly explained the situation between Kunou and the young women from Elle. Hearing that, the Nerima natives laughed. "Well, he should be happy," Toofuu mused. "But what's to stop him from trying to come back to Earth to harass Ranma-chan? If he wins over senior officers in the Ellsian Navy, he could easily borrow a ship . . . "

"Inspector Owleye promised us that'll be taken care of," Nabiki cut in. "He strikes me as being a man of his word."

"Nabiki-chan, this IS Kunou Tatewaki we're speaking of," Kasumi warned.

"True," the middle Tendou daughter conceded. "But Kunou-chan's never had to deal with aliens before. Besides, if the Noukiites succeed in setting up their neutral zone, it'll encompass Earth. The Ellsians would need permission to send a ship our way from now on. Kunou-chan's trapped, Onee-chan."

"Let's hope his father doesn't raise an objection about it," Toofuu said.

"Pauline would not care either which way about Tatewaki," Negako stated.

"What about Ranma-chan, Nabiki-chan?" Kasumi asked.

A deep sigh. "Ranma's 'catty' side got loose again, Onee-chan. Elle got caught in the line of fire."

Toofuu and Kasumi blanched. "She didn't . . .!" the chiropractor gasped.

"Elle's in a coma," Nabiki assured them. "She's being cared for by the Zephyrites as we speak." A pause. "And as long as she remains the Zephyrites' prisoner, not to mince words, that'll be another incentive for the Ellsians to behave themselves when it comes to us."

"Thus keeping Kunou away," Chigaiko finished.

"Right," Nabiki drawled.

"What about Ataru-kun?" Chigaiko asked.

"He's okay. Ditto with everyone else." A sigh. "Except Marie-chan."

Toofuu, Kasumi and Chigaiko, in sync: "Marie-chan?!"

"I assume Marie has learned of what the Staff of Gihan did," Negako said.

Nabiki ruefully laughed. "Figures YOU sensed what happened, Negako-san!"

"What are you talking about?!" Kasumi asked.

Nabiki and Sakuya joined together to explain.

The response?

"Oh, MY!"

Did you expect anything else, dear readers?

* * *

"Oooh . . . "

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty's awake!"

Marie's eyes fluttered as she found herself staring at what she quickly realized was the deckhead of her private cabin aboard the _Windrider_. The very fluffy feeling of a thick mattress pressing against her back confirmed her suspicions. A second later, Hinako popped into her arc of vision, concern etched on her face. "Are you okay, Marie-chan?!"

"Hinako-chan . . . " Marie whispered. "I just had the strangest dream."

Chikage stepped up to stand beside Hinako. "About Akane, I would assume," the sorceress mused with a knowing smile.

"Yes," the bespectacled teen said before she froze. "It wasn't a dream?"

Chikage nodded behind her. Marie's head slowly turned right, making her stare at one corner of the cabin. Her eyes widened even more on seeing Tendou Akane seated there, her legs tucked into her body with her arms wrapped around them, a flutter of nonsensical words escaping the bioroid's lips. Kneeling beside her was Fujikaze Nobuko, who was keeping a supportive hand on the other Avalonian's shoulder. Standing behind Benten's replica were the other replica-bioroids, concerned looks on their faces. Staring at the double of the youngest Tendou, Marie blinked as her mind churned through the previous twenty-four hours' events, and then she slowly rose, swinging her legs around so she could sit up. "This isn't . . .? Our Akane, is it?" she hesitantly asked.

"No. The Staff make a soul-copy of Akane before she went to be with her mother," Chikage declared. "We obtained the body for her this morning, just before Elle decided to stick her nose into our lives."

Marie took that in with a slow nod. "I see . . . "

Nobuko stared at her. "'Bout time you came back to the land of the living," she said before turning to Akane. "Hey, Akane-chan! Look!" She pointed at Marie. "Marie-chan's awake. See? You didn't hurt her at all."

Akane's lips stopped fluttering as elements of her mind quickly absorbed her sister Avalonian's words, and then her eyes slowly shifted left to lock on Marie's face. The latter remained still as the former gazed on her, and then Akane's eyes dropped as she started to mutter again. "What's wrong with her, Chikage-chan?" Hinako asked as she stared at the sorceress.

Chikage sighed. "It appears Akane's spirit is still having problems adjusting to her new body." She then stared at the replica-bioroids. "Do any of you have any suggestions concerning how we should proceed with Akane?"

They exchanged looks, and then Nomade Shinobi sighed. "Well, the one thing I'd recommend is intimate therapy, Chikage-chan."

"That does work," Arashi Mika said with a nod.

Marie's eyes widened. "Excuse me?!" she uttered, her voice an embarrassed squeak. "You mean to say I should . . .?"

The replica-bioroids nodded, they passing the Terran sympathetic looks. "Nani? Nani?" Hinako asked as she looked at each of the people in the room in succession. "What're you talking about? What's 'intimate therapy?'"

"Silly adult stuff," Chikage answered.

Hinako blinked before she huffed, "Oh, _that!_" She turned to leave. "Hina'd rather play with Kuma-san!" she muttered under her breath.

"In four years' time, you'll be singing a different tune."

"Hina doesn't think so."

She walked out. Once the door closed behind the youngest sister, Marie turned to Nobuko. "You cannot be serious!" she declared, surprising herself with the steadiness of her voice. "You actually think it best to . . .?!"

"Put Akane-chan in bed, rip her clothes off and screw her silly."

"NOBUKO-SAN!"

The Fukunokami/Avalonian then laughed as she waved her host down. "Bensaiten's Grave, Marie-chan, I was templated off a girl whom, as Sakuya-chan so eloquently put it earlier, is nothing better than a 'trash-mouth.' Now, I'm pretty much my own girl now -- that's thanks to Hinako-chan and the Staff when she made me look like a Terran after we met up with Darling and the others -- but I can't deny Benten's influence on me whatsoever."

"Well, I wish you would practice. Especially if you might decide to come to the Island and live with us," Marie insisted, crossing her arms as she gave Nobuko a stern glare. "Believe me, you would NOT wish to know how Guenevere-san would react if you spoke like that within hearing range of Aria-chan. Even Aniue-sama knows when to be careful in that sort of situation."

"Really stiffed-lipped one, huh?" Nobuko smirked, and then she looked at Kanki Yukiko. "Sounds like your type, Mienai."

"She must be," Oyuki's replica mused before she tittered. "And she IS from France! They are said to be great lovers, after all!"

Chikage howled. Marie rolled her eyes, a moan escaping the latter.

* * *

"AH-CHOO!"

Moaning, a bleary-eyed Guenevere Rochelles looked up from her tea. "Who could be speaking about me?" the maid from Lyon asked.

* * *

"Marie-chan, are you saying you're not beautiful?"

Marie blinked before she focused on Shinobi. Seeing the knowing smile cross the disguised Oni/Avalonian's face, Marie then sighed. "Shinobi-san, that is not the point! I'm not a lesbian and I'm certainly not bisexual! Yes, my first lover was a woman . . .!"

Her voice caught in her throat as her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes as wide as saucers. "And who was the lucky girl?" Mika asked.

"Kimino Kunie. A former resident of the convalescent home Marie spent time in after her step-father died," Chikage answered.

Instant-blush time! "CHIKAGE-CHAN!"

"Marie-chan, that's enough!" the sorceress sternly said. "This is no time to argue about sexual ethics. A life is in potential danger here. A life whose creation, I'm afraid to say, was influenced by your actions last night."

Silence. Marie stared wide-eyed at her sister, her face paling as Chikage's words struck home deep in her own heart. Her eyes then shifted right to gaze once more on Akane, who had remained in place, looking nowhere in particular, her lips fluttering. Shivering, Marie hugged herself as tears threatened to pour down her cheeks. "I didn't kill her . . . " she hissed.

Chikage shook her head, placing her hands on her hips. "No, you did not. What happened to the original Akane, in some ways, doesn't matter. But when it comes to the original Akane's sexual and emotional immaturity, they now matched up to an Avalonian body, it DOES matter greatly."

Marie looked at Chikage. "'Sexual and emotional immaturity?!'"

"You should remember what Ane-kun told us about Akane's temper-tantrums."

The bespectacled teen took that in before she breathed out, "True . . . "

Chikage straightened herself. "Perhaps a demonstration is called for. Nobuko, sit beside Marie-chan, please."

"'Kay," Benten's replica replied as she moved to sit on the bed.

A knock was then heard at the door. Yukiko answered it to reveal Yotsuba. "Hey, minna!" the would-be detective hailed as she walked inside, and then she drew out her spyglass so she could give Akane a close look. "Hmmm. A-chama's still out of it, huh?" she asked.

"Yes. We're persuading Marie-chan to change that," Chikage said.

"Checky!" Yotsuba acknowledged, she closing her eyes. "Shi-chama . . .?"

Marie stared at her English-born sister for a moment as Yotsuba's caramel eyes seemed to loose their lucidity, and then the latter breathed out, "Checky . . . " She then gazed on Mika. "Da-chama," she said with a smile as she opened her arms for a hug from the red-haired Avalonian.

Mika grinned as she walked over to embrace the other girl. Marie's eyes nearly popped through her glasses as they shared a tender kiss, and then the bespectacled teen looked down to see Yotsuba's hands reach behind the bioroid to un-tuck her blouse from her skirt. A soft moan escaped Ran's replica as Yotsuba's hand gently stroked the small of the former's back. Their kisses remained soft and tender as Mika held Yotsuba close to her.

Watching this, Marie was spellbound. That was soon broken when a hand touched hers. Jolting, she then looked down to see that Nobuko had reached down to gently stroke her fingertips over Marie's middle finger. The urge to snap her hand away from the bioroid's touch burned through Marie. She then blinked as Nobuko's hand pulled away from her. A glance to her face revealed a look of concern being sent her way. Realizing that Benten's replica had sensed her initial hesitation, Marie then sighed. "Gomen nasai, Nobuko-san . . . "

She reached over to press Nobuko's hand against hers. Sensing Marie's willingness to allow this even in the face of what Chikage was ultimately proposing should happen between her and Akane -- no doubt, the bespectacled teen had been inspired in her own way to follow in Yotsuba's example -- Nobuko then smiled as her fingertips continued to brush over Marie's skin. _It's okay_, her voice then echoed in Marie's mind. _You're a hell of a lot braver than most people'd think when they'd meet up with you, Marie-chan._

Marie blinked as her mind absorbed that comment, and then she gazed once more on Yotsuba and Mika. The two weren't kissing at that time, they simply electing to hold each other, allowing their foreheads to rub against the other's. "Um, Yotsuba-chan . . .?"

"Hmmm?" the would-be detective trilled. "What is it, Marie-chan?"

"Do you . . . um, do that now with Shinshi-kun?"

"Yotsuba does a LOT more than this with Shi-chama, Marie-chan."

Marie took that in, and then she drew back her hand from Nobuko. "Marie-chan . . .?" Benten's replica whispered concernedly.

"It need not go that far if you don't wish it to, Marie-chan."

Marie hesitantly looked at Chikage. "But . . . "

"Marie-chan, they are telepaths and empaths," the sorceress said. "To them, it is the mind and the spirit that matters. The body is a shell. Simple window-dressing. It is the primary factor that rules their relationships with each other and outsiders. Even if they look as they do now, none of them can deny what even a simple brush of the fingers over another's skin can do to them." A pause. "It makes them happy. It gives them pleasure. And their ancestors on Sagussa went and built a society that acknowledged that and welcomed it as an integral part of their lives. Social values eventually come to influence genetic development over the many generations. The Sagussans passed that on to the Avalonians when the bioroid factory was first built. No Avalonian alive today can deny that fact. Nobuko can't. Shinobi can't. Yukiko can't. Mika can't. Shinshi can't. Miree and her children can't." Her finger then indicated the fifth Avalonian in the room. "Neither can Akane."

Marie blinked before her eyes swung to gaze on Akane. "Then why . . .?"

"Because her spirit was copied from that of a woman who, we no longer can deny, readily strove to deny almost every positive thought that comes from the onslaught of puberty ever since the day Kunou decided to start treating her as an object," Chikage answered. "Add to that the fact that her family failed to make Akane realize that those feelings, in and of themselves, were not 'perverted.' Add also to that her relationship with Ane-kun, how Ane-kun's own sexual immaturity came to clash so badly with Akane's. And now, Akane's clone is in a body that will not allow her to hide herself from those feelings." A pause. "Put simply, she needs the chance to experience a truly positive emotional relationship. And you are the best person to give that to her."

Marie's cheeks warmed as Chikage's words sank in. "She needs a boy!"

"No. That would be the worst thing to happen to Akane right now, Marie-chan. The only people we know who, I believe, could possibly succeed in making Akane comfortable about herself in the presence of a man are Ani-kun and Toofuu-kun. Ani-kun is trying to resolve his own feelings on a whole host of matters, so he couldn't possibly be of benefit to Akane. And, unfortunately, the good doctor's ethics and morals would not allow him to overcome the considerable age difference between him and Akane. So . . . "

"What about one of the other Avalonians aboard, Chikage-chan?"

"It can't be any of us," Nobuko answered.

"Why not?"

Benten's replica pointed to the side of her head. "Thanks to the bio-transmitters in our heads that linked us to our templates so we could act like them in public, Marie-chan. Ya see, before this, we were bond-mated to each other. Hensou to me, Damasu to Mienai. When Lum 'died' after the Noukiites blew Onishuto to hell, her spirit got fired through Hensou's mind, then it bounced around in our collective skulls for a bit before it exited through Damasu's head into Ran's subconscious mind. And when that happened . . . "

"Our bonds were shattered," Yukiko finished. "It's a miracle none of us died. Fortunately, the life-support units we were in were able to affect the necessary repairs to our mental synapses." A rueful smile crossed her face as she added, "Still, it took us almost a week to recover enough mentally so we could break out of our holding area on Io."

"If we hadn't, it would've been too late for Ten-chan," Shinobi added.

Marie gazed on each of the replica-bioroids before her eyes fell on Nobuko. "You still love her, don't you?" she asked.

"I'll always love her," she asserted. "Just as much as Benten loves Lum. And when I feel I'm ready for it, I'll bond with her again. Just as much as Damasu and Mienai'll bond with each other. So, in the end . . . "

"None of us are really in any shape to help Akane out of this mess by _that_ route," Yukiko finished for Nobuko.

"What about the others?" Marie demanded.

"Shinshi is disqualified for obvious reasons," Chikage said. "Miree is too old psychologically. Jonna and Orin are concentrating, as per Ani-kun's request, their attentions on Hinako-chan and Aria-chan, though they do understand not to step _too_ far concerning our sisters. As for Himiko and Mikiko, they're recovering from discovering some rather ugly things about Mendou Shuutarou, things they would have preferred NOT to discover. And, by the looks of things, they might decide to try to go after Haruka-chan and Sakuya-chan."

"I don't think Haruka-chan and Sakuya-chan'll accept _that!_"

"True, but things might change."

Silence fell as Marie took the chance to consider what she just heard. Her eyes focused once more on Akane, who had finally fallen silent, though her eyes still remained glazed and unfocused. "She needs your strength, Marie-chan," Chikage said as she placed an assuring hand on her sister's shoulder.

Marie started, and then her cheeks flamed. "I'm not strong . . . "

"Yes, you are," the sorceress firmly asserted. "You've just blinded yourself to that strength because of the pain you still feel at what happened to your stepfather. Don't let it blind you anymore, Marie-chan. It can come back and hurt you badly when you least expect it. And given what happened to you last night . . . " Her voice trailed off as she took a deep breath. "In her own way, Akane is as strong as you are, Marie-chan. But like you, she needs the chance to look past the blinds her template's experiences have forced on her. You can give her that chance. And as you help her, she helps you. And that will make ALL our lives a lot easier in the long run."

"It definitely won't be checky if Shi-chama lost his sister again."

Marie's eyes focused on Yotsuba. The latter had pulled away from Mika, though they kept an arm wrapped around each other's waist. Seeing the look on her sister's face, Marie then sighed as she looked once more on Akane. A shudder raced through her as she remembered the previous night's events at Hikarigaoka. Calming herself with a breath, the bespectacled teen then stood.

Walking over, she knelt beside Akane. Raising her hand, she paused, letting it hover over the bioroid's shoulder. Finally, she reached around and under Akane's armpit to tuck her fingers there, Marie's other hand grasping Akane's right arm. The bioroid jolted on feeling that touch through her shirt, though she did not resist as Marie boosted her up. Slowly, calling on the many times she helped younger patients at the convalescent home get around when they didn't have enough physical strength to move themselves, she walked Akane over to the bed. Nobuko got out of the way as Marie sat Akane on the mattress, she then moving to sit beside the newborn bioroid. "Just hold her hands at the start, Marie-chan," Chikage instructed. "Let her get used to your touch."

"Don't worry if you don't wanna do anything more," Nobuko added. "She'll sense it if you don't like something."

Marie gazed on Benten's double, she nodding. The others quickly filed out of the cabin, Chikage closing the door behind them. Marie watched them go, and then she gazed into Akane's eyes. They were focused on her, the growing strength in that stare speaking volumes about what Marie's simple touch was doing to the bioroid's mind and soul. Feeling her cheeks start to heat, Marie fought down the urge to pull her hands away from Akane's as Yotsuba's warning echoed once more in her mind. Indeed, it simply wouldn't do at all if Kasumi, Nabiki and Shinshi had to endure losing their sister a SECOND time after the Staff of Gihan had gone to the trouble to ensure that something of Tendou Akane remained in this life for her siblings to cling to. And, unfortunately, given Ranma's own bond with Marie's brother -- that added to a whole host of other factors whose influence on the original Akane had finally come to a head the previous night -- Akane didn't even have the luxury to fall on her template's only true loving relationship to help put her own life back in order.

"Ranma . . . "

Marie blinked as Akane's eyes turned away from her to gaze around the room. "Do you want to see Aneue-sama, Akane?"

Akane remained silent for a moment before her eyes drooped. "I shouldn't . . . " she whispered. "I doubt Ranma'll be happy to see me after what I . . . " She stuttered before sighing. "After what the other me did last night."

"I know what it's like to loose your mother, Akane."

Akane turned to gaze on her host. "You've lost your step-dad, too."

Marie nodded. "I miss them both. But I'm sure that wherever in Heaven they are now, Papa and Mama would want me to go on. Oh, yes, Akane-chan, I've wanted many times to go be with them. More times than I'd care to count. And maybe . . . " She paused to take a breath before she focused once more on Akane. "If I found myself in a situation like the other you was in last night, I'd be tempted to let it all go, too. But I can't. If I did that, my sisters would be hurt. Aniue-sama would be hurt. Aneue-sama . . . " -- by this, Akane realized that Marie was speaking of Negako, not Ranma -- " . . . would be hurt, too. And I can't do that to them, Akane. I really can't."

Akane considered that for a moment before her lips quirked into a smile. "I guess I can't do that either. Especially not now."

Silence fell as they gazed on each other. Akane's eyes then closed as she found herself drifting closer to Marie. The latter remained frozen in place as the former's lips brushed against hers. At the same time, Akane guided Marie's arms around the former's neck as they drew themselves closer. Their kiss deepened as their heads twisted around into the classic French kiss position. Before they could sense what they were doing, their lips parted to allow their tongues to tap the other. Akane's hands began to roam over Marie's back as they found themselves sinking into the mattress. Once their heads were resting against the fabric of the bedcovers, their lips slowly pulled apart as they found themselves gazing intently at the other. They remained still for a moment, and then embarrassed giggles escaped them. Finally, Akane reached up to gently touch Marie's cheek. "You're so beautiful, Marie-chan . . . "

Marie felt her cheeks heat. "What do we do now, Akane-chan?"

She considered that, and then she shrugged. "Whatever we want, I guess."

* * *

"It's about damned time . . . "

"Are they alright, Nabiki-chan?"

Nabiki sighed. She was relaxing in Rinrin's seat on the _Windrider_'s pilotage, the link connecting the solar-sail barque to Negako's communicator unit directly tied into the intercom unit located on the panel before her. "I think so, Onee-chan. At least Marie-chan seems a little more open to the idea of being closer to Akane-chan." A frown turned her lips. "And if what I sensed about Marie-chan is true . . . "

"It will do them both well," Negako cut in from Nerima.

"At least you got something of your sister back," Inu Chigaiko added. "You'd probably want a lot more -- hell, ANYONE'D want a lot more in cases like this! -- but sometimes, Fate can throw you all sorts of curve balls."

"True." Nabiki took a breath. "Pity I didn't find out about what the Staff did before everyone headed to Earth. I could've caught a ride back to Nerima. If we're bringing this Akane 'back' into the fold . . . "

"Yes, that is true, isn't it?" Kasumi acknowledged.

"Nabiki-san?"

Nabiki looked over to see Seiko gazing curiously at her. "What is it?"

"If you want, you can ask Shogai-san to give you a ride to Earth."

"Would she be allowed? She's from Benten's home planet, right . . .?"

"She doesn't have to land in Nerima if she doesn't have to," Seiko noted. "She could transport you down right from orbit and no one in Nerima or Tomobiki would be any the wiser. If you want, I can ask her to give you a ride."

"If it wouldn't be any trouble," Kasumi noted.

Nabiki nodded. "Okay, it's a plan, then. I'll see you guys in a while."

"All right, then," Kasumi called back.

The link was cut. Nabiki stood. "If you'll all excuse me, minna . . . "

"Don't worry about it, Nabiki," Sakuya spoke up from the central chair. "We'll be back before you guys know it."

"Right. Be careful, huh?"

With that, the middle Tendou daughter stepped off the pilotage, she heading for the gangway to board the _Windrider Dreams_. Stepping aboard the Zephyrite battlecruiser, she then paused, turning back to gaze on the solar-sail barque through a nearby view port. Fortunately for her, the porthole opening into Marie's cabin was within her line of sight. Akane's head then came into view, the replica of Nabiki's late sister gazing directly at her. _See you soon, sis_, Nabiki telepathically called out.

Akane nodded. Nabiki then turned, quickly finding the hallway that would connect her to the other side of the battlecruiser's superstructure, where the _Goddess of Luck_ was docked. She then smirked on seeing Ranma and Ataru standing by the gangway leading to the Fukunokami-built frigate, they chatting with Nassur and Shogai Dakejinzou. Smirking on seeing Ranma demonstrate some kata to the expat Vosian, Nabiki then decided to give in to her curiosity and focused her empathic senses on the two bounty hunters.

Dakejinzou was hard to read -- no doubt, that was because of how alien she seemed in comparison to her former partner, much less the other humanoids Nabiki had encountered since she first met Moroboshi Ataru. From what she could sense, though, the elfin-eared woman was the epitome of serenity. It was as if she had come to accept whatever pains and tribulations Life tossed at her as simple obstacles to be overcome. No doubt, she could probably teach senior Buddhist clerics some things about internal peace and harmony.

Nassur was pretty much the same way, yet Nabiki was quick to sense a cloud of sorrow looming over his heart. An extra push with her empathic powers quickly garnished an image for Nabiki's mind to see, that of a lovely woman that seemed to be a blonde, Vosian Oyuki. _His wife?_ Nabiki mused as Ataru glanced her way before he walked over to stand beside her. Yes, a tragic loss, quite recent. _Amazing how many people I know who've lost their spouses_. Still, Nassur seemed willing to press on. Good for him.

"Found out about Akane, I see," Ataru whispered as he stopped beside her.

"Had no choice," Nabiki admitted.

"Did you tell your sister?"

"Hai. If we're going to welcome her 'back,' so to speak, into the family, I've got to get back to Nerima and make arrangements. You think your friend there can give me a lift to Earth while you're out in the vast unknown?"

Dakejinzou's ear twitched as her cat-slit eyes focused on Nabiki. "You need a ride to Earth, Tendou-san?" she asked.

"You heard me?!"

The hunter pointed to her elongated lobes. "As you might notice, my ears are built for it," she declared with a wink.

Nabiki laughed. "I can use the ride!"

Dakejinzou nodded before she stared at Nassur. "You mind?"

The Vosian nodded his permission. Nabiki grinned as she nodded before heading over to step aboard the _Goddess_. She then paused as she was about to walk past Ranma. They gazed on each other, a question crossing Nabiki's face. Ranma blinked before she breathed out, "I need some time, Nabiki-chan. It ain't her fault by any sense of the imagination. But I . . . " She then shrugged, pointing at her own heart as she gave her a knowing look.

Nabiki nodded. "No problem."

She kissed Ranma's cheek before heading through the gangway to the _Goddess_. With that, Nassur and Dakejinzou parted from Ataru and Ranma. The latter pair then turned to head back to the _Windrider_. "We better get a move-on if we're going to get to that wormhole the Staff told us about so we can get to this Dyson sphere and find the Genesis Wand," Ataru mused.

"Will we be able to get back to Earth by tomorrow?" Ranma asked.

"It should be no problem . . .! WHOA!" Ataru cried out as he stopped himself before he ran over a familiar figure in a hakama.

"Kunou!" Ranma snapped on seeing the kendou-ka.

Kunou turned to gaze on them, and then his eyes glazed over for a second before they cleared up. "I beg your pardon, good sir, fair madam, but you should be more careful running around these hallways," he declared before turning to stare on the Inquisitor -- it was Inquisitor-Archdeacon Sunwind Skyrain, Ataru realized, the man who had accompanied Highridge Malefire to Earth to escort Lum, Ran and Jariten out of Tomobiki -- behind him. "Now, good sir, where exactly could the most fair Anna du Kolhn be at this time?"

Skyrain beckoned him down the hallway. "This way, Young Master."

Kunou and the Inquisitor headed off, the former not bothering to look at Ranma as he went. Ranma and Ataru watched him go, remaining rooted in place as they vanished around the corner, and then they exchanged looks. "What the hell happened to him . . .?" the former hissed.

"Don't ask," the latter asserted. "Remember when you told me about Souun and Genma not wanting to speak Happoosai's name?"

Ranma paused, and then she nodded. "Right. Let's get outta here."

They ran off for the waiting _Windrider_.

* * *

Minutes later, the _Windrider_ and the _Goddess of Luck_ unlocked themselves from the _Windrider Dreams_. Both smaller ships soared away from the Zephyrite battlecruiser, the solar-sail barque deploying her mainsails as she angled her prow in the general direction of Karasutengu space. Some distance beyond that was a wormhole that, according to the Staff of Gihan as it had explained to everyone through Hinako prior to the final encounter with Elle, would take the _Windrider_ into an unexplored quadrant of the galaxy.

Waiting there, parsecs beyond the wormhole's exit, was a Dyson sphere constructed by parties unknown millions of years ago. Inside that was a crystal palace where, a century before, the Genesis Wand of Parah had been deposited almost two millennia after it had been found by the Vosian unification leader Lecasur -- among Vosians, the Genesis Wand was known as "the Sceptre of Lecasur" -- and used by every president of the Confederation until a military leader known as the Mikado seized power in a coup d'état.

The Genesis Wand, according to what the Staff had said, was relatively intact, its link to the Te'a still quite strong. All it seemed to require was a new controlling mechanism, which could be fabricated, and then Aria would get the chance to become the first true controller of Parah's Haijo-ju prototype for the first time in fourteen thousand years.

"How's your arm, Aria-chan?" Mamoru asked.

A Zephyrite medical technician had tended to the young Parisian's arm after Ataru's former classmates had been escorted off the _Windrider_. It was still currently in a sling. "It still hurts, Mamoru-chan," she admitted before yawning. She had woken up when the sounds of the barque unlocking from the _Windrider Dreams_ had echoed through her cabin.

"Aria-sama, do you want to go back to bed?" Orin asked. "It'll be several hours before you'd be needed to deal with Tsue-san."

Aria blinked, and then she yawned again. "Aria is tired . . . "

"All right, then," Orin asserted as she reached down to pick Aria up.

Aria wrapped her good arm around the older woman's neck as Orin carried her off the pilotage. "Nee-ya is so nice to Aria . . . "

"You get some sleep, Aria-chan," Hinako called out.

"Hai . . . "

The doors closed behind her. "Darling, all systems show green. Gallants and staysails ready to deploy," Shinobi declared.

He tapped a control on his chair. "Sail control, this is the pilotage."

"Hai! Everything's okay down here, Aniki!" a familiar voice chimed back.

"What are you doing there, Rinrin-chan?"

Laughter responded from forward. "What do you think?!"

Snickers and guffaws echoed over the pilotage. "Set course for the wormhole, Reiko-chan," Ataru declared. "Warp speed!"

"Hai, Papa!"

* * *

"There she goes."

Dakejinzou, Nassur and Nabiki watched as the _Windrider_'s smaller sails deployed before the barque disappeared in a flash of energy. To the middle Tendou daughter, who was familiar with _Star Trek_, it was like watching the _Enterprise_-D, the _Defiant_ or the _Voyager_ leap into hyperspace; the _Windrider_ seemed to stretch like an elastic band before it disappeared. "You should've told me it was the Planet of Shadows they're going to," Nassur noted. "I could've helped them find this Genesis Wand."

The older hunter sat back in her chair. "I didn't realize that this habitation they were heading for was the Planet of Shadows until I had a chance to think about it," she admitted before her eyebrow arched. "Why? Are you worried they might find the Sceptre of Lecasur by accident?"

Nassur took a deep breath before he sat in the co-pilot's chair. "Dake-chan, I've heard some rumours from Vos . . . "

"So have I. His Stupidity-ness is contemplating sending a team out to get the Sceptre as a way of 'legitimizing' his rule over what's left of his petty empire." Hearing that name for the Mikado, Nassur smirked. Dakejinzou NEVER addressed the dictator by his _nom de guerre_ and few people knew his birth name. "Matter of fact, I've heard of who might be leading that trip."

"Who?"

"Mujanba and Varena."

Nassur's eyes widened. The Special Hunter Corps' elite operatives, Mujanba and Varena were natives of the Confederation's "witches' planet," Colony Nine. They were also the only members of the Hunter Corps who hadn't been "recruited" in the normal way, as Nassur and so many others could readily attest to: Kidnapped after birth, then subjected to a fourteen year-long training regimen in camps that would make the Gulag of Iosef Vissarionnovich Stalin's Soviet Union look like the vacation resort town of Sochi in comparison. While he had never faced either Mujanba or Varena in battle, Nassur respected their reputations and their desire to serve the Mikado; both joined the Hunter Corps shortly after radical rebel groups had destroyed their homes early in the Confederation's three-decade old civil war. "Have they already left?" he asked. "If the Mikado wants the Sceptre . . . "

"I'm not sure," Dakejinzou replied as she looked at her console. "Ship, set course for Earth. Engage warp when ready."

"_Understood_," the on-board computer replied.

The _Goddess of Luck_ swung its prow around as it angled itself on a direct vector for Earth. As the ship's engines began to power up to accelerate the frigate into warp, Dakejinzou took a deep breath. "From what I did learn of what His Buffoonish-ness' plan was all about, he originally came up with the idea of targeting you, Lum and some of Lum's friends from Earth to force you to go on the trip to the Planet of Shadows. Turns out, in fact, he managed to locate a clone of Cinba -- her name was Junba -- whom he had brainwashed into hating you enough so that she could've served as overseer of such a trip. Fortunately, Junba was dealt with sometime ago."

Nassur's jaw dropped. "Someone made a clone of my wife?!"

"Yes, they did," Dakejinzou replied. "No one knows who, by the way."

"And this Junba . . .?"

"Dead."

He frowned. "I see . . . " He considered that before he breathed out, "Why didn't the Mikado elect to find someone else -- say Mujanba or Varena or perhaps Grisur -- to take charge of a trip involving Lum-chan and I . . .?"

"The whole thing between Noukiios and Uru started up at that time," Dakejinzou answered as the _Goddess_' engines roared to full power, sending the small frigate into hyperspace. "Just after it started, several of the older Lost Stars were sent to Lecashuto to deliver a strong 'message' to His Idiot-ness. That was the fight where Junba and a few others in the Corps were killed. The message was two-fold: His Moron-ness keeps his nose out of Noukiios' business or else when Noukiios got finished with Uru, she AND Zephyrus would openly support the rebels with materiel AND troops if it was deemed necessary to bring the civil war to a speedy conclusion."

Nassur blinked. "And the second message?"

"That you, in light of your service to the various smaller powers in the galaxy, especially Gomiana, were now under the Dominion's protection. And that any act against you or those you cared for would be seen as an act of war by His Stupidity-ness against Noukiios."

Silence fell as the expat Vosian hunter took that in. "I see . . . "

"I didn't realize you were so popular," Nabiki then spoke up.

Both hunters gazed on her. "Are you always this quiet?" Nassur asked.

"It's my trade in life, Nassur-san," Nabiki replied with a titter. "Granted, with the way things are going concerning Earth's relations with its galactic neighbours, it might not matter. But to me, not knowing about certain things that might come to bite us in our collective butts has always sat wrong. And if Ataru-kun, Ranma-chan and the sisters are about to run headlong into this monster's troops if they go to this Planet of Shadows place, I'm damn hell concerned. Ataru-kun just came out of a war and Ranma-chan just had her whole life turned inside out and upside-down thanks to her fool father and everything else she's run into. So yes, Nassur-san, I WOULD like to know a lot more about what's going on here. My friends are potentially flying into harm's way."

"Understandable." Nassur nodded approvingly. "I wouldn't really worry about it, though. Seiko-chan's there to help out. Ataru-san's experience with the Dominion will help out, too. And they also have the Cyborg and this 'cat' version of Ranma-san to call upon if things got really out of hand. Not to mention that Staff-thing young Hinako-san currently has in her possession."

"And the Sagussans."

Nassur and Nabiki blinked; Dakejinzou had barely whispered those words. "Excuse me, Shogai-san?" Nabiki asked.

The hunter stared at her guests. "Tendou-san, before I explain, tell me this: Do you consider yourself a friend of Moroboshi Ataru, yes or no?"

"I'd like to be his friend," Nabiki answered. "And I do care a lot for his girlfriend. If it affects Ranma-chan, it concerns me. And if it might end up reflecting on everyone Ataru-kun and Ranma-chan knows, better to nip it in the bud. Agreed?" Her eyebrow arched as she gazed on her host.

"Agreed," Dakejinzou acknowledged before she stared at Nassur. "You know I've kept one thing from you since we decided to work together, Nassur-chan."

"The Maidens of the Eternal Voyager . . . " His voice then trailed off as his eyes went wide. "Ataru-san?" he gasped.

Dakejinzou nodded. "It's time for you to learn about a planet named Sagussa, a war worse than even Varanko's darkest nightmares, a plan to restore a dead world to life that's been ongoing for the last ten millennia . . . " She paused before her eyes fell on a picture posted on the T-frame dividing the view ports of her bridge. "And how Moroboshi Ataru relates to all that."

A wry chuckle escaped Nassur. "I see."

* * *

Outside the closed door connecting the frigate's bridge and lounge, a wide-eyed Benten stood there. Despite the fact that Nassur could have detected the Fukunokami's presence with his tracking powers -- had he already sensed her? -- she hadn't made her presence known to the people on the bridge. And she had overhead almost everything they had said.

_Moroboshi . . .?!_ she mentally railed as she turned to stagger to her guest room. _He's the Chosen One of the Eternal Voyager . . .?!_

Ye gods, the Universe couldn't be THAT cruel!

Could it?

* * *

"So they're on their way."

"Are you having someone trail them, Lady?"

Noa blinked as her mind absorbed Firesky Owleye's words, and then she shook her head. "You need not call me _that_, you know."

"You are who you are," the Inquisitor insisted. They and the other Sagussans who had accompanied Noa aboard the _Windrider Dreams_ from the cloaked _Hasei'cha_ -- the warpsloop was currently several hundred kilometres away from the Zephyrite formation, off the battlecruiser's port beam -- were standing in a private reflective lounge high in the superstructure, one normally set aside for senior clerics. They had just watched the _Windrider_ and the _Goddess of Luck_ warp out. "You are simply who you are."

Noa tittered in amusement as she shared a knowing look with Catty, and then she ran a hand through her shaggy chestnut-brown hair. Born originally as Aruka Noa, one of the legendary Maidens of Aruka who had helped Uru liberate itself from the hordes of the Seifukusu Dominion nine centuries before, the woman who had been later designated Daishi'cha #19282 was seen by everyone on Sagussa these days as the Elder Mother of the Fifth Republic. While she didn't have any true political power to exercise in the day-to-day affairs of the Republic, her moral influence on the other Daishi'cha could not, for a moment, be discounted. After all, it had been Noa, eleven years before, who had convinced a young boy from Earth named Moroboshi Ataru to come visit their planet. And, in the space of two months, had done more to advance the cause of the Grand Design to levels its creators couldn't have hoped to envision.

"And sometimes, I wonder what I've ever done to truly earn that level of respect," she admitted. "I'm not a living goddess as many on Uru might look on me these days if they ever met me. I'm not a devil like some of your Scripturalists might see me as. I'm a normal mortal woman with my own dreams and desires, my own hopes and ambitions." Noa took a deep breath. "There's no need to send someone after Ataru-sama and his family. With his experience and the Staff of Gihan on his side, retrieving the Genesis Wand of Parah should be simplicity itself. What we should have to worry ourselves about now is the Avalon bioroid factory and Oogi's continued control over it."

"Nene's still doing a detailed diagnostic of the factory's sub-systems," the third Sagussan, a raven-haired, blue-eyed double of Seikou Mie, currently dressed in the dark blue-red-and-light green of a defence force medical officer -- Catty was likewise dressed -- declared.

"We best get an update," Noa mused. "In the meantime, we'll . . . "

A communicator sounded off. "Hotaru here," the third Sagussan declared as she tapped her wrist-bracelet. "What is it, Eluza?"

"Problem," the _Hasei'cha_'s shipmistress declared over the comm-link.

"What is it, Eluza?" Noa asked.

"It's Makoto."

Silence fell over the lounge as the Sagussans exchanged shocked looks. "Oh, Lyna, no!" Catty moaned for them all.

* * *

"Makoto, what in Lyna's name are you doing?! That warp's open . . .!"

Makoto grunted as her finger flicked off the communications link connecting her Gladiator to the _Hasei'cha_. Then, with a slight nudge of the control stick, she sent the Boeing 747-sized mechamorphic fighter -- like its mothership, Makoto's mount was equipped with a cloaking device to mask its presence from Zephyrite sensory -- in the direction of the point where the _Windrider_ had disappeared into hyperspace. This manoeuvre, if she succeeded, would allow her to ride the crest of warp energies the barque was using to carry it on its trip to the Planet of Shadows. If she succeeded, that is; no pilot in the Sagussan Navy would try a crazy stunt like THIS even in the direst of circumstances. But to Makoto, things had gone past THAT point long ago.

"Mie . . .!"

Keeping her eyes locked on the heads-up display before her, the brown-haired, green-eyed Pirpirsiw'r tilted her stick a little bit more to the left, aligning the Gladiator's nose right at the centre of the warp hole. It was fading right before her eyes; if she didn't get into that bend in hyperspace, her chance at reuniting with her beloved would be lost and she'd catch all sorts of crap from Eluza and Noa as a result. Losing her commission -- Makoto was a flightmistress, the fleet fighter arm's version of a watchmistress, in rank -- and most likely her career was the LEAST her superiors would do to her. If her Gladiator was wrecked and if Makoto survived its destruction, Patty, the _Hasei'cha_'s Terran-born chief engineer, would personally tan her a new hide.

But still . . .

Mie . . .

_Makoto, stop!_ Noa's voice boomed in the flightmistress' mind. _You don't have to do this now! Come back . . .!_

"NO!" Makoto screamed as she forced the Elder Mother out of her mind, her finger flicking off the cloak as she slammed her foot into the accelerator. "I've waited eleven years, Noa! She's out there! AND I WON'T WAIT ANYMORE!"

As the Gladiator wavered into existence, it setting off all sorts of sensory alarms in the Zephyrite fleet behind it, the fighter's nose caught the rolling end of the warp wave from the _Windrider_.

In a flash, it disappeared into hyperspace.

* * *

"Lyna's Soul, she actually pulled it off!" Eluza exclaimed.

"If she survives that, she's the luckiest idiot in the universe!" Shildy, the _Hasei'cha_'s first officer, exclaimed.

"If she survives that, she'll wish she hadn't!" Patty snarled from her station on the bridge's port side.

"Can she survive?" Rumy, the ship's young science chief, asked.

Eyes locked on the raven-haired, brown-eyed Patty. The _Hasei'cha_'s chief engineer's brow furrowed as she considered what could happen to a non-shielded Gladiator caught in the warp wake of a Noukiite solar-sail craft moving at transwarp speeds, and then she shook her head. "There's nowhere close to enough anti-radiation shielding on that crate to protect her from the _Windrider_. If they don't spot her right away . . . "

A grim silence fell over the bridge as Patty's shipmates considered that. "Could we hope Mie would remember enough to rescue her if Ataru-sama or any of his sisters spot Makoto?" Spea, the ship's combat officer, asked.

Eluza grimaced as she considered that. Seikou Mie's obvious amnesia where it concerned her life on Sagussa had been one of the factors that blocked the _Hasei'cha_'s crew from retrieving their missing shipmate when Noa -- ironically doing what Mie herself had suggested before Ataru had been sent back to Earth eleven years before -- learned of her true fate just before the First Tag Race changed everything for the whole local cluster. "I'm not taking that chance," she then declared. "Amy, pursuit course!"

"Aye-aye!" Amy, the _Hasei'cha_'s coxswain, said as she tapped controls.

"Noa, Catty, Hotaru, get ready!" Eluza said. "We're beaming you aboard!"

"Understood," the Ashi'cha replied.

* * *

"Good luck, Ladies," Firesky Owleye bade his guests with a nod.

Noa stared at the Inquisitor, and then she gripped his hand. "I am -- and will always be -- Lyna, your sister," she declared in the classical tongue of Tere'na, from which modern Sagussan and Zephyrite had evolved from, before stepping back from him to stand beside Catty and Hotaru.

In a flare of transporter beams, the Sagussans were whisked off. Firesky watched them go, and then he perked as a knock echoed from the door. "Enter!"

The door opened, revealing Sunhair Windrider. "Your Grace, we . . . "

"I know, child," Firesky cut her off with a stern wave of his hand. "Pass the message to the other captains. I will brief them about this matter as soon as we've repatriated the Ellsians. Until then, they are NOT to speak of this, especially in communiqués back home."

Windy took that in, and then she whispered, "The Holy Birth Mot- . . .?"

The Inquisitor shushed her. Windy tensed for a moment before she nodded.

* * *

"Eh?"

Mamoru looked up from the video game she had been playing at her console to see a confused look on Kaneko's face. "What is it, Kaneko-chan?" the tomboy asked, walking down to stand beside her niece's station. "Something wrong?"

Kaneko blinked as she stared at her readouts, and then she glanced up at her aunt. "I'm not sure. But aft sensors seem to have picked up something that came into warp behind us. I'm trying to figure out what it is . . . "

Mamoru took that in before she started to tense. "Is it dangerous?"

"I can't say."

* * *

"Here you go! Your first meal as an Avalonian! Bon appétit!"

Akane sighed as she stared at the bowl of Hakata-style ramen with rice cakes that Shirayuki just laid out before her. The newborn Avalonian's stomach had started to growl the instant the _Windrider_ had entered warp. It didn't take her or Marie long to find the galley and get something to eat. Along with the ramen, Shirayuki had prepared a Caesar salad, a glass of orange juice and some cut pieces of toast with butter. "Is this a normal type of breakfast for her, Marie-chan?" the youngest Tendou then asked.

"Pretty much so," Marie affirmed before she lifted her cup of tea.

"Okay! But I'm DEFINITELY learning how to cook for you, Marie-chan!"

The crowd around Akane and Marie exchanged looks. "Akane, I don't think Shirayuki-chan's gonna like the idea of letting YOU loose into HER kitchen!" Shinshi warned, his arm wrapped lovingly around Yotsuba's shoulders.

Laughter filled the galley as Akane's cheeks went red. "It's okay, Shinshi-san," Karen said. "If anyone can teach her how to cook, Shirayuki-chan can. She's learned from some of the best chefs you could imagine."

"Hai desu no!" Shirayuki then asserted as she clapped her hands. "Hime's Special Cooking School is always open for new students!"

Akane stared at the chef before she bowed. "Arigatou, Shirayuki-sensei!"

Shirayuki shuddered. "Oooh! Hime LIKES being called 'Sensei!'"

More laughter filled the room before a voice called out, "Hey, Ataru!"

Everyone looked to see Ranma scamper down the ladder from the deck above. "What is it, Ranma?" Ataru asked.

Ranma pointed aft. "There's someone following us!"

Silence.

"SAY WHAT?!" Ataru exclaimed.

Ranma beckoned him to follow. "C'mon and see!"

The two scampered up the ladder, and then ran aft to Ataru's cabin. They were soon followed by everyone else. Once there, Ataru knelt by his nightstand to draw out a pair of macro-binoculars from a storage shelf, and then he poised himself by the large windows to take a look at the storm of warped stars flowing past the _Windrider_. Putting the binoculars to his eyes, he focused his attention at the point of bright light that marked the end of the warp stream being produced by the solar-sail barque. "Ah . . . " he uttered on seeing a dark object that could only be some sort of spaceship, though it was barely visible in the surrounding bright light. "Who the hell is that . . .?"

"Anegimi-sama, you were able to sense a ship following us?" Haruka asked.

"Actually, Haruka-chan, I was the one who sensed someone back there."

Eyes focused on Izumo Seiko. The raven-haired Nendo-kata was standing to Ataru's right. "Who is it, Sei-chan?" Ataru asked.

Seiko shook her head as her eyes glowed. "I can't really tell from here, Darling; warp space tends to muck up our telepathic powers, especially at a distance. But from what I can tell, she desperately wants to get aboard the ship. I can't say why, though . . . "

"Um, Ataru-kun . . .?"

Ataru turned to see Mie standing beside him. Her hand was out. "Oh!"

He handed the binoculars to her. She put them to her eyes. Hinako had joined the crowd in Ataru's cabin by that time. Making her way to Mie's side, the youngest sister took a look out. "Sure are a lotta stars . . . " she mused before she glanced up to see the binoculars. "A-ri-ri? Can Hina look through the binoculars, Mie-san?" she asked as she held her hand out.

Silence answered her as Mie's hands lowered the binoculars away from eyes that were presently as wide as saucers, a mixed look of disbelief and shocked recognition crossing her face. Seiko was the first to sense the amnesiac Sagussan's mood. "Seikou-san . . . " she asked.

Mie's mouth fluttered for a second before a whispered "Aoaiuiui'io . . .!" escaped her, the binoculars dropping from numb hands.

Ranma snatched them before they hit the deck. "Hey, you okay . . .?"

The response surprised them. "Where's the transporter on this ship?"

Ataru blinked in confusion. "What . . .?"

Mie spun on him, the horror and panic on her face freezing everyone else in place. "_**THE TRANSPORTER!**_" she screamed loud enough to rattle all the windows of Ataru's cabin as she leapt over to grab him by the collars of his top. "_**YOU'VE GOT ONE ON THIS JUNKHEAP, DON'T YOU?! WHERE IS IT?!**_"

"This way, Mie!"

Gasps filled the room as Chikage grabbed Mie, and then they both vanished in the flutter of the sorceress' cape. Silence fell before people began to exchange shocked looks. "What was THAT about?!" Sakuya demanded.

"Ah! Hina understands now!"

Before anyone could ask her, Hinako ran out of the cabin.

* * *

"Can you pick up Makoto's Gladiator?!" Eluza demanded.

The _Hasei'cha_ was a light minute behind the _Windrider_. "I'm trying, Eluza!" Spea answered as her hands flew over the controls at her console.

"Try harder!"

* * *

The transporter room on the _Windrider_ was located on the same deck as the galley, it right below Ataru's cabin. Chikage and Mie phased back into existence, the latter lunging over to the control panel. Hands that remembered much more what the conscious mind currently could not flew over the buttons as Mie powered up the system and activated the life-sensor tracker that would allow the transporter the chance to lock in on the mortal life presently in dire danger aft of the solar-sail barque. As footsteps heralded the arrival of many of the crowd from Ataru's cabin, Mie then tapped the intercom switch. "Reiko-chan, it's Seikou Mie! Get ready to break this ship out of warp!"

"Eh?!" the young Noukiite called back. "What are you talking . . .?"

"Reiko, don't argue about it! Do it!" Chikage barked.

"Ah . . .! H-hai, Auntie Chikage!"

Mie blinked before relief crossed her face as transporter lock was made. "Okay! Reiko-chan, in five seconds, mark!"

She tapped a button to energize the system on saying that.

* * *

"Mie . . . I'm sorry . . . "

Danger alarms were ringing loudly in Makoto's ears as waves of intensive pain, the type of agony that could only come from hard exposure to hyperspace radiation, burned through her flight suit. The Gladiator's structural integrity field was rapidly failing; once it was gone, the tidal forces in the warp stream would rip the fighter to shreds. As her hand tried to steady the fighter's control stick, she squeezed close her good right eye; the left one had started to bleed profusely not seconds before. "Mie-vayae . . .!" she moaned as she braced herself for what was about to come. "I love you . . . "

Just as structural integrity failed, a transporter beam seized her.

* * *

The crowd at the doorway leading to the transporter room gasped as a column of vertical light heralded the arrival of a tall, slender woman dressed from neck to toe in a dark blue bodysuit complete with crimson gloves and boots, a flight helmet covering her head. As the transporter beam faded, the _Windrider_ shuddered as it slipped out of hyperspace. The newcomer then collapsed to the deck, a shower of blood escaping her nostrils and mouth as her head bounced off the hard surface. "AOAIUIUI'IO!" Mie screamed out.

* * *

"Eluza, the _Windrider_ just came out of warp!" Rumy called out.

"De-warp us, now!" Eluza barked.

"Hai!" Amy replied as she pressed controls.

* * *

The _Windrider_ coasted along as her gallants and staysails were furled in. On the bridge, Reiko and Kaneko manipulated controls to break the ship further. "What do you suppose is going on, Onee-chan?" Kaneko wondered.

"I dunno . . . huh?!"

Reiko perked as something seemed to warp out of hyperspace dead ahead of the _Windrider_. A ship roughly three times the length of the solar-sail barque, it was shaped like three railroad boxcars (sans wheels) set in an inverted-V formation. Thick support pillars connected the lower hulls to the main hull. The upper hull came complete with warp and impulse drive, plus a small superstructure. Locked on the underside of the lower hulls were two Gladiators, doubles for the craft that had followed the _Windrider_ into warp thousands of parsecs away. Painted an overall tan-brown shade, the ship bore a golden phoenix-like sigil on the upper hull close to the main pilotage.

A sigil that was all too familiar to the Noukiite twins.

"The Maidens . . . " Reiko and Kaneko gasped together.

* * *

"Onii-sama, is she okay?!"

Ataru grunted as he, Ranma, Chikage and Mie carried the bleeding newcomer from the transporter room to the _Windrider_'s cockpit, the ship's sickbay. "I really don't think so, Sakuya!" he replied as they carried her inside. "On the diagnostic bed!" he ordered his companions.

"Hai!" the others chimed as they boosted her onto the examination table.

Once she was in place, Ataru began to flip controls to activate the life-support systems built into the bed. While his ship's android crew was well programmed to deal with most of the normal operational demands a vessel like the _Windrider_ imposed, none were programmed for medical duties. Given that he had just received the solar-sail barque from the Noukiite government not two weeks before -- and that, until Kaneko had revealed the _Windrider_'s presence over Earth when Elle had kidnapped everyone earlier in the day, he had not thought about it -- Ataru had not taken any time to figure out what medical requirements he would need for his ship. "Okay, doing a life-scan now . . . "

"Her ki's almost gone," Ranma warned.

"I hear you, Ranma. Chikage?"

"Mie, hold her hand," the sorceress ordered. "Let her touch you."

"Right." Mie grasped the other woman's hand. "Aoaiuiui'io . . . "

"You know her?" Ataru wondered.

"I can't fully remember," the amnesiac Sagussan replied.

A cough. "It's . . . " Another cough. "Okay . . . "

"Aoaiuiui'io!" Mie cried as she gazed worriedly into the newcomer's eyes.

A light smile. "It's Makoto now, Mie-vayae . . . "

Another cough escaped the Pirpirsiw'r. Mie sighed, and then she asked, "You're using _anime_ characters for names?!"

"Can't you tell who I look like?" Makoto asked before she coughed again.

"Makoto, please be quiet," Chikage ordained. "Save your strength."

"Aye, ma'am . . . " The pilot then closed her good eye.

Chikage then looked up and forward. "If there are doctors and nurses on your ship, send them over now!" she clearly called out.

The onlookers at the doorway exchanged confused looks. Who was Chikage yelling at? A second later, their answer came with the ring of transporter beams, they heralding the arrival of the _Hasei'cha_'s whole medical team. Along with Catty and Hotaru came Pony, a lavender-haired, blue-eyed, dusky-skinned woman with tapered ears; Ataru recognized her as Tookonokooen, a native of a planet located in the centre of the triangle formed by Vos, Yehisril and Ipraedos. All three had field medical bags with them. Without hesitation, they moved to either side of the diagnostic bed as Pony drew out a tricorder to do an initial scan. Ataru and Ranma got out of her way.

After her initial scan, Pony then sighed as she showed the tricorder results to Catty and Hotaru. "Makoto, much that I do understand why you wanted to be with Mie so badly, but could you have chosen to do something less stupid than flying a Gladiator into the warp-trail of Ataru-sama's ship?" the doctor wondered as she leaned over the pilot's head to gaze into Makoto's good eye.

Makoto ruefully chuckled as Catty drew out a hypodermic to inject into her neck. "You'd do the same for Eluza, Pony."

Another spasm of coughs. "Less talk, more work, ladies," Chikage warned.

Catty stared at her. "Are you a doctor, Chikage-sama?"

"Chikage's many things, Sensei," Ataru spoke up from behind Pony.

"Ah!"

The onlookers were quick to notice the slight blush crossing the lavender-haired, Tritonian-born doctor's face as she turned back to dealing with Makoto. By then, Hinako had rejoined the others, leaning past the doorway. The still-dark Staff of Gihan was in her hand. The youngest sister was quick to recognize one of the newcomers. "Ah, Catty-san!" she called out.

Catty flashed Hinako a friendly smile before turning back to her patient. "Please don't interrupt us, Hinako-sama."

Hinako blinked as the doctor's words sank in, and then her eyes turned to the woman on the diagnostic bed. She gasped on seeing the severity of Makoto's wounds, and then she found Mie's hands on her shoulders. "Don't interrupt, Hinako-chan," Mie advised as she guided the youngest of the sisters away. "Catty doesn't like to be interrupted when she's dealing with a patient."

"A-ri-ri?! Catty-san's a doctor, Mie-san?"

"Hai. As is Pony. And . . . " Mie then closed her eyes. "What in Buddha's name took you so long, Imooto-chan?"

Hotaru's hands fell on her sister's shoulders. "We weren't going to take you away from your family, Onee-chan."

The onlookers blinked. "Mie-san, who are these people?" Karen asked.

"I'd like to know the answer to that, too," Ataru added. "Still . . . "

"Please, Ataru-sama, don't force your memories," Catty advised. "As soon as we're done with this de'ne, Pony and I'll look at you."

"You've met Anigimi-sama?!" Haruka demanded.

"Eleven years ago," Mie responded, a hand reaching up to grasp Hotaru's.

The sisters exchanged shocked looks. "That was the time Nii-sama disappeared from his house!" Shirayuki then declared.

Sakuya spun on the visiting Sagussans. "You mean to say that . . .?! Onii-sama went to your PLANET back then?!"

"At the invitation of our Elder Mother, of course," Hotaru confirmed.

"You, of course, realize that was kidnapping," Shinshi then noted.

Rueful chuckles escaped the Sagussans as they recalled that time. "Back then, we were so naive when it came to emotions and everything beyond pure logic, it wouldn't have mattered to us what other people thought," Hotaru explained before she gazed on Ataru. "Your brother changed that."

The sisters turned to gaze on Ataru. "Onii-chama . . .?" Kaho whispered.

Ranma turned to look into his eyes. "Hey, Ataru, you okay?"

Ataru's gaze had turned inward as he went over Hotaru's explanation about an event that had come to influence his life in so many ways since an encounter he had with a pretty girl in a rose garden. "I'm not sure, Ranma . . . "

"It'll be alright," Pony said. "Like Catty said . . . uh-oh!"

"Wonderful!" Catty hissed as she noted what was wrong on her tricorder.

Mie tensed. "What?!"

In answer, a stream of racking coughs escaped Makoto. "Her immune system's breaking down!" Catty warned.

"On it!" Pony said. "Prepping for suspension!"

She tapped controls on the diagnostic bed. Makoto's body was then shrouded from head-to-toe in a blue field. The onlookers watched as Makoto froze. "Suspension field active and nominal," Pony declared before she looked on her co-worker. "This won't help her for long, Catty."

"I know!" Catty declared.

"Do you have something that can help her?" Chikage asked.

The doctors exchanged a rueful look. "Not on the _Hasei'cha_," Catty answered. "The regeneration unit we'd normally use in instances like this could help. But we don't have the mental shields that can protect her spirit when her body is placed inside the matrix. The nearest place to get them is on Sagussa. But we don't DARE move Makoto from this place until we can guarantee her safety. And thanks to all the radiation that bombarded her when she followed you into warp, we can't perform tre'cha . . . "

"What's tre'cha?!" Ranma wondered.

"It means 'the passing-on,'" Catty replied. "When a Sagussan -- or Avalonian . . . " -- her eyes fell on Shinshi to emphasize her point -- " . . . senses when death is near, she will mind-link with her bond-mate, a child-mate or a very trusted friend to bestow her mei'na, her living spirit, onto so that her knowledge and memories are passed on to a future generation. Mie did that with Hotaru just before she came to Earth as a safety precaution." She indicated Mie. "But if we can't link into Makoto's mind . . . "

"Makoto-san'll go to the Very, Very Bright Place."

Eyes locked on Hinako. "Yes. Her spirit will be lost to the Te'a," Catty finished with a tired nod.

Stunned silence fell over the scene as everyone else took in that awful news. Marie then began to sniff. "She'll die . . .?"

Pony nodded. "Hai."

"Then . . .?" Marie's hand shakily rose to point at the unmoving Makoto. "Wh-why did sh-she come h-here . . .? Wh-why . . .?"

"Because of me, Marie-chan."

Eyes locked on Mie. "Mie-san . . .?" Akane whispered.

Mie gave them a weary smile. "Makoto's my lover, Akane-san. We've been separated for eleven years."

Hearing that, Marie shuddered as the hoarse finality of Mie's words sank in. "She . . .! She came to be . . . w-with . . . "

Her eyes rolled into her head as she sank toward the deck. "MARIE-CHAN!" the other sisters and Akane screamed out.

Chikage grabbed Marie, and then she teleported away. "Her cabin!" Ataru barked as he waved the others out of the cockpit.

Everyone scampered out of the cockpit. The Sagussans remained in place as they watched their Daimon'cha and his family race out to look in on their sibling. Catty then sighed before she gazed on Hotaru. "Go look in on her."

Hotaru indicated Mie. "But what about Onee-chan . . .?"

"Don't worry about me."

The three medical officers stared at their amnesiac shipmate. "Worry about Makoto and Marie-chan first," Mie insisted.

Catty gazed on her, and then she nodded. "You have your orders, Hotaru."

Mie's sister braced herself to attention. "Hai!"

Grabbing her field medical bag, she raced out of the cockpit.

* * *

"Fascinating . . . "

The sun was setting in the western sky, the bright orange orb slipping behind Fuji-san. Sitting in the dining room of the rotunda at Welcome House, Kaeru finished tapping information into his personal data-computer. An opaque, three-dimensional image of an expanded rotunda floated a foot in the air over the data-computer. As the image shifted to project the subsystems needed to keep this habitation liveable for his siblings, the engineer nodded. "Sufficient given the technological levels this planet possesses."

Landing his cloaked ship on the back lawn, straddling the large swimming pool, Kaeru had spent the last two local sub-day temporal units called "hours" exploring his siblings' habitation to better understand what sort of sentient beings they were. That had resulted in the collecting of quite baffling data, especially from their life-journals; "diaries" as they were called here. Still, the overall picture forged from that collected data informed the Nagussan that his relatives were decent sentient beings, worthy of close emotional association. Certainly not of the sexual nature, Kaeru noted after reading his twin's diary. That was seen as improper here on Earth.

During his explorations, Kaeru noted that his siblings' habitation was in the midst of structural modifications meant to create an increase in terms of overall living space. Rooms belonging to Ataru and his new life mate Saotome Ranma, Hinako and Aria were slated for expansion. A new habitation for Ataru and Ranma's adopted offspring, Reiko and Kaneko, was being installed on the rotunda's second level over the entrance. Shirayuki's and Yotsuba's rooms on the third level were being converted into multi-room apartments to house friends of the family, including Yotsuba's new life mate, Tendou Shinshi. The spare room on the third floor, beside Rinrin's, was being expanded for friends of the family, including a private loft for a woman named Miree. Yet, to the Nagussan's surprise, the rooms assigned to Karen, Sakuya, Kaho, Haruka, Chikage, Marie, Mamoru and Rinrin were not scheduled for expansion.

Concluding that all his relatives deserved expanded spaces, Kaeru immediately launched a plan to grant them such. After all, Nagussans believed that, in spite of the logic that governed their lives, an appropriately positive show of emotional support was required when walking on strange shores. It was such a show of emotion -- in the form of a seduction planned by his mother on her life mate -- that led to Kouhae and Raikue stumbling on the dying Moroboshi Kaeru fifteen Terran-standard solar revolutions ago.

Fortunately for his siblings, Kaeru had the means to express such.

A finger tapped a button on the data-computer. "Units Five, Six, Seven and Eight. Report to me in the dining hall at once," he ordered.

Four semi-humanoid construction/maintenance robots floated in. Equipped with multiple manipulator arms, an anti-gravity air-floatation system, micro-thruster units for manoeuvrability and a very advanced central processor "brain" to carry out complex tasks, this model of robot was most often used to help Nagussan engineers maintain their starship's vital systems. Kaeru had specially built these four units to assist him and his shipmate Naromo aboard their home starship, the star cruiser _Ganshiki_.

"_Unit Five, reporting as ordered, Master Kaeru._"

"_Unit Six, reporting as ordered, Master Kaeru._"

"_Unit Seven, reporting as ordered, Master Kaeru._"

"_Unit Eight, reporting as ordered, Master Kaeru._"

"Engage habitation modification programs," Kaeru ordered as he indicated the data-computer. "Download all information about this habitation from the data-computer. Then commence the modifications I've indicated to this habitation. Remember to adhere to Terran technological levels save for what I have indicated. Proceed at once."

"_Compliance_," the con/maint-bots replied as one as they went to work.

Kaeru watched them go, and then he sighed. "Now for that special model android Rinrin is presently constructing," he mused.

* * *

"Hello, Shanpú, Mùsi. Thank you for bringing dinner for us."

"This one is more than happy to do so for you, clan-sister," Shampoo replied with a friendly smile as she pulled out plates from her delivery box. Mousse did the same from the box he had hidden in his sleeve. Seated around the table, expectantly waiting for their dinner, were the current residents of the old shrine the Moroboshi family owned, plus their temporary guest.

"Negako-oneechan, are these some of Ranma-san's friends?" Ten then asked.

"Yes, they are."

"Who is he?" Shampoo asked.

"Currently, he lives under the name 'Ryooki Tennosuke,'" Negako answered.

"He's actually Lum's cousin Jariten," Chigaiko added.

The two teens from the Nekohanten stopped as their eyes focused on Ten. "Then where's his horn?" Shampoo demanded.

"After last week's events, Shampoo-sama, what do you think Ten-chan should've been made to look like when he acquired his body?" Kimiko asked with an amused titter before she reached over to ruffle her hand through Ten's hair.

Shampoo and Mousse peered intently at Ten. "Ah, I get it now! Ten's like Nabiki, Shinshi and yourself, Kimiko-san!" the latter concluded with a snap of his fingers. He gazed on Negako. "If he's alive, is Lum . . .?"

"Yes, she is. I will say no further about that." She then paused for a moment before her eyes focused on the Nujiézú warriors. "Tell me, Shanpú: You are aware now of what has happened to Ranma because of Zhòuquán-xiang?"

Shampoo nodded. "Hai. Hibaa-chan told this one about that."

"Do you look forward to becoming Ranma's blood-sister when Kelun and her fellow elders grant you that right?"

A determined nod. "Hai! This one thinks she knows what Ranma will do."

"Very well, then. Mùsi, what are your feelings about this matter?"

Shampoo gazed on her would-be suitor. Mousse closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. "Much that it would make me very happy if Ranma used the Blood-Sibling Law to elect me as her successor as Shan's husband, I can guess what her decision toward that end will be in the long term. In fact, it would surprise me if Ranma chose any other path other than fully freeing Shan of any martial obligations whatsoever, granting Shan the freedom Ranma herself was long denied by her idiot father." He then gazed on Shampoo. "I will always love you, Shan. No power on this planet will change that fact. But the choice as to whom you'll marry in the end must be yours. It MUST be yours!"

"Well said," Kimiko declared with an approving nod.

"I see," Negako then spoke up. "Mùsi, you are aware of the wish of Kelun and the others to forge a marriage alliance between your tribe and my family. If you were given the opportunity, would you help forge such an alliance?"

Mousse blinked. "You would want me to marry one of Ataru's sisters?!"

Negako shook her head. "Not exactly. But the one I have in mind has been fully adopted into our family, thus would qualify as a candidate under these circumstances. And if you would not desire her, she possesses a younger sister who might be more agreeable to you. If you, Shanpú and Kelun would return tonight at nine o'clock, you will get a chance to meet them."

Silence fell as the weapons-master considered the ninjutsu grandmaster's words. He stared at Negako. "If the Elder goes along with that -- and if they are as suitable as you say, Negako-san -- I'll be happy to consider it."

"What would you desire this one to tell Hibaa-chan?" Shampoo asked.

A serene look crossed Negako's face. "Tell her a name, Shanpú." A pause. "'Naho.' She will understand then."

Shampoo and Mousse exchanged a look before they nodded.

* * *

"SHINOBU!"

"Mom!" Shinobu cried as Kimiki raced over to scoop her into a protective hug. "S-s-sorry I'm l-late," she burbled, sniffing back tears as her mother nearly smothered her. "You wouldn't b-BELIEVE what happened at school today!"

Kimiki wearily laughed as she pulled away from her daughter, she giving Shinobu a look-over to ensure all was well. She glanced over to see Ryuunosuke chatting warmly with Sawada Minako and Izumo Sakiko. "Ryuu-chan!" she called out with a wave to get the other women's attention.

Ryuunosuke waved as she took Sakiko's hand in her own and walked over to join her guardian and her best friend. "Hi, Aunt Kimiki!" she called out as she warmly embraced Shinobu's mother. "We're all here, safe and sound!"

She linked hands anew with Sakiko. "So I see." Kimiki looked around the front lawn of Tomobiki High, it crowded with relieved parents greeting their children, all of whom had been beamed from the Zephyrite courier moments before. "Where're Ataru-kun and his sisters?! Are they okay?"

"Darling and his sisters had to go somewhere for a while, Mrs. Miyake," Sakiko explained. "They should be back on Earth by tomorrow."

Shinobu perked. "Sakiko-chan, do you know where they went?"

The Seishin-turned-Nendo-kata nodded. "Yes, I do know where they're going, Shinobu-chan. But I won't tell you."

"Why?!" Kimiki and Shinobu demanded at once.

"Put simply, it's none of your business," Sakiko replied with a shake of her head, a sympathetic smile crossing her face. "If Darling wanted you to know what he was doing, he would've told you, Shinobu-chan. Ne?"

Silence fell as the Miyakes gazed on her. Kimiki's eyes then widened as she realized something. "Wait! You call him 'Darling' . . .!" Her voice then suddenly stopped as it hit her, and then she covered her mouth. "Lum . . .?!"

"No, this is Ran." Ryuunosuke then held up a finger. "Sorry. Part of Sakiko-chan used to be Ran. It's a long story."

Kimiki gazed on the tomboy, and then at Shinobu. Seeing the accepting look on her daughter's face, she crossed her arms. "Why didn't you tell me about this, Shinobu?" she asked. "You know people would want to know . . .!"

"That's why I didn't." Shinobu returned her look with an apologetic smile. "Sakiko and Seiko . . . " Her voice dipped low as she glanced around. Fortunately for them, the parents were too busy chatting with their children to overhear anything from the Miyakes, Ryuunosuke or Sakiko. "Well, after what they were put through by the Noukiites, they didn't deserve any more grief from anyone here, especially after what happened last week."

Kimiki took that in. "I think I need this further explained . . . "

"Shinobu-chan!"

Marubeya Momoe ran up. Shinobu was quick to notice the concerned look on the other girl's face. "What is it, Momoe-chan?"

"Have you seen Mie-san anywhere?" Momoe wondered.

"Oh, she stayed behind," Sakiko reported.

Momoe spun on her. "Why?!"

"There was something she wanted to talk to Darling about."

Momoe's eyebrow arched. "What about?!"

"That's between Mie-chan and Darling." Sakiko wagged a warning finger as she slipped an arm around Ryuunosuke's. "I'm sure if Mie-chan wanted to tell you, she'd do it. C'mon, Ryuu-chan, let's get you and Shinobu-chan home so you all can get some sleep! It's been a long day for you all!"

"Hai!" Ryuunosuke smirked as they headed off.

The Miyakes and Momoe watched them go. The latter then gazed on her classmate. "Do you know what this is about, Shinobu-chan?"

"Iie," Shinobu replied, and then she shrugged. "Then again, it's their way, remember? Violating other people's privacy behind their back IS a bad thing to do, you know. Anyhow, I'm going home." She gave Momoe a concerned look. "You make sure you get some sleep, Momoe-chan, okay?"

Momoe blinked, and then she nodded. "Hai!"

Shinobu waved as she guided her mother off the property. Momoe watched them go with a sigh. "Yeah, that's true, isn't it?"

* * *

"AH-CHOO!"

Catty gazed concernedly over her shoulder. "Are you alright, Mie?"

Mie moaned as she rubbed her nose. "Someone's talking about me."

"You could tell that from just a sneeze?" Pony asked.

Mie stared at the two doctors before a smirk crossed her face.

Damn, they really hadn't changed at all.

* * *

"Oooh . . . "

"Marie-chan, are you alright?"

Marie's eyes fluttered open as she once again found herself staring at the deckhead of her cabin. This time, it was Akane whose face was the first thing she saw after her vision cleared. "Akane-chan, what happened . . .?" Marie moaned as she reached for her forehead. "That girl . . . "

A black-haired version of Seikou Mie then leaned over her, she holding what appeared to be a scanner. After passing it over Marie, the newcomer smiled. "It's alright, Marie-sama," she assured her. "No one dies on Catty's or Pony's watch, even a stone-headed, love-crazed de'ne like Makoto. Now, let's just make sure you're alright, and then we'll decide what to do next."

She drew out a hypodermic to inject a stimulant into Marie. Watching this from the doorway of the bespectacled teen's cabin, the others exchanged looks. "I must confess, Hotaru-san is a most diligent doctor," Haruka mused.

Hotaru grinned. "I'm only a nurse, Haruka-sama." She reached up to tap the rank insignia on her shoulders, they indicating the three square tabs of a Sagussan Navy chief petty officer. "Catty and Pony are the doctors."

"Is there some reason you're addressing us so formally, Hotaru-san?" Karen then asked, her eyebrow arching in confusion.

She looked nonplussed. "You're Ataru-sama's sisters, that's why."

"It's okay, Karen-chan!" Hinako declared. "They all do that to Onii-tama because they really, really, really love him."

Silence.

"_**EH?!**_" the other sisters shrieked in chorus.

"Whattayamean they all love Ataru?!" Ranma demanded. "What for?!"

Hinako blinked. "Uh . . .!" She then giggled as she bopped the side of her head. "Hina's not really sure about that, Onee-tama!"

Shirayuki gazed on the nurse. "Hotaru-san?"

Hotaru looked up, she giving the other sisters a sympathetic look. "It would take me a VERY long time for me to explain everything about our relationship to Ataru-sama to your satisfaction, Shirayuki-sama. Gomen nasai. But I believe you'd all agree that Marie-sama's needs come first."

Marie found herself blushing. "I wish we had nurses like you at the convalescent home when I was there," she whispered.

Hotaru took that in, and then she found her own cheeks reddening. "Arigatou, Marie-sama." She then giggled. "Lucky for you that we've all had about a decade or so to practice on our bedside manner. If this was sometime during the year after Ataru-sama first visited us, you'd probably want to kill me because I'd be heaping that 'doctors are divine' morality all over you."

The sisters took that in, and then they found themselves gazing at Ataru. He, standing by the door leading into Marie's bathroom, had remained silent throughout the conversation, his eyes fixed on the nurse as she continued her work on his sister. Noting that, Ranma walked over to gaze concernedly into his eyes. "Hey, Ataru, you okay?" she gently asked.

"Ranma?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Would you do me a real great favour?"

"What's that?"

"Pinch me."

Ranma blinked, and then she reached over. Ataru yelped as her fingers squeezed the flesh of his buttocks, and then he focused once more on the young woman administering to Marie. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Not a dream?"

A sympathetic smile crossed Chikage's face. "It's not a dream, Ani-kun." A pause, and then she added, "Say 'hello' to your harem."

Ataru blinked several times, and then the strength in his legs went. "Excuse me, please . . .!" he moaned before he passed out.

Ranma caught him before he bounced his head off a bulkhead. The others gazed concernedly at him. "Ani-chama sure didn't check that, did he?" Yotsuba noted with a rueful chuckle as she gazed knowingly at Shinshi.

"He certainly didn't," he acknowledged that with a nod.

"Onii-chan," Karen whispered.

* * *

An hour later, most of the people who had ridden out on the _Windrider_ gathered together in the pilotage. Ataru, Ranma and Seiko, along with Reiko and Kaneko, were in the former's cabin, he still unconscious from the shocking words Chikage had dropped on him in Marie's cabin. Marie and Akane were together in the former's cabin. Aria was still asleep in her own cabin. "So you met these girls on the bioroid factory when you went to get Akane's new body," Sakuya recapped after Hinako had explained about events earlier in the day. "And you even met the girl who bonded Onii-sama and Onee-sama together. Hinako-chan, why didn't you think to tell us about this?"

"Because Sylia-san told Hina not to," Hinako replied, trying not to pout. "Sylia-san, Lufy-san and the others were really, really, really afraid that if baka-bakas like that Oogi found out about Onii-tama and the Sagussans, Onii-tama would be really, really, really hurt!"

"Was that when they learned of us, Hinako-chan?" Chikage asked.

"Hai!"

"They've been keepin' an eye on Darling all this time?" Nobuko mused.

The youngest sister considered that for a moment. "Hina thinks so."

The sisters stared at the replica-bioroids, they quick to notice the nods and understanding looks. "What do you think?" Haruka asked.

"It's quite simple, Haruka-chan," Shinobi breathed out. "Darling's the Chosen One of the Eternal Voyager."

A chorus of uncomprehending looks responded. "The who?!"

"What does that mean, Shinobi-san?" Karen wondered.

The Oni/Avalonian sighed. "For as long as recorded history has existed in our part of the galaxy, this very large starship has wandered about, obtaining the bodies of young, recently slain, human and humanoid women . . . "

"They're zombies?!" Mamoru exclaimed.

"Mamoru-chan, do any of them look like zombies to you?" Chikage wondered.

The tomboy considered that before she flustered. "Well . . . "

"No one is exactly sure WHY this ship has done that, but people have drawn some surprisingly similar conclusions about its mission since reports on it began," Miree spoke up. "The Eternal Voyager was an agent of a society that possessed almost-magical levels of scientific and medical technology, far beyond Vosian or even Zephyrite levels. If the bodies of the women the Voyager obtained -- the 'Maidens' as we call them -- couldn't be restored to life, cloning could then be used. Plus, there was the odd fact that the Voyager seemed NOT interested in obtaining recently slain human or humanoid young MEN to be husbands for the Maidens. That eventually led many people to conclude that after the last of the Maidens was obtained, a special man would be chosen to be the leader of them all. That theoretical person eventually came to be addressed as the 'Chosen One.'" The Hollywoodite high priestess then sighed before she added, "For the last fifty years, people across the galaxy have wagered quite a lot on who that man might be."

Karen stammered. "And this Chosen One is Onii-chan?! OUR Onii-chan?!"

"Most likely, Karen-chan," Yukiko replied.

"That certainly explains where Darling's harem dreams came from," Mika then mused. "If Darling met the Maidens before Negako-san got fired into his mind and his memories got wrecked, maybe all his girl-chasing was . . . "

"Anigimi-sama's subconscious attempt at locating them," Haruka finished.

"Hai."

"Poor Nii-sama," Shirayuki said, sniffing back tears. "All the time he was made to act like an idiot . . . "

"That's beside the point, Shirayuki-chan," Chikage cut in. "What we have to accept about this situation now, minna, is this: These Sagussans clearly care for Ani-kun in ways that even we could not equal. We have to accept the fact that they will have a place in Ani-kun's life."

"What about Onee-sama, Chikage?!" Sakuya demanded.

The sorceress smirked. "Sakuya-chan, didn't you hear what Hinako-chan said? It was one of Mie's people who bonded Ani-kun and Ane-kun. In fact, I suspect it was that encounter that led the Sagussans to seek Ani-kun out."

"That is more correct than you could believe, Chikage-chan."

Eyes turned to the doorway, where a certain chestnut-haired, blue-eyed woman in a black-and-gold jumpsuit currently stood. Seeing her, Shinobi and Mika's eyes went totally wide on their recognizing Uru's most famous hero of legend. "Noa-sama . . .!" they gasped in unison, the urge to drop to their knees and prostrate themselves before this woman nearly overcoming them.

"From Izumi Noa from _Patlabor_?!" Rinrin wondered.

Noa tittered. "Close!" she responded. "Actually, in my first life, I was known simply as 'Noa.' After I died, I later came to be addressed as 'Aruka Noa.'" She pointed at Ran's replica. "As Damasu there can tell you, members of Ran's family claim my sister Honey and myself, along with our kinsman Syl, as members of their overall clan."

Hinako perked. "Ah! You mean Sylia-san, right?!"

"Hai!"

Hotaru walked up. "Minna-sama, may I present to you the Elder Mother of All Sagussa, Daishi'cha #19282, Noa," she introduced her countrywoman with a wave. "Ashi'cha, the Daimon'cha's sisters and friends."

"Welcome aboard, Noa-sama," Haruka greeted the newcomer with a deep bow.

Noa clasped her hands together in a splayed-finger prayer as she bowed in turned. "I bid you all peace, logic and harmony."

"'Peace, LOGIC and harmony?!'" Rinrin parroted the Sagussan greeting.

Noa straightened herself, giving her hosts a dazzling smile. "As I'm sure you might have heard by now, when we first encountered your brother, we were no better emotionally than the androids that help man this ship. Ataru . . . " -- her smile turned wistful as the memories of that time replayed in her mind -- " . . . helped change that very much. Almost TOO much in some places. Which has, much to our regret, necessitated our return to his life. Believe me when I say this, girls: If we had learned of all of you much earlier, we would've worked to make this encounter far less overwhelming as it must seem." A pause, and then Noa tearfully added, "Our love for Ataru is as great, in our own way, as your own. Please, I beg you, don't look at us as enemies."

The sisters exchanged looks, and then Sakuya sighed. "You guys are all head-over-heels for Onii-sama, aren't you?"

"That could be said," Noa replied.

Laughter responded. Catty and Eluza stepped in. "Ah, Catty-san!" Hinako called as she waved to the doctor.

"They even got an Eluza?!" Rinrin asked, her jaw dropping in shock on seeing the _Hasei'cha_'s shipmistress.

"We do," Noa replied. "Eluza even has a twin sister named 'Fortin.'"

Rinrin's jaw dropped. "From _Rhea Gall Force_?"

"The same."

Some of the sisters laughed. "Well, I suspect that even names like that are better than you using those numbers stitched into the sleeves of your suits," Chikage noted as she indicated the line of dot-and-slash glyphs on the upper arms of the uniforms the four Sagussans currently wore. "I assume that when Mie initially called Makoto 'Aoaiuiui'io,' she was using the registry number that was stitched on the right breast on her flight suit."

Noa gave the sorceress a look as Yotsuba zipped up to give Eluza's sleeves an inspection with her spyglass. "It seems that even if Sakuya-chan is older than you, Chikage-chan, you're the real 'elder mother' of your family."

Chikage grinned. "I prefer to keep my own skills under wraps, Noa-chan."

"That's what I have to do, too," Noa confirmed with a wink before she stared at her bond-mate. "Let's hear it, love."

Catty took a deep breath. "Makoto has five hours minimum. Maximum six."

Stunned silence fell over the bridge. "Until when?" Yotsuba asked.

The doctor closed her eyes. "Until she dies, Yotsuba-sama."

The sisters blanched. "Can't you save her?!" Sakuya wondered.

"Not without destroying her spirit along the way," Catty responded.

"Tre'cha?!" Eluza asked.

Catty shook her head. "We can't do it, Eluza. I dare not consider moving her body out of the suspension field unless we can guarantee the safety of Makoto's soul while in transit. And if we can't guarantee that, hoping to regenerate her aboard the _Hasei'cha_ . . . "

"Is too big of a risk to take," the shipmistress finished for her.

"Hai."

Seeing the sad looks on the Sagussans' faces, Kaho started to cry. "Can't you do anything to save her, Catty-sensei . . .?"

Catty stared at the cheerleader before she shook her head. "There is one possibility," someone then spoke up.

Eyes locked on Chikage. "I was HOPING you'd say that!" Sakuya exhaled.

"What do you have in mind?" Noa asked.

The sorceress smirked as she pointed to Hinako. "Think of what we were going to obtain when you decided to visit us, Noa-chan."

Eyes locked on the youngest of the sisters -- and the device in her hand. "Tsue-san?!" Hinako then asked.

"Exactly," Chikage responded with a smirk.

Noa stared at Catty. The latter was nodding, a spark of hope flashing in her golden eyes. With that, the Elder Mother took a deep breath before she gazed at Eluza. "Shipmistress, I do believe we better burn anti-protons to get to the Planet of Shadows as quickly as possible."

"Agreed," Eluza said before she tapped her bracelet. "Shildy?!"

"What is it, Eluza?" the _Hasei'cha_'s first officer called back.

"Send Patty and Rabby over here, plus yourself," Eluza ordered. "You'll be taking nominal control of the _Windrider_ for the trip to the Planet of Shadows. As soon as you're over here, we're heading out right away. We're on a strict time limit here, Shildy, so let's shag it!"

"Right away!"

"If you don't mind, Eluza . . . "

Heads turned as Seikou Mie stepped into the pilotage, dressed in her old duty jumpsuit. "Mie-san . . . " Sakuya whispered.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai!" Hinako gushed. "Mie-san remembers everything!"

Eluza and Mie gazed on each other, and then the latter raised her hand to give the former a smart salute. "Daishi'cha #337, Pilot Chief Petty Officer Seikou Mie, reporting for duty, Shipmistress," Mie then declared.

Eluza returned her salute. "You've been AWOL for eleven years, Chief."

Sensing her concern, Mie smirked. "My sister took care of that."

Eluza blinked before she smiled. "Your place is at your lover's side, Mie. In case we don't make it."

Mie took that in before she nodded. "Hai."

She turned to leave. "One more thing, Chief," Eluza then spoke up.

Mie looked over her shoulder. "Ma'am?"

Eluza gave her a look. "Don't ever do that again, Mie. Please?"

"I promise, Eluza," Mie vowed before she headed to the cockpit.

"Ano, Noa-san . . .?"

Noa gazed on Karen. "What is it, Karen-chan?"

"Are you the one who bonded Onii-chan and Onee-chan?"

The Elder Mother blinked, and then she grinned as a flash heralded the arrival of people from a certain OTHER special mission warpsloop. "Actually, no, Karen-chan, I'm not the one." She pointed at Lufy. "She did."

"Ah!" Hinako whooped as she waved the Staff. "Lufy-san! Ayumu-chan!"

"Konban wa, Hinako-chan!" Ayumu hailed with a wave of her own hand as she walked up to Hinako. "Are you guys alright?!"

"Hai, we're okay!" Hinako then frowned. "Except for Makoto-san."

The master chief petty officer of the Sagussan Navy smiled even more. "Don't worry, Hinako-chan! We'll save her . . .!" Her voice was then cut off as a yawn stole all her oxygen. "Oooh! We'll save her after I get some sleep first!" she added tiredly, covering her mouth.

Snickering, Hinako reached over to pull Ayumu with her off the pilotage. "Hai, hai! You can sleep in Hina's bed, Ayumu-chan!"

"Really?! Thanks!"

They left the pilotage. The others exchanged looks. "They even got girls from _Azumanga Daioh_, too?" Mamoru asked.

Rinrin then asked, "Do you call her 'Os- . . .?!'"

A hand slapped the teen inventor's mouth closed. "Rinrin-sama, a word of advice!" Catty hissed. "If you don't want to have every porthole on this ship blown into space by Ayumu screaming her heart out, **don't call her **_**that!**_"

Rinrin blinked for several seconds, and then she nodded. "Right . . ."

Eluza sighed as she stared at Noa. "Don't tell me, let me guess: Sylia pulled one of her UNODIR messages again?"

"She did!"

People turned as a certain rose-haired, Ellsian-born, Pathfinder-trained master chief petty officer stepped onto the pilotage. "Someone clearly has gotta be a Sonoda Ken'ichi fan on their planet," Yotsuba mused on seeing Nene.

"Got that right," Shinshi added with an appreciative nod.

"What are you guys doing here?" Eluza demanded.

"What do you think?" Nene retorted. "We're gonna sit aside and let you guys have first crack at Ataru-sama? Get real!"

"Nene . . .!" Noa hissed.

Pathfinder Troop Six's coxswain then snapped her fingers. "Oh, by the way! Sylia asked me to pass you a message, Eluza."

"Oh? What's that?"

"'Last one to the Planet of Shadows has no sex with the Daimon'cha!'"

Eluza jolted. "SAY WHAT?!"

Laughter echoed from the front of the pilotage. "Lufy!" Noa moaned.

The _Kiboo'cha_'s shipmistress placed herself in the chair set aside for Reiko. "What Sylia really means is that they're heading to this place right away and we'd better get the lead out if we don't want to miss out on the action!" She stared at the other people in the room. "Hey, whoever of you guys're helping flying this thing, get to your stations! We're heading out!"

"Ah . . .! Um, r-right!" Shinobi stuttered as the replica-bioroids, Miree and her daughters moved to other places on the pilotage.

As the _Windrider_ unfurled her sails for a run to the Planet of Shadows, the sisters shifted down to stand around Lufy. "Ano . . .? Lufy-san?" Karen then asked. "Are you the one who . . . well, bonded Onii-chan and Onee-chan?"

Lufy stopped before turning to gaze apologetically on Ataru's relatives. "I am." She then bowed her eyes. "And there's not a . . . "

She awked as most of the sisters let out a cheer, the younger ones leaping over to swamp the blonde Pirpirsiw'r with warm hugs. Watching this from nearby, Noa smirked as she exchanged a knowing look with Eluza.

_**To be continued . . .**_


	19. 9th Part A: New Fantasies

"Ooooh, my head . . . "

"Hey, Ataru!"

"Darling, are you alright?!"

"Papa . . .?"

Ataru's eyes fluttered as he found himself gazing at the deckhead of his cabin aboard the _Windrider_. Confusion warped through him as he wondered what brought him here, and then his skin paled as what happened aboard his ship over the last hour came back with crystal clarity.

He then blinked as Ranma's and Seiko's heads loomed in his field of vision, they soon joined by Reiko's and Kaneko's. "Guys . . . " he whispered as his hand reached up to feel his forehead. "Um, Ranma . . .?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you pinch me again?"

Ranma smirked as she shook her head. "It won't work."

He considered that, and then he nodded. "Right . . . "

"How do you feel?" Seiko wondered.

"How do I feel?" Ataru echoed her before he took a deep breath. "Well, I'm not sure how I actually _should_ feel, Sei-chan. That seven weeks after the United Nations forced us apart . . . " His eyes fell on Ranma as a hand reached over to touch her cheek. "And just a little under two weeks after I met someone I'm starting to fall in love with, I find out my harem fantasies have one hell of a basis in reality, something that happened to me when I was just a kid?" His eyes focused again on his ex-fiancée. "How on Earth should I feel after experiencing **that**, Sei-chan?"

Seiko sadly smiled. "Darling . . . "

"You should be happy, Papa."

Eyes locked on Reiko. "Why should I be happy, musume-chan?" Ataru asked.

"Because you're the Euk Hisehek," Kaneko answered for her sister. "It's your destiny to be the Euk Hisehek, Papa."

Ranma blinked as she remembered when Chyek, one of Reiko's and Kaneko's fellow Lost Stars of Noukiios, called Ataru by that title back in their base camp while the former heir of the Saotome-ryuu had been training with Negako in Sanctuary. Ataru's eyebrow arched as he found himself sitting up, he leaning over to gaze at his children. "And how is it you two know about this?"

The twins tensed before they bowed their eyes ashamedly. "Gomen, Papa," Reiko whispered. "But we were told not to tell you."

"Why?" Seiko asked.

"We don't know," Kaneko answered. "But it's obvious, isn't it? If the Urusians found out about Papa's connection with the Maidens, how'd you think they'd react? Especially creeps like Yethis?" She glanced at Ranma. "Eh?"

Seiko and Ranma exchanged a look. "He definitely wouldn't have liked that," the former mused. "If the Maidens are as powerful as they seem, Yethis and his sub-creatures would have gone to war to make sure Darling couldn't access that power. He could have used it to close Earth off from everyone, even from Oyuki-chan's people. Yethis wouldn't have liked that at all."

"Why?" Ranma asked. "What was his big beef against Earth, Seiko?"

"Fear."

Eyes turned to the door, where a chestnut-haired Seishin-born woman in black-and-gold stood. "Who . . .?" Ataru began before his eyes narrowed as he peered intently at the newcomer. "Er, forgive me, but have we . . .?"

"Met before?" Noa finished before she sighed. "Yes, Ataru, we did meet in a park in Tomobiki several months prior to when Negako was inserted into your mind. If we get the chance, we'll help you in whatever way we can to regain those memories you've lost because of that." To Seiko. "If it's anything, Seiko, I'm sorry that our interaction with Ataru came to reflect so badly on you. And your people as a whole." She wryly grinned. "But I won't apologize for what happened to your leaders." She then gazed on Ranma. "And I must say it's a pleasure to meet you at last, Ranma. We've always known Ataru has an Other, but until we learned of you, we had no idea who that was."

Ranma blinked. "But aren't you the one who . . .?"

"Not her. Me."

Eyes snapped to the door of Ataru's bathroom. There, a blonde Yehisrite-born defence officer with the tattoo marking her as one of the Pirpirsiw'r, the Most Dangerous Ones of the Royal Kingdoms, stood. "How . . .?" Seiko gasped.

"Telepathy and empathy, Seiko, can be beat if you understand the rules of the game," Lufy warned as she pushed herself away from the bulkhead to calmly walk over and sit on the bed beside Ranma. Watching the watchmistress move, Ranma shuddered as she automatically reached out with her ki senses to take in the newcomer's measure. The reading she got from Lufy sent a surge of pure fear -- yes, _fear!_ -- up from her stomach to squeeze her heart and freeze her soul. This woman was as different emotionally from Moroboshi Negako as night was from day. But the training level, the knowledge, the _experience_ . . .?!

It was all the same.

"Hello, Ranma."

Ranma blinked as the greeting washed over her, and then her eyes widened as the images of a dream she had over a week before, immediately after what had to go down as the bloodiest day in her life, came back to her. "You . . .!"

An ironic eyebrow arched. "You remember me?"

The martial artist paused as she considered what was just asked, and then she shook her head. "No. It was a dream I had. The night after the school got destroyed." She glanced at Ataru before looking anew at Lufy. "Why?"

Lufy closed her eyes, a sigh escaping her. The moment of truth had finally come. "Before I explain that, let me say this." She then bowed her head, tears seeping through her eyelashes to stream down her cheeks. "I really wish I had the guts to admit what I did to you and Ataru all those years ago when we brought him to Sagussa a year after we met. Maybe then, we might have gone out to bring you to our planet, too." She gazed anew at Ranma. "At least, perhaps, it might have saved you from a lot of the trouble that hunk of stormwalker dung you called a father heaped over you. Not to mention all the other things you've bumped into over the years. Eh?"

Ranma stared at this woman, whose actions years ago had influenced her in ways that made everything else she had dealt with until the day she met Kamekichi Tampopo -- the day that began the march that led the ex-heir of the Saotome-ryuu of Musabetsu Kakutou to this starship and to the side of the man currently sitting beside her -- seem insignificant in comparison. Even the Neko-ken training, even Jusenkyou with the soul-altering touch those pools reserved for the most foolish of those who disturbed its peace, even . . .!

Insignificant.

Totally insignificant.

"Please tell us why," Ranma urged, squeezing Lufy's shoulder.

The watchmistress blinked, and then she took a breath before she began.

* * *

_**Lonely Souls **_  
By Fred Herriot  
Crystal Palace in-jokes by Mike Smith, they first appearing in the story _Be Forever Nassur_, part of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot.  
_Coinleach Glas an Fhómhair_ (The Green Stubble-Field of Autumn) is a traditional song re-mastered by the members of Clannad (Máire Ni Bhraonáin, Ciarán Ó Bhraonáin, Pól Ó Bhraonáin, Noel Ó Dúgáin and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin). The version of _Coinleach Glas an Fhómhair_ I took is from the compilation _In a Lifetime: The Best of Clannad_ (2003), released by BMG Music.  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

* * *

**THE NINTH PART, "A" SIDE - NEW FANTASIES **

"Children, Chikage-chan?"

The sorceress nodded. She was meeting with Sakuya, Haruka and Karen in her cabin. Glasses of Noukiite cider -- Shirayuki had found many casks of the stuff in a storage room next to the galley -- were in their hands, an ice-filled pitcher of the clear liquid sitting on the nightstand. "Emotionally, they're not that far evolved beyond what they gained from Ani-kun when they met him en masse. I admit that they are striving to break free of what their contact with Ani-kun did to them. But it is hard."

"Is that good or bad?" Karen asked.

"I'm not sure," Chikage answered before she sipped her drink. "We seem to have met the most mature of them. Noa-chan, the members of Eluza-chan's crew and some of Sylia-chan's team. And yet, we have people like Ayumu-chan. She seems to me more typical of these Sagussans." Gazing at the deckhead, she added, "As Noa-chan told us, before they met Ani-kun, they were all finely tuned logic machines. Living computers, as in control of themselves emotionally as the Vulcans on _Star Trek_. Then Ani-kun was brought to Sagussa and the inner emotional balance they possessed was critically upset. And they are still very much recovering from that encounter."

"As Karen-chan just asked, Chikage-chan, is it good or bad for Anigimi-sama?" Haruka wondered.

"Are you jealous of their love for Ani-kun?" Chikage countered.

The marital artist balked, and then she shook her head. "N-no, not really! I mean, if their intentions toward Anigimi-sama and Anegimi-sama are true and honourable, I cannot object, Chikage-chan. But still . . . "

"I have to admit that the idea of competing with all those girls does scare me," Sakuya then said, she gazing at the deckhead. "But if they feel so indebted to Onii-sama, how could we object to what they might want of him? And they did bond Onii-sama and Onee-sama together . . . "

"Does Lufy-san feel guilty about that, Chikage-chan?" Karen asked.

"She does," Chikage answered. "Profoundly. Even if it was done in complete innocence, I strongly suspect that it would be seen as a crime on Sagussa these days to force a psi-bond on two four year-old children. Granted, Lufy-chan's actions did help Ani-kun and Ane-kun, especially when we factor in the insertion of Negako-anekun into Ani-kun's mind, not to mention Ranma-anekun's experience with the Neko-ken."

"We should do our best to help Lufy-san understand that," Haruka noted.

"I think Onii-chan and Onee-chan will understand," Karen added.

"Can we talk to one of them? Get their viewpoint on this?" Sakuya asked.

As if in answer to the elder sister's question, a knock is heard at the door. Chikage walked over to open in. "Ya, Nene-chan!"

The others turned as Pathfinder Troop Six's coxswain stepped inside. "Konban wa, minna-sama," she hailed with a pleasant nod.

"Nene-san, there's no need for _that_ level of formality," Karen noted.

The rose-haired, Ellsian-born Pathfinder chuckled as she sat herself on the bed, Chikage relaxing beside her. "Gomen ne, Karen-chan." She then nodded thanks as Haruka poured her a cup of cider. "Arigatou, Haruka-chan."

"Why are you here?" Sakuya asked as the cup was handed over.

Nene glanced at her. "Sakuya-chan, please, I REALLY must know: who taught Rinrin-chan all the things she knows about computers, mechanical engineering and everything else? That girl has got major hackitude! If she had been born on another planet, she would be a Visionary!"

"'Visionary?'" Haruka asked.

Nene blushed. "That's what I was in my first life. I was Chianne du Maratok. My hack-sign was 'Velvet Rose.' Being called a 'Visionary' means that not only do you have the knowledge and skills to not just master your own planet's technology, but you can also integrate yourself into other planets' technology just like that." She snapped her fingers before she added, "Rinrin-chan's got the same type of gift, minna-chan. And there's no way that I'm going to let those skills go undeveloped. So, who was her teacher?"

"Her late step-grandfather, Professor Hatoyama Junji," Chikage answered. "He was the man who helped make Promised Island what it is today. I suspect -- this is based on information I acquired from my own grandfather Ryuuji, of course -- that he may have been exposed to whatever samples of Zephyrite technology were brought from Jiyuu after Grandmother's investiture as a Righteous Gentile in their Protestant Reformist Church. I can't confirm that, though. Neither can Rinrin-chan, I believe. Only Brother Sunfire could."

"You really believe she's that good, Nene-san?" Haruka wondered.

Nene held up her cider. "She's THAT good." A wink. "Think about it. Do you think even your most advanced programming specialists, robotics experts and what-have-you could launch a project like creating Mecha-Rinrin on a whim?"

The sisters exchanged looks as they considered the Sagussan's question. "Well, maybe in the general public, something like Mecha-Rinrin-chan would take years to become reality," Karen mused. "But you have to admit, Nene-san, our family tends to buck a lot of those trends on the fly!"

"Yes," Nene acknowledged. "That's one of the things Noa's learned about your family since we first had Ataru come visit us. I will grant you all that your grandmother kept all of your existences a deep secret, even from Noa. And she dug around a lot to get the skinny on everything about your family. I should know; I helped her on that end."

"Grandmother's actions concerning us were easy to execute, especially since the person our existences had to be masked from the most was Ani-kun's mother," Chikage stated before she gazed on the Pathfinder. "And you must admit, Noa-chan's actions eleven years ago did contribute to the growing rift between the various elements of our family."

Nene closed her eyes. "I'll concede that. And I have to admit, when we realized what we had done, we felt as guilty as Lufy does now concerning what she did to Ataru and Ranma-san. Believe me, I wish we had taken Mie up on her idea of sending a permanent team to Tomobiki to keep a close eye on Ataru. It might have helped him a lot, especially after Thoughtmistress-prime Negako's essence was downloaded into his subconscious . . . what?!" she then demanded on seeing the sisters burst out laughing. "What?!"

"Nene-san, you better NOT address Anegimi-sama as _that!_" Haruka warned.

"Onee-sama'd hate being called _that_ more than she hates being called 'sensei!'" Sakuya added as she gripped the sides of her stomach.

"One of those types?" Nene wondered before she took a drink. "Gotcha."

A knock was heard at the door. "Enter, Rinrin-chan!" Chikage called out.

The door opened to reveal the teen genius in question. "Hey, guys! Oh, Ne-chan! There you are!" Rinrin hailed as she walked inside.

"Hey, Rin-chan! How're things in the sail room?" Nene asked.

"They're cool!"

Sakuya and Haruka exchanged surprised looks. _'Ne-chan?' 'Rin-chan?'_

Karen moved to pour the newcomer a glass of cider as Rinrin hopped onto the bed beside Nene. "Nene-chan was complimenting you on the level of technical skill you gained apprenticing with your grandfather," Chikage said.

Rinrin laughed as she took her drink, a blush crossing her face. "You've got the touch, Rin-chan," Nene added with a wink as she moved to clink glasses. "You stick with me, I'll make damn sure that you'll know how to use it!"

"Aw, Ne-chan!" Rinrin whined.

"Don't you have laws against that sort of thing, Nene-san?" Haruka asked.

"Oh, you mean the Non-Interference Directive?" Nene asked in turn. On seeing Haruka nod, the Pathfinder sighed. "Well, yes, we do, but look at the situation. Your people have already had controlled contact with the Zephyrites over the last forty years. How did the guys in the Special Committee on Alien Activities over in the Big Apple get their gear? And you've had much more open exposure to the Urusians and some of the other peoples of the Galactic Federation for the last year-and-a-half. Yes, we won't let our tech be spread willy-nilly all over Earth, especially when you've got some leaders who, in our eyes, deserve to get shot for the crap they unleashed on their own peoples. But believe me, Haruka-chan, Rin-chan has the discipline and the fortitude she needs to understand what I can teach her. AND she will certainly be made to understand what the good and bad effects of what I would teach her could do."

"Ne-chan . . . " Rinrin muttered as her blush deepened.

Silence fell as everyone took the chance to enjoy their cider. "You aren't perfect when it comes to sharing what you have, Nene-chan," Chikage then noted as she gave the Pathfinder a knowing look. "Aren't you?"

Rinrin reached over to hold Nene's hand. The other sisters blinked. "You're right about that, Chikage-chan," Nene then said.

"What do you mean?" Karen asked.

Nene lightly smiled. "Karen-chan, who do you think built this ship?"

"The Noukiites . . .!" Karen stopped as her eyes widened. "You did?"

"I helped build her," Nene confessed, a shrug twitching her shoulder. "This ship was a prototype built at our fleet yards at Sen'sha Seven. It was constructed a year ago when we decided to give the Noukiites back the designs for the GEV-capable vessels their own scientists came up with just before their planet was conquered by the Urusian Imperials three centuries ago."

"'Gee-Ee-Vee?'" Haruka asked.

"'Galactic Escape Velocity,'" Rinrin explained. "Over Warp 4.4 if you use the new 'Star Trek' speed scale. One thousand, six hundred and forty-nine times the speed of light. That's the speed you need to break free of the Galactic Barrier, the force field that encloses the galaxy."

"In other words, if the Urusian Imperials had ever gotten their hands on that level of tech, even Sagussa would have been threatened. Being 20,000 light years beyond the Barrier wouldn't have saved us," Nene added.

Sakuya stared at Nene. "You guys threw your support behind the Noukiites against Lum's people?" Seeing Nene nod, the elder sister demanded, "Why?!"

"After what happened to your grandmother, how else should we have acted?"

Silence.

"You did that because of Obaa-chan's death?" Karen asked.

Nene blinked confusedly. "Karen-chan, we did that because Lum's people _murdered_ your grandmother to ensure the Zephyrites couldn't intervene in case Ataru lost the First Tag Race. Didn't you know?" The sisters save Chikage shook their heads. The sorceress had a neutral look on her face. Seeing that, Nene squeezed her eyes shut as she realized what her words had just done. "Damn! Open mouth, insert foot time again! Way to go, Maratok!" she muttered as she slumped against the bulkhead beside Chikage's bed.

"It's not your fault," Rinrin soothed as she gave Nene's hand a squeeze.

"Obaa-sama . . . " Haruka gasped, her eyes tearing. "She was murdered?"

"THAT'S why Onii-chan fought with the Noukiites!" Karen exclaimed.

"Lum had no idea that happened," Chikage warned.

"What else did you guys do?" Sakuya asked the Pathfinder.

"Just one other thing," Nene replied. "We used our terraforming technology to give the Noukiites twelve new colony planets they could shift their excess population to, plus relieve the stress on the food supply and agricultural networks on Noukiios and the older colonies. This all happened in the year after Tag One, by the way." She took a breath. "Believe me, minna-chan, we had a pretty good idea of what the Noukiites might have done once they had the chance to do it. Many of us hoped they would have just firmed up the border between them and the Urusians and put a stop to the colonial militia raids on the old colonies. It was that hope that made us overlook the Non-Interference Directive and let us give them what we did. After all, making new colonies for them was a simple act of humanity in the long term. And since the scientists who developed the GEV-tech before the Imperial Conquest destroyed it to prevent it from falling into Urusian hands, Noukiios DID, in the long run, help protect Sagussa. Not to mention every other race in the local cluster. So giving them back what was really theirs in the long run didn't bother us too much." A pause. "But when Yethis tried to push it . . . "

"Enough was enough in their eyes," Haruka finished for the Sagussan.

"Hai."

"And you did this in response to Obaa-sama's murder?" Sakuya wondered.

"Yeah." Tears brimmed in Nene's eyes as she shrugged. "Yeah, we hoped that the Noukiites would have kept things peaceful with the Urusians. But I have to add that deep down, many of us -- myself included -- felt that bastards like Seq Yethis and the rest of that pack needed to have their heads handed to them. They murdered your grandmother all because they were _afraid_ of you people. That's what really prompted the First Tag Race. Not some bullshit excuse about the Seifukusu or the Ipraedies wanting to conquer Earth and cut the Federation in half. No. The REAL reason the Urusians wanted to conquer your people was that they were _afraid_ that when the time came that the people of Earth got out into the galaxy, they would create an interstellar republic that would put to shame EVERYTHING the Urusians themselves have created over the years. If an 'Interstellar United Nations of Earth' ever came into being, they might have formed strong bridges of friendship with the Seifukusu, the Ipraedies and . . .! Oh, Lyna! Even the Noukiites!" Nene then gasped as she waved around the room with the hand holding her glass of cider. "And no! No! No! NO! The Urusians couldn't allow THAT now, could they?!"

Rinrin blinked as she considered that before saying, "So when they learned of Obaba's connections to Zephyrus . . . "

"They cut them as quickly as they could," Nene finished. She took a breath. "And that could be blamed on us for what we did with Ataru. Even then, we could sense the emotional distance between him and his mother . . . "

"Don't blame yourselves for how what you did to Ani-kun affected Kinshou, Nene-chan," Chikage said. "If you wish to assign blame for what happened to Obaa-san, look first to Kinshou and her unwillingness to accept some of the unique aspects of our family when she married our father. Then add to that what happened to Kaeru-anikun after he died and his body disappeared . . . "

"Your other brother's not dead, you know."

Silence.

"_**EH?!**_" the sisters, even Chikage, exclaimed as they stared at Nene.

* * *

"AH-CHOO!" 

"_Master Kaeru, are you functioning properly?_"

Kaeru blinked confusedly as he stared at his hand, it now dotted with expended mucus from his nose. "Curious."

* * *

"Kaeru-oniisama's ALIVE?!" Sakuya screamed. 

"Yep," Nene replied before she finished her cider. "Did any of you ever wonder why Kaeru-san vanished from the hospital in Arikawa shortly after his accident?" As the sisters exchanged looks, the Pathfinder continued, "It was because two women from the planet Nagussa had come to Earth at the time he fell off that cliff. They saw the accident. And they were moved so much by his suffering that when they got the chance, they took him out of the hospital and transported him back to their planet to heal him."

"And Aniki's been there ever since?!" Rinrin asked.

Nene nodded. "Exactly. Now I don't know all the details of what's happened to him since the day he got there, but I do know that he's currently a member of their defence force, working as an engineer on one of their star cruisers. And . . . " She held up a warning finger.

"And?!" Sakuya prompted.

"He's on Earth right now. At your hostel to be exact."

Silence.

"WHAT?!" the sisters cried out.

Nene smirked as she tapped her left wrist-bracelet. "Nene to Linna."

"Go, Nene," the coxswain's lover replied from the _Kiboo'cha_.

"Put a link through to my laptop, lover. Then open a link from my laptop to the _Haengge'cha_. I need to talk to Yomi."

"Right!"

"I'll get it!" Rinrin announced as she ran out of the room.

The teen inventor returned a moment later with the coxswain's laptop. Nene opened it and tapped some controls to open a communications link to the nearby _Kiboo'cha_. A second later, a holographic screen appeared before Nene's face, it projecting an image of a certain bespectacled, Yehisrite-born engineer. "Koyomi here," the construction chief engineer artificer called out as she recognized her caller. "What is it, Nene?"

"How's that virus I whipped up for you working, Yomi?"

"Like a charm." A knowing smile then crossed Koyomi's face. "The Rover's sending us some interesting pictures from Welcome House. I assume certain new friends of ours would want to see their brother in the flesh?"

"Please."

"Hai!"

The image changed to show a view of Welcome House's rotunda. Currently, the place was a construction zone as four semi-humanoid hover-capable robots worked to expand every room. "Holy . . .!" Rinrin gasped. "What are those?!"

"Nagussan construction-maintenance robots," Nene replied. "I'll bet that Kaeru-san himself built these beauties. Now . . . " She then tapped controls to call up a thermograph view. A human-shaped heat source appeared, it standing in a room on the third floor. "And there he is," Nene announced.

"Hey! What's he doing in my lab?!" Rinrin cried out.

"Looking over Mecha-Rinrin, I think . . . ah!"

Nene tapped controls to switch back to visual light mode. The person in Rinrin's private laboratory had just moved to the window to gaze outside. Seeing those wondrously familiar features, the sisters gasped.

"Onii-chan!" Karen whispered for them all.

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Kaneko moved to recap. "Your people took interest in the Terrans when you learned these Nagussans had come and taken Uncle Kaeru with them back to their planet after he supposedly 'died' . . . " 

"Then a year later, when I was on Triton playing hide-and-seek with Oyuki-chan and everyone, the Central Warp Chamber misfired, making you believe Oyuki-chan, Toji-chan or I had been taken to Earth by accident," Seiko added.

"And after you calculated that Lum might have come to Uncle's estate in Sendai, you beamed down to look for her," Ataru said.

"And that's when you stumbled onto Oyaji beating me up all because I tried to be friends with Ataru and Nokoko-oneechan," Ranma added.

"And when you thought Papa and Mama were the reincarnations of two of your planet's ancient gods, you bonded them," Reiko finished.

Lufy nodded. "That's it in a nutshell."

Silence fell as the others in Ataru's cabin considered what had just been said. Ranma then stared at the watchmistress. "Lufy, I hate to ask you this, but where the hell was your logic when you bonded Ataru and me together?!"

Muted laughter filled the room. "It rather left me at the time, I'm afraid," Lufy replied with a light smile before she frowned. "While I certainly will not shirk my responsibility when it came to what I did to both of you, I will say this: When I sensed your father's feelings towards you, Ranma, I realized that he wasn't acting anywhere NEAR what a proper parent -- as I then understood the concept -- should act toward his offspring. You, put frankly, were seen by Genma as his meal ticket to a cozy retirement. Every wrong he unleashed on others, he would pass the blame onto you, make you answer for his crimes. Everything that he could use to make you the perfect fighting machine, the icon of his school of martial arts, he would use, regardless of the cost to your body and soul." A pause as she reached up to wipe her cheeks. "And the worst part about it was that he believed deep in his heart that he was doing the right thing for you. That your best course -- No! Excuse me! Your ONLY course! -- in life was to be transformed into that living icon of martial arts Genma wanted you to be." She sniffed back more tears. "Back then, even with my total lack of understanding when it came to human emotions, to all the non-logical, non-rational elements that influence human lives, I could easily conclude this: That is NO WAY for a parent to raise a child."

"And when you heard our names?" Ataru gently prodded.

Lufy snorted. "I heard your names right after Genma -- who, I have to admit, had, by then, been so battered by both Starleaf and I, he had lost all sense of control over himself -- tried to use his vacuum blade attack on you, Ataru. When I saw that, and then heard the names 'Ranma' and 'Ataru' -- which, in Sagussan phonetic structure, are quite close to 'Ram' and 'Atar' -- well, that was the excuse I needed." She shrugged.

"So after you pounded him, you bonded Darling and Ranma-san," Seiko said.

"Hai." She gazed at Ranma. "In that regard, I believed Ranma would, from that day on, have a friend . . . " Here, she paused before she smiled. "A soul-mate . . . " She shrugged. "That Genma could never take from him."

"And that . . . " Noa spoke up, "Is the purest essence of Marei'cha. The person whom you would trust with your immortality. The one you care for -- you love -- beyond all others, for she or he is the one who is with you always."

Ataru and Ranma took that in, and then they gazed on each other. The latter stood, walking over to stare out the cabin windows at the passing star field. "That's probably why Oyaji always kept pressing that women were weak."

"Mama . . .?" Reiko whispered.

"What do you mean?" Seiko asked.

Ranma closed her eyes. "He wanted to ensure I'd never take Lufy's side if she came back. By making me think that all women were weak, Oyaji probably hoped I would hold Lufy in such contempt that we would always remain enemies."

"Ranma, what are you talking about?" Noa asked.

Ranma stared at them. "One thing I can't ever deny about Oyaji: For all his goof-ups, training disasters and mistakes, he was one of the best martial arts teachers around. After all, he created the Sen-ken forms. He managed to alter my mind and did it in such a way that Jijii and Hibaa-chan couldn't detect it. And yet, look what happened?" She waved to Lufy. "He was beaten by a WOMAN. Even if he didn't remember what happened the day he ran into Lufy, he had to have realized that a WOMAN had beaten the tar out of him. A WOMAN who was clearly more skilled than HAPPOOSAI. And perhaps, just perhaps, he also might have sensed what Lufy did to Ataru and me." She pointed to Ataru, and then herself. "I think that's what probably prompted him to play around with my head to make me focus only on martial arts. He was afraid Lufy's influence would have made me turn on him. He didn't want that, so . . . "

She shrugged. "Ranma, I'm sorry," Lufy whispered, she bowing her head.

Ranma shook her head. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault that Oyaji never allowed himself to see the world as it really is."

"So what do you intend to do now?" Noa asked.

The martial artist sighed. "Well, as I'm sure Ataru will more than agree, whatever happens between us is between us, right?"

"Of course," Sagussa's Elder Mother agreed with a nod.

"Alright. I . . . " She paused before looking directly at Lufy. "I want something from you, Lufy. It's not gonna be anything bad or anything like that. But I need to think it through first before I ask you about it. Okay?"

Lufy nodded. "That's fair enough . . . "

The door to the cabin flew open to reveal Karen. "Onii-chan!"

Ataru tensed. "What is it, Karen-chan?!"

She stopped beside his bed. "You're not going to believe this, Onii-chan! It's about Kaeru-oniichan! He's . . .!"

"Alive?"

"Ali- . . .!" Karen stopped. "Eh?! How did . . .?!" She then paused before she looked at Noa. "Oh, did Noa-san tell you?!"

"Just now," Noa replied before a giggle escaped her.

"Who did you find this out from, Karen-chan?" Ataru asked.

"Nene-san told us!" Karen gushed. "But you won't believe this, Onii-chan! Kaeru-oniichan's on Earth right now!"

Ataru's jaw dropped. "He IS?!"

Karen eagerly nodded. "Hai! He's at Welcome House! He's using his special robots to rebuild the rotunda right now! Nene-san's calling her friend Koyomi-san to contact Onii-chan so we can talk to him! Sakuya-chan's getting everyone on the pilotage right now! Come on!"

With that, she grabbed Ataru's arm and moved to drag him out of the room. "Hey! Hey! HEY! Leggo my hand!" Ataru yelped.

* * *

"_Master Kaeru?_" 

Kaeru blinked. "What is the matter, Unit Two?"

"_A signal from a Sagussan civilian starship, the_ Haengge'cha_. Its shipmistress wishes to speak to you._"

Kaeru blinked again, the surprise he felt on hearing that report quite evident. "A Sagussan civilian starship?"

"_Affirmative. The shipmistress states that she wishes to speak to you on a matter of considerable importance._"

"Very well. Convey the message to this unit." The Terran-born Nagussan engineer indicated the Rinrin-Viewer.

"_Compliance._"

The Viewer flicked on, it transmitting the image of the main bridge of a Sagussan starship. Seated in the commander's chair was a brown-haired woman with visual viewing aides -- "glasses" as Marie addressed them -- over her eyes, she dressed in the work uniform of Sagussa's engineer corps. "This is Engineer-second Kaeru ryi'Kouhae-Raikue of the Nagussan Defence Force Ship _Ganshiki_, currently at the Welcome House hostel on Oomure-jima, Dai-Nihon," he announced. "Whom do I have the honour of addressing?"

"Engineer-second, I'm Daishi'cha #40033, Chief Construction Engineer Artificer Koyomi of the Engineering Ministry of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa, Construction Engineering Department Headquarters Team," she said. "I'm about to relay a message to you from the Independent Solar-Sail Craft _Windrider_."

Kaeru blinked. "Is there a reason the sentient beings on this craft wish to communicate with me, Chief Artificer Koyomi?"

A smile crept across Koyomi's face. "See for yourself . . . "

The screen then blanked out. "Sagussans are an illogical species," Kaeru then whispered before the screen flicked on again.

"Onii-chan!"

"Onii-chama!"

"Ya-hoo, Anii!"

"Hi, Onii-sama!"

"Ah, it's Onii-tama!"

"Aniue-sama, konban wa!"

"Hi, Nii-sama!"

"Aniki!"

"Ya, Ani-kun."

"Anigimi-sama!"

"Ani-chama, checky!"

"Nii-ya!"

"Hey, Otooto! Where've you been these last fourteen years?!"

"Yo, Kaeru! Lookin' good for a guy who's said to be dead!"

"Uncle Kaeru!"

Kaeru blinked on seeing an image of the bridge of an unknown type of ship projected from the Rinrin-Viewer. "Karen," he spoke out on recognizing most of the people there. "Kaho. Mamoru. Sakuya. Hinako. Marie. Shirayuki. Rinrin. Chikage. Haruka. Yotsuba. Aria. Ataru. Ranma. Reiko. Kaneko." He smiled. "It pleases me to see all of you are functioning properly."

The people on the _Windrider_ stared at him, some of the sisters blinking in shock. Sakuya turned to a Sagussan dressed in the uniform of a minister in the Republic's government. "Noa-chan, are they ALL like that on Nagussa?!"

"I'm afraid so," Noa responded.

"Not so different from what we were like before we met Ataru, eh, Noa?" a blonde Sagussan Navy watchmistress seated beside Reiko then said.

"True!"

Everyone took that in, and then a raven-haired woman -- one Kaeru did not recognize -- seated to Ataru's left turned to him. "Darling, no matter what people say, you did the right thing going to Sagussa when you did."

"I'm beginning to think you're right, Sei-chan," Ataru muttered.

Kaeru continued to blink.

* * *

"So Kaeru-san was taken to Nagussa when everyone thought he died, right?" 

"Exactly," Nene replied before she took a sip of her juice.

The other people aboard the _Windrider_ -- save for the sleeping Ayumu (she was in Hinako's cabin) and the still-comatose Makoto, plus Seikou Mie and Pony (they were in the ship's cockpit) -- had shifted themselves to the galley to allow Ataru and his siblings -- plus those still emotionally close to the Moroboshis -- the chance to converse with Kaeru in private. "That must be wild," Akane mused before she took a sip of her own glass of cider. She then stared at Shinshi. "Could you imagine what it might be like for all of us if Okaa-san came back from the dead and popped up at the front door of the house?"

"The other you experienced something like that last night."

Akane tensed, and then she relaxed. "That's true, isn't it?"

"It's alright, Akane-chan," Miree reached over to gently squeeze the newborn Terran/Avalonian's hand in sympathy.

"So what do you think brought Kaeru-kun back to Earth?" Kawamura Himiko asked. "If he's got a life on Nagussa and if he didn't know about Haruka-san and the other sisters until now, what would have brought him back to Earth?"

"He's probably contemplating seeking out a child-mate."

Eyes locked on Nene. Pathfinder Troop Six's coxswain was seated with the other Sagussans at a nearby table. "A wife?" Jonna asked.

"Most likely," Nene replied. "For some weird reason, everyone on Nagussa -- except Kaeru-san -- believes that they're actually very advanced androids, not really different from what Rin-chan envisions Mecha-Rinrin will be like."

"So what are they, then?" Orin wondered.

"In truth, they're no different from you Avalonians," Patty spoke up. The chief engineer of the _Hasei'cha_ -- she had been part of the team that had built the prototype GEV-capable solar-sail barque at the Fleet Dockyards on Sen'sha Seven -- had been busy running diagnostic checks in all of the _Windrider_'s systems since she came aboard with everyone else. "They're bioroids. Each of them was grown from genetic samples taken from hominoid races on their side of the galaxy over the last ten thousand years."

"Sorta like what the Eternal Voyager did when it went out to find all of you guys, right?" Fujikaze Nobuko, who was seated with the other replicas of Lum and her closest friends at a table next to Akane's, then asked.

"Pretty much so," Catty answered.

"If these Nagussans are actually organic, what brought Kaeru-sama to Earth then?" Jonna asked.

"Does he have a lover on Nagussa?" Orin wondered.

"I'm not sure, but from what Noa told me, he might be in a relationship with a fellow engineer on the _Ganshiki_, a woman named Naromo," Catty said.

"So what's the problem?" Arashi Mika then asked. "All he has to do is hop in the sack with Naromo and . . . "

"They're all sterile."

Silence.

"What?!" Miree gasped.

"Why?!" Akane demanded.

"We're not sure," Catty replied with a shake of her head. "We've tried to tell them that in the few times we have been in close contact with them, but the message has never gotten through. As to why . . .?" She then shrugged.

"Well, maybe Hinako-chan or Aria-chan might be able to change that with the Staff or the Genesis Wand," Shinshi then mused.

Nene nodded. "There's an idea."

Footsteps then heralded the arrival of several of the sisters. "Onii-chama's girlfriend is so pretty!" Kaho declared.

Mamoru nodded. "Anii's got great taste when it comes to girls!"

"Onii-chan probably got it from living with his adopted mother and her girlfriend!" Karen added.

"I agree!" Sakuya said, an envious shudder racing through her. "Any girl on Earth would KILL to have looks like that!"

"Hina can go to the big-big ship and get Bou-san to give Naromo-oneetama a new body so she can be Onii-tama's bride!" Hinako said as she walked over to sit with Jonna. "And Hina can do that for all the people on Nagussa, too!"

"Hinako-chan, you might need help from Aria-chan and Tsue-san if you have to do that for EVERYONE on Nagussa," Sakuya then warned.

"And how is our Daimon'cha's equally-handsome twin brother these days, Sakuya-san?" Catty asked.

The eldest of the sisters stopped as she considered that question, and then she moaned, reaching up to scratch the sides of her head. "Ooooh, this is terrible!" she wailed. "It's terrible! I can't choose! I just can't choose!"

"Choose WHAT, Sakuya-san?!" Serizawa Mikiko gasped.

"Which is cuter?! Moustache and beard?! Or moustache and goatee?!"

Hearing that, everyone save the other sisters fell flat on their faces! "Aaaah!" Kaho then wailed. "Kaho can't choose either!"

"Hina doesn't even WANT to choose between Onii-tama and Onii-tama!"

"I can't decide about that, either!" Karen confessed.

"Me neither!" Mamoru added.

Everyone else stared up at the sisters. "No offence, you guys, but you sure have some WEIRD priorities!" Shinshi moaned.

Footfalls on the ladder were then heard. "Ah, Hinako-chan! Konban wa!"

"Ah, Ayumu-chan!" Hinako gushed.

The master chief petty officer of the Sagussan Navy had an arm wrapped around her back. "Got a surprise for you, Hinako-chan!"

"Eh?! A surprise for Hina? Nani?! Nani?!"

"Ta-daa!"

The hand came around, holding a glowing Staff of Gihan. "Bou-san!" Hinako screamed as she leapt out of her chair, running over to take hold of the Sagussan weapon from her new friend. "Waaaaai! Bou-san's all better now!"

As soon as Hinako's hand touched the Staff, a shower of energy then emerged from the crystal to spread over the youngest sister. Her clothes were then transformed into a black-and-gold Sagussan jumpsuit like the one Noa wore. In this case, there were five wreaths-of-laurel wrapped around the arms. "A-ri-ri?!" Hinako blinked. "Hina's clothes are different."

"That's the uniform your brother will wear when he comes to Sagussa," Ayumu said. "Since you're his sister, you have the right to wear the same uniform!" She gave Hinako an appraising look. "Looks good on you!"

"Really?!" Hinako gushed.

"Man, this thing sure re-charged fast!" Mamoru said as she reached over to feel the Staff's focusing crystal.

_**My close proximity to Ayumu allowed me to restore my reserves quicker than I calculated, Mamoru,**_ the Staff said, its voice echoing in everyone's minds. _**I assume the plan to retrieve the Genesis Wand is still active.**_

"Very active," Chikage announced as she descended from the upper deck, Aria behind her. "Aria-chan, are you ready?"

The young Parisian blinked as she heard her sister's question, and then her eyes fell on the Staff. "Everyone wants Aria . . . " she then said as her eyes locked once more on Chikage, "To become a magical girl like Hinako-chan?"

"Hai!" Sakuya confirmed. "Ready to go get Tsue-san, Aria-chan?!"

Aria considered that, and then she nodded. "Hai!"

"They should go escorted," Catty advised.

"I'm going with them!" Ayumu then announced.

"What?!" Nene shrieked. "Ayumu, you've got no experience in field ops!"

"No, but you have to admit, Ayumu IS the most powerful of us all, Nene."

Eyes turned as Seikou Mie walked up from the direction of the cockpit. To everyone's surprise, the once-amnesiac pilot was dressed in a midnight-black, form-fitting combat jumpsuit, complete with webbing holding a communicator, a holster with pistol, a combat knife and other field supplies. "Mie-san, you want to come with Hina, Aria-chan and Ayumu-chan?!" Hinako asked.

"Not just me, Hinako-chan," Mie announced before her eyes fixed on Ayumu.

The Yizibajohei-born Navy master chief blinked as Mie's blue eyes locked on her own dark brown orbs. She then nodded. "Okay!"

She waved her hand in the direction of the cockpit. A flash of light heralded the arrival of someone who should NOT be standing on her own feet. "MAKOTO?!" the other Sagussans shrieked on seeing Mie's would-be bond-mate.

"Aaaah!" Kaho screamed out. "Makoto-san's all better!"

"Not exactly, Kaho-chan."

Everyone blinked. "Mie-san . . . " Hinako whispered.

Mie waved to Ayumu. "Ayumu's using her probability-altering powers to restore Mako-vayae back to the way she was just before she took her Gladiator into the warp stream the 'Windrider' produced when we left the Slot for the Planet of Shadows. But Ayumu's changes on reality only last as long as she stays awake. The instant she falls asleep, Mako-vayae . . . "

"I bleed to death," Makoto finished.

Shocked horror crossed many people's faces. "Makoto-san, go back to bed!" Hinako pleaded. "We'll get Tsue-san and . . . "

"Hinako-sama," Makoto's calm voice cut her off. "After what I did, how in Lyna's name can I do that?"

Kaho's eyes watered. "Makoto-san . . . "

The flightmistress pointed at Aria. "Kaho-sama, thanks to MY stupidity, Aria-sama here is about to have her life turned upside-down and inside-out in a way she never could imagine." Makoto took a breath. "I know you guys were planning to get the Genesis Wand for her anyway. But if I hadn't done what I did, you could have done it in a way that wouldn't hurt her in the long run."

"Makoto . . . " Catty whispered.

Makoto's gaze locked on the doctor. "Don't pull medical rank on me!"

Senior doctor and flightmistress stared at each other. The former then nodded. "You reckless fool," she whispered.

"Makoto-san . . . "

A hand grasped hers. Makoto looked down to see Aria staring up at her. "Aria-sama, are you ready to go?" she then asked.

The Parisian nodded. Mie linked her arm around Makoto's as the former's free hand grasped Ayumu's. Holding the Staff high, Hinako grasped Ayumu's free hand. "Hai! We're off to get Tsue-san!" the youngest sister declared.

In a flash of blinding light, the five people vanished.

* * *

"There they go!" Spea announced. 

Watching from the bridge of the _Hasei'cha_, Eluza grimaced as a comet of energy burst from the _Windrider_, it plunging at over normal transwarp speeds toward their distant goal. "Good luck, everyone," the shipmistress whispered.

A communications beacon sounded off. "Eluza, this is Pony!" the warpsloop's second medical officer called over. "Makoto's gone!"

"_**WHAT?!**_" everyone on the bridge shrieked.

* * *

"Why . . .?" Ataru hissed. 

"It's a point of honour to her, Ataru. Please don't order her back."

Eyes locked on Lufy. The watchmistress' eyes were hooded, though Reiko and Kaneko were quick to note the tears there.

* * *

"Are you alright, Nabiki-san?" 

The _Goddess of Luck_ had just de-warped near the far side of the Moon. Shogai Dakejinzou had been warned about the cloaked Avalon bioroid factory and Oogi's continued existence by Negako after the hunter and her companions had left the Zephyrites, Nabiki's siblings and the Moroboshi family in the Slot. Dakejinzou herself had just finished relaying what she knew about the Sagussans and their links to Ataru to Nassur and Nabiki. The alien hunter had also told her guests about her own connection to Sagussa: One of Dakejinzou's first friends, a Yehisrite named Gilnira, lived these days as Daishi'cha #99999, a maintenance engineer in Ly'sha Province. Even more so, Gilnira was bond-mated to a former hunter school classmate of Nassur's, Tenba, who was the last "official" Daishi'cha (#100000) to be obtained by the Gatherer (the official designation for the ship people in the galaxy called the "Eternal Voyager"). Benten had joined the others sometime after Dakejinzou had begun her story.

The middle Tendou daughter was shaking her head, an ironic grin crossing her face. "I'll be damned," she uttered in an awed whisper. "To believe that all this time, Ataru-kun's harem dreams had some basis in reality. Jeez!" She then sat in her chair, throwing her head back to laugh. "Could you imagine what everyone in Tomobiki would say if they heard something like that?!"

"They'd damn hell do everything they could to persuade those idiots to stay away from Moroboshi," Benten muttered as she recalled an encounter with Lupica, the "crown princess of the Universe" from the planet Tofunokoibuto, who, some months ago, had tried to solicit Ataru's help to obtain an "ultimate love potion" so she could win the heart of a local tofu delivery boy, Rio.

"They'd fail," Dakejinzou warned.

Benten jolted. "Whattaya mean, Dakejinzou?!"

A knowing smirk crossed the alien woman's face. "I've heard from Brother Sunfire about the tactics Lum's friends used to denounce Ataru-san in front of potential troublemakers. Calling him the worst idiot in the universe and comparing him to things like rotten nattou and all that. Do you want to know what the Sagussans would say in return?"

The Fukunokami teen didn't see the sandbag falling for her head. "What?"

Dakejinzou smirked. "'Why should we listen to the lies of the denizens of a place of fools and madmen?'"

Benten's jaw was knocked askew. "They'd say that?!" Nassur wondered.

Dakejinzou nodded. "Hai." She then looked at Benten. "You see, in their language, the sounds that form the word 'Tomobiki' in Japanese is equal to the word that denoted the ultimate source of evil in old Sagussan myth. Toghmoghbiki, the keep of the Master of Entropy, from where all evil first arose. Even if they might not fully believe in that story due to the way they were reborn as Sagussans, none of the Daishi'cha are comfortable at the idea of Ataru-san still living in a place that bears a name like that."

"Sort of like how people in Japan, Korea or China'd feel living in the fourth floor of an apartment building, right?" Nabiki asked.

"Same idea," the alien hunter replied.

Nassur shook his head. "So if the Noukiites and the Urusians didn't go to war and Lum-chan remained on Earth . . . "

"And if Alhamzi and his buddies didn't attack the school," Nabiki cut in.

"The Sagussans would've come and blown everything people in Tomobiki believed in to pieces, just like that." Dakejinzou snapped her fingers. "And if Lum tried to resist, she would've been smashed aside just like that."

Another snap of the fingers. Benten winced every time her adopted countrywoman did that. "So when are they coming?" Nabiki asked.

Dakejinzou sighed. "They're already . . . "

"Wait!"

Everyone tensed as Nassur's eyes glowed. "What is it?" Benten wondered.

The Vosian's face swept around to focus on a point off the "Goddess'" starboard beam. "There!" he said as he pointed at a porthole.

"_Dakejinzou_," the frigate's on-board computer then spoke up.

"What is it, Ship?"

"_Sensors indicate the presence of the independent starship_ Wanderer_. It has just arrived in the system._"

Dakejinzou, Nassur and Benten gaped on hearing that ship's name. "What's Koosei doing here?!" Benten demanded.

"_Koosei is signalling us, Dakejinzou_," the computer reported.

"Pipe it through," Dakejinzou ordered.

The view screen, it affixed under the picture of Gilnira Dakejinzou kept on her bridge, flicked on, revealing the image of a handsome Japanese man who instantly reminded Nabiki of Ono Toofuu, right down to the oval reading glasses he wore over his eyes. The only differences were his clothes, which distantly resembled the style Ataru preferred when he had boarded the _Rose Emperor_ to rescue his sisters and former classmates hours before. "Hey, minna! What're you guys doing over here?!" Ryooki Koosei demanded.

"I'd ask you the same thing, friend," Dakejinzou called back. "For a man who once swore he'd _never_ return to Earth . . . "

"Koosei, who's with you right now?" Nassur asked.

"Ten's mother." He then frowned. "Or rather, what's left of her."

The non-Terrans aboard the _Goddess_ paled. Nabiki kept quiet; she had learned about Ten's mother, a firefighter, through Marubeya Momoe. "Koosei, wasn't she in Onishuto when the Noukiites blew the place up?" Benten asked.

"No, she was lucky," Koosei replied. "She was visiting a friend in one of the outlying villages near the Terrible Swamps when that damned bomb was set off. Her husband wasn't so lucky; according to what she told me, he had been working with a civil-defence group in the centre of the city when it happened. She got involved in the initial rescue attempts, but wound up getting herself a nice dose of radiation poisoning along the way. The rescue authorities put her into cryo-suspension to keep her alive. The Noukiites took over caring for her when their troops landed on Uru. They managed to purge her of the poisoning. I just negotiated for her release, but . . . "

He then shrugged. "Bad?" Nassur asked.

Koosei closed her eyes. "Crippled from mid-back down. She can't fly."

Everyone winced. "So why are you bringing her to Earth, then?" Benten asked. "Koosei, your people're already in a bad mood . . . "

"You know that Ten-chan's still alive, don't you?"

Heads snapped around to allow the aliens to gaze on Nabiki. Koosei sighed. "Dakejinzou, did you tell everyone everything?"

Dakejinzou blinked before she nodded. Outside herself, Ryooki Koosei was the only other non-Sagussan to have walked the decks of the Gatherer since Moroboshi Ataru visited Sagussa eleven years before. "Just now."

"Koosei, Seiko-chan told me about what happened to Ten-chan," Nassur spoke up. "Do you want to try to do the same for his mom?"

"It may be her only chance to walk again, even if she ends up losing the ability to fly. Then again, from what the MiBs told me about the mood in Japan concerning Urusians in general, living as a Terran -- or at least as an Avalonian disguised as a Terran -- is the only option she'll really have if she chooses to remain on Earth instead of relocating elsewhere," Koosei advised. He then raised a finger as a knowing smile crossed his face. "Then again, this'll give Jon-san the chance to be a real mother to her son."

The people aboard the _Goddess_ nodded. A buzzer then sounded off on Dakejinzou's avionics board. "_Dakejinzou, a Sagussan civilian starship is de-cloaking off the port beam_," the computer then declared. "_Identification beacon marks her as the_ Konggh'cha."

Dakejinzou blinked. "Lufy's ship?! What's she doing here?!"

"'Lufy?!'" Benten and Nabiki uttered in sync as they remembered what Dakejinzou had said of that person when she told them about Sagussa.

"_The_ Konggh'cha _is signalling_," the computer then said. "_It is Troop Commander Priscilla of Pathfinder Troop Six._"

"Dammit, Dakejinzou! Can't you make that stupid computer of yours call me 'Priss?!'" a growling voice then demanded over the speakers.

Dakejinzou flicked controls to allow the image of the Pirpirsiw'r in question to be seen by everyone else. "Hi, Priss!"

"Priss, what're you doing here?!" Koosei demanded from the _Wanderer_.

Priss rolled her eyes. "Keeping watch on Lufy's ship while she and everyone else are off to the wild unknown, making sure that Ataru-sama and his sisters don't run into Lannarkites and moron psi-hunters from Vos." Her amused stare locked on Nassur for a moment before she added, "I overheard you guys talking about the little one's mother. If you want, Yomi or I can snatch a new body for her from the factory."

"It would be appreciated, Priss," Koosei replied before he raised a warning finger. "IF I get her to agree to this, by the way!"

"Fair enough! I'll see you guys soon."

The view screen blanked out. "Well, that was nice of her," Nassur mused.

"Can we trust them?" Benten sarcastically wondered.

"If you behave yourself and try not to be so disrespectful of Ataru-san, you'll be amazed at what they'll be happy to do for you, Benten," Dakejinzou replied as she turned around, and then she blinked. "Nabiki-san, you okay?"

Nabiki, who seemed to have a lost look on her face, started on hearing the hunter's question. "Eh?! Did you say something, Shogai-san?"

"Are you okay?" Dakejinzou asked.

The middle Tendou daughter started. "Oh, me?! I'm okay! I'm okay!"

She laughed, turning to walk off the bridge. "Weird girl," Benten mused.

Nassur and Dakejinzou exchanged a knowing look.

* * *

Several minutes later found the _Goddess of Luck_ and the _Wanderer_ were locked alongside the _Konggh'cha_. After meeting up with Dakejinzou and her passengers, Priss escorted them to the sick bay Lufy had installed in the cargo carrier when she took possession of the ship. Since she was technically "on duty," Priss was dressed in her normal work uniform. She was also under arms. 

"You didn't want to go with the Troop?" Dakejinzou asked as they turned a corner to head towards the pilotage.

"I can wait," Priss answered. "'Sides, the ones in the Troop who really wanted to see Ataru-sama were Sylvie and the other new girls. They never got the chance to spend time with him when he visited; we only rescued them during the year after he came to visit us."

Benten tried not to laugh. "'Ataru-sama' . . . URK!"

That came from Priss' elbow smashing into her jaw. "Keep your attitude to yourself, little girl," the Troop's first officer snarled.

"Benten, that really wasn't nice," Nassur added.

Despite the throbbing in her chin from where the Sagussan had belted her, not to mention the dizziness in her mind from the impact shock, Benten growled as she rolled back on her feet. The burning fire in her eyes quickly told everyone else that she was in the mood to rumble, even IF the woman she wanted to beat up WAS one of Yehisril's legendary Most Dangerous Ones! Before she could do anything, a finger tapped the back of the head. Benten gurgled as unconsciousness seized her, dropping face-first to the deck. Standing by her feet was Nabiki, her patented **Why, Officer, I have NO idea how THAT got there!** look plastered on her face. "H-h-How . . .?!" Nassur sputtered.

Nabiki winked. "My secret, Nassur-san."

"Nice job," Priss acknowledged that, and then she leaned down to pick up Benten. "Here, let me dump this idiot back aboard your ship, Dakejinzou. Then we'll take a good look at Ten's mom and see what we can do with her."

"Be my guest," Dakejinzou replied as the Pathfinder threw Benten over her shoulder to carry her off. "What WAS that girl thinking?"

"Dake-chan, you should know by now that thinking is really not one of Benten's strong suits," Nassur advised her.

"True." Dakejinzou then stared at Nabiki. She was quick to note the lost-girl look on the middle Tendou daughter's face. Smirking at Nassur, the alien hunter then stepped up to place a hand on Nabiki's shoulder. Nabiki yelped on feeling that hand, and then she spun around to stare wide-eyed at Dakejinzou. "Liked what you saw, didn't you?" the hunter asked with a leer.

Nabiki awked on hearing that, an automatic denial surging up through her throat. Before she could utter a sound, another hand landed on her other shoulder. Nabiki went white on feeling _that_ contact, and then she turned to find herself staring into a pair of burning chestnut eyes. "I . . . " she then squeaked, surprising herself by being able to say THAT, and then she gulped. "Uh . . . " A finger landed on her lips to silence her. Nabiki blinked as she felt a wave of _calm_ surge through her from Priss' fingertip, and then she slowly breathed out as the Pathfinder drew back her finger.

"Better?" Priss wondered.

"Pretty much so," Nabiki hoarsely admitted.

A wink. "I'm interested if you happen to be willing. But let's look in on Ten's mom first, okay?"

Nabiki's skin paled again as the Sagussan's words sank into her mind. "Ah . . .!" she sputtered. "Uh . . . o-okay . . .!"

Priss pulled away from her, and then she waved everyone on to sickbay. As they stepped inside, everyone noted that Koosei was already there. Also there was Catty Ray, who had volunteered to remain with the Troop's first officer to keep watch over the _Konggh'cha_ while the rest of their mates had gone to the Planet of Shadows. The once-android replica of Catty was in the uniform of a Sagussan navy petty officer. Since she was not Pathfinder-trained -- much less formally trained in any other specialty such as medicine, science or engineering -- Catty Ray didn't wear the special colour-coded trousers like the dark green ones Priss currently had on. She was currently passing a tricorder over the prone form on one of the sick bay's diagnostic beds.

"How is she, Ray?" Priss asked as everyone else gathered around the bed to stare at the unconscious Oni woman lying there.

"Pretty bad," Catty Ray reported, thankful that she still retained a lot of her template's medical knowledge so she could help out in situations like this whenever Reinoevan or Naomi weren't around. "The Noukiites seem to have used a lot of their more traditional medical techniques to help Jon-sama heal from the radiation burns. They have helped a bit, but there were some unintentional side effects the healers didn't anticipate."

"Can she walk?" Koosei quietly asked.

Nassur and Dakejinzou stared at the expat Terran. Nabiki took her own "look" with her empathy. What she got from Koosei didn't surprise her. The man was clearly divided in his heart between Ten's mother and another woman . . . eh? Oyuki? Seeing the image of the Neptunian crown princess flash through her mind's eye, Nabiki then sighed as she quickly picked up a surge of paranoia flowing through Koosei's mind which was clearly attached to whatever memories he had of Oyuki. Damn, exactly like the way Toofuu had felt whenever he had been around Kasumi in the days before the doctor's walkabout! If Koosei's feelings for Ten's mother started to blossom and Oyuki found out . . .?

"I don't even think the regeneration matrix can ultimately help," Catty Ray said as she drew back her tricorder, and then she gazed at the expat Terran. "As you will no doubt be aware, there have been times that the matrix has failed to fully restore every element of a person's body to the prime of health. This can potentially be one of them."

"Like what happened to Deunan, right?" Koosei asked.

"Hai."

"'Deunan?'" Nassur asked.

"Squadron commander in their Warsuit Brigade, their ground-warfare mobile suit formation," Koosei replied. "Her left eye's useless; she wears a patch so the images between her eyes don't disorientate her when she's piloting."

"Hasn't degraded her performance," Priss added. "Luf and I trained her to fight one-eyed, both in and out of those pathetic tin cans Leona's morons love so much." A hint of pride shone in her eyes as she added, "She's good."

"You must be one hell of a teacher, Pri-chan," Nabiki said.

Priss blinked on hearing Nabiki call her _that_. "'Pri-chan,' huh?!"

Nabiki awked. Dakejinzou and Koosei started to laugh. Nassur politely covered his mouth to hide his own smirk. Before Nabiki could try to say anything, Priss then winked at her. "Suit yourself," she huskily whispered as she leaned up to the other girl. "Nabiki-vayae."

She walked out of the sickbay. A wary look crossed Nabiki's face. "What did she just call me?" she gazed at Koosei and Dakejinzou.

"'My dearest Nabiki,'" Catty Ray translated.

Nabiki took that in, and then she gulped. "I'm in it deep, am I?"

"Pretty much so," Koosei advised.

The middle Tendou daughter moaned, "Oh, wonderful."

* * *

"When will we reach this Planet of Shadows, Lufy-san?" Karen asked. 

"Three hours at present speed," Lufy reported after she made a check.

"How soon will Hinako-chan and the others get there, Lufy-chan?" Sakuya, she currently in the central chair, asked.

"Probably an hour," the watchmistress replied as she nodded to Reiko. Standing up to allow Ataru's daughter to take her place so the younger girl could pilot the _Windrider_ for the next while, Lufy then stretched herself. "For a Haijo-ju prototype, the Staff's got loads of capabilities. But you better remember that its level of power is nowhere close to infinite. Neither will the Genesis Wand. I sure hope you guys know what you're doing, asking Aria to become its new controller and all that."

"Bou-san likes Hinako-chan a lot," Karen noted. "And Bou-san was really sorry to have been forced to hurt Onii-chan when he went to that Phentax Two place to take care of that creep Oogi and his stupid followers. Maybe Tsue-san will take to Aria-chan just as easily."

"The Wand hasn't had a real controller since Head Scientist Horan scattered the prototype Haijo-ju across the galaxy just before the Clone Rights War," Lufy warned, and then she shrugged. "Still, maybe if the Staff copies some of its programming into the Wand, things should be alright for Aria. If not, we'll get Ayumu to go deal with it. If not Ifurita or one of her girls."

"You got girls named after the _El Hazard_ girls?!" Mamoru asked.

"Sure," Lufy said, and then she smirked. "It's kinda ironic, too. Ifurita is the chief of the Te'a Studies Group. Shayla, Afura and Miz are her co-workers. They're the ones who make use of Horan's Haijo-ju prototypes to help them -- and us -- understand the Te'a better, how we interact with what you'd all see as the divine influence on Existence as a whole."

"Is EVERYTHING gotta be science-based on your planet?!" Mamoru demanded.

Lufy shrugged. "Mamoru, it's only been just over a decade since Ataru's visit helped us break out of our damned logic shells and let us finally try to understand what you people call 'faith.' Give us a chance, huh?"

Laughter filled the room. The back door opened, revealing Nene. "Lufy!"

"What?"

Nene thumbed behind her. Lufy glanced past the Troop coxswain, her own meta-senses reaching out to pick up who had just beamed over from the _Kiboo'cha_. She then turned back to Nene. "Did Sylia approve of this?!"

"What?" Sakuya demanded.

"What do you think?" Nene wondered.

The watchmistress moaned. "Oh, damn."

* * *

"You girls all ready?" Sylvie asked. 

The other new girls in Pathfinder Troop Six -- Anri, Reika and Naoko from Section One; Megan, Louise, Namiko and Lisa from Section Two; plus Naomi and Irene (the chief engineer of the _Kiboo'cha_) -- stood in line of review in the corridor connecting the pilotage with all of the sisters' private cabins and Ataru's own quarters at the aft end of the ship. Sylvie, as the senior ranking member of the group, stood in front of them. "Ready and willing," Megan, positioned at the right of the line, answered before she lowered her voice on adding, "Even if we ALL're scared outta our fuckin' minds right now."

"Do you think Ataru-sama will like us?" Namiko, a silver-haired, crimson-eyed, Tritonian-born woman who presently served as Section Two's transportation expert, asked, her voice etched with worry. "I mean, none of us ever had the chance to meet him! Do you really think he'll . . .?"

"Settle down, Nam!" Megan -- like Sylvie served in Section One, the flame-haired, green-eyed Pirpirsiw'r was Section Two's second-in-command below Asukanoevan -- ordered. "I'm nervous about this, too. It's like Sylia said: If we're gonna make a good impression with the Daimon'cha, we can't fly off the handle like I'm sure we're all tempted to do. Buck up and look smart, okay?!"

Namiko braced herself. "H-hai!"

Silence fell as Sylvie scanned the nine others who had come with her from the _Kiboo'cha_. All of them were in clean duty uniforms, even Irene. The _Kiboo'cha_'s brown-haired, chestnut-eyed, Vosian-born chief engineer often preferred to wear work jumpsuits; her days were often spent deep in the bowels of the Troop's base ship as she constantly strove to keep it in fighting trim. Save for Naomi, everyone was also under arms; pistol belts were wrapped around their waists. In respect to Ataru's sisters, the pistols were unloaded, the energy magazines slipped into strap holders on the outside of the holsters, visible for all to see. Naomi, as the Troop's field nurse, had a first aid bag slung over her shoulder. "Okay," she then whispered on seeing that everyone looked ready. Bracing herself, she ordered, "Troop, right face!" After everyone did a sharp right turn, Sylvie then ordered, "Advance in line, march!"

The girls smartly walked aft. Sylvie halted them just before Megan was about to walk straight into the door leading to Ataru's cabin. As Section One's petty officer/sniper walked up to knock on the door, people from the pilotage came out to watch them. "Lufy-san, why are they here?" Karen whispered to Lufy. "They look so nervous! Didn't they get a chance to meet Onii-chan when he came to your planet twelve years ago?"

"No, they didn't," Lufy replied. "I'll explain about it later."

"I'll love to hear THAT story," Sakuya asserted.

Meanwhile, Sylvie was waiting at the door to Ataru's cabin, having just knocked on it. The door opened to reveal Ranma, a confused look on the martial artist's face. "Um . . . can I help you girls?" she asked.

She opened the door wider to get a better look at her visitors. THAT action was enough to allow the newcomers from the "Kiboo'cha" to see Ataru seated at his bed. Watching the raven-haired, golden-eyed sniper of Section One, Ranma couldn't fail to notice Sylvie's cheeks reddening as her eyes focused on Ataru. The latter caught herself before she announced with a VERY respectful bow, "Ataru-sama, Ranma-sama, please forgive us for disturbing you!"

"PLEASE FORGIVE US FOR DISTURBING YOU!" the others chanted as they bowed.

Ranma blinked several times, and then she stared quizzically at Ataru. He returned her look with a shrug. Ranma then turned back to Sylvie. "Um, why don't you girls c'mon in and make yourselves at home?" she said.

She waved them through the doorway. Hearing that, the girls straightened themselves automatically as they marched into the cabin. After the door closed behind Irene, the people standing by the door to the pilotage exchanged looks. "Do you think we should stop this?" Nene wondered.

"We don't have a right to stop this," Lufy asserted as she turned to head back into the pilotage. "You know that as much as I do, Nene."

The Troop coxswain took that in before she nodded.

* * *

"What the heck . . .?" 

After hearing a bunch of people call out "Please forgive us for disturbing you," Akane had peeked out through the doorway of Marie's cabin. She had turned to glance aft just in time to see a small line of young women, all dressed in Sagussan military uniforms, march into Ataru's cabin, they having been waved inside by Ranma. After the redhead closed the door behind the pointy-eared girl with the red-coloured pants, Akane blinked several times, and then she started to tremble as a familiar flash of hot jealousy surged up from somewhere deep inside her. Stepping out of the cabin, she braced herself, squaring her shoulders as she prepared to march over and . . .

"Akane-chan, what are you doing?"

Akane jolted to a stop on hearing that soft yet iron-hard voice. Gulping as a chill warped through her, she turned to see Marie standing by the stairwell leading to the galley. Hotaru was standing behind her patient, the nurse holding a tea tray with three cups and a kettle of Marie's favoured cherry tea. Marie's arms were crossed, a displeased look on her face as she seemed to loom over the youngest Tendou daughter. Akane gulped as Marie's stare bored into her, and then she giggled in embarrassment. "Oh, M-m-Marie-ch-chan, h-hi! I w-w-was just going t-to find th-the washroom . . . "

Marie sighed as she gave the bioroid a knowing look. "Don't lie to me, Akane. When you saw Sylvie-san and her friends march into Aniue-sama's room, you automatically fell into that damned 'Aneue-sama is being a pervert' attitude your other-self always let herself fall into!"

Her words ripped through Akane like a hail of bullets fired from a Gatling gun. The newborn Avalonian seemed to sag as her nervous look crashed into ruins, heart-wrenching anguish crossing her face as the strength in her legs vanished. Akane dropped to her knees as heart-wracking sobs burst from her lungs. Instantly, Marie's hands were at her shoulders as Akane was swept up into a comforting hug, the former allowing the latter to bury her face into the crook of Marie's neck and weep. They remained still for a moment as Hotaru walked past them to place the tea tray on the nightstand in Marie's cabin, and then the nurse walked back out to help Marie walk Akane into the cabin.

* * *

"Um, what's this all about, girls?" 

The newcomers of Troop Six were standing in a school circle around Ataru's bed. All their heads were bowed low, none of them wanting to look him in the eye. Arms grasped together nervously in front of them, as if they wanted to make a wish. Their nervousness at being in Ataru's presence for the first time in their lives was quite plain for the Daimon'cha to see.

For Ataru, this could be seen as truly a first.

Save for dealing with his sisters and Ranma, most of Ataru's past experiences with women were not positive. If he didn't have to deal with an over-domineering, lightning-charged, would-be "wife" who treated him more like a pet than a person; he had to deal with a zealous Shinto priestess/school nurse who, at times, seemed hell-bent to make his often-miserable days even MORE miserable. If he didn't have to deal with a psycho-airhead who wanted to suck the youth out of his body to get her revenge on his "wife;" it was a pack of hormone-crazed classmates who were hell-bent and determined to protect the object of _their_ wet dreams from the grasp of said "wife." If he didn't have to deal with a lunatic space-biker babe who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with her gun and seemed hell-bent on the idea of forcing her idea of celebrating Setsubun on everyone around her; he had to deal with three galactic middle school would-be Yakuza who wanted to play some sick game of one-upmanship on his "wife" and her former classmates. If it wasn't a certain ice princess from Neptune, it was his former girlfriend or a poster-child for all tomboys who hadn't a single clue as to what being a real woman was about. If it wasn't that androphobic would-be supergirl heiress of the Mizunokooji sports empire, it was the Kabuki-crazed psychopathic heiress of the Mendou fortune.

And that didn't, in the LEAST, count his late so-called "mother!"

But this . . .

This . . .

THIS was truly different.

Ten girls.

All very beautiful.

All young and in the prime of their health.

And all of them seemingly willing to drop their clothes, hop into the sack and spread their legs for him virtually on command.

Yes, THIS was truly different.

What to do, what to do . . .

"Um, Ataru-sama . . .?"

He perked, his eyes locking on the Vosian to his far right, the one in the uniform of a naval engineer, petty officer's tabs on her shoulders. Noting the style of her hair, Ataru quickly assumed this one had taken the name "Irene," after Yamazaki Linna's friend from the second _Bubblegum Crisis_ OVA. Noting that, his eyes flicked over to the brown-haired Yehisrite girl fourth over from Sylvie. Now, she HAD to have taken the name "Reika" given her very strong resemblance to Chang Irene's sister from the seventh _Crisis_ OVA, the pop singer known to the general public in that universe as "Vision." She even had the same streak of green in her hair just over her forehead!

Wasn't THIS ironic?

"What is it, Irene-san?"

Irene jolted, the surprise on her face clearly shouting out, "HE SPOKE TO ME?!" She then quickly composed herself as she bowed her head in a proper show of respect. "May I sit with you, sir?" she then asked in a timid whisper.

Ataru looked at her, and then he glanced at Irene's mates. It surprised him right away that none of them seemed to look the least bit jealous at the engineer's bold request. In fact, much to Ataru's surprise, it seemed to him that the others were actually ENVIOUS of the fact that Irene had been brave enough to MAKE that request. A quick glance at Ranma -- the martial artist had positioned herself by the windows of the cabin to Ataru's left -- revealed that she was just as surprised at Irene's request as her fellow Sagussans. Noting him glancing her way, Ranma looked a question at him. _Do you mind?_ Ataru silently asked. She blinked, and then, after blushing at his show of deference to her, shook her head. With that, he turned back to Irene, patting the bed beside him. Seeing that, Irene brightened as she slipped her feet out of her boots, and then she slid onto the bed to relax beside him. He gazed at her, quickly sensing her relief and delight at being accommodated by him. A glance to the others revealed yet again that there wasn't the barest hint of jealousy on any of their faces. Well, best to make sure THAT particular poison flower didn't get the chance to bloom; his experience with Lum, Shinobu and Elle -- to say anything of Ranma's experiences with her own fiancées! -- had taught him that. "All of you, sit down," he said, waving to the edge of the bed. "I don't like people standing on ceremony because of me."

Their faces instantly lit up on hearing that. Without hesitation, they slipped off their boots and sat on the bed around him. To Ataru's surprise, the newcomers seemed willing to make a space on the bed to his immediate left. As to whom that space might have been set aside for, the answer came as Sylvie looked over at Ranma. "Ranma-sama, don't you want to sit with us?" she asked.

Ranma perked. "Why?! You girls . . .!"

"Ranma-sama, you ARE the Other," Anri insisted.

Ranma blinked in shock at Anri's words, and then her gaze turned inward for a second before she found herself walking over to slip herself onto the bed, moving in close to Ataru. Automatically, his arm came up to wrap around her. Ranma perked on sensing the warmth of his contact, and then she sighed as she leaned against him. Ataru gazed at their visitors. Seeing the smiles cross their faces on seeing their show of closeness, Ataru stared at Ranma.

"If I was still a guy . . . " the latter mused.

"Then we'd have TWO Daimon'cha instead of one," Louise finished for her.

Ataru and Ranma blink-blinked. "'Daimon'cha?'" both asked in sync.

"'Great first father,'" Louise translated. Quickly noting the shock crossing the Terrans' faces, Section Two's demolitions expert then added, "It's what we ultimate would want you to be for us, Ataru-sama. The father of our children. Didn't Lufy or the Elder Mother tell you about this?"

"Does it LOOK like it?!" Ranma demanded.

"Wait a minute!" Ataru cut in. "You girls mean to tell us that, atop of my acting as an emotional template to help all of you become more human, you wanted me to also act as the FATHER to all of your future children?!"

"You don't have to worry about doing ALL of us," Megan moderated.

"How many of you guys are there on Sagussa?!" Ranma asked.

"One hundred-and-four thousand, nine hundred-and-fifteen," Naomi replied. "Including one girl that's still AWOL."

Eyes locked on the nurse. "A hundred-and-four thousand . . .?" Ataru hoarsely whispered. "Geez! I don't think even I've got enough stamina . . . "

The Sagussans laughed. "Oh, we know THAT, Ataru-sama!" Reika declared.

"Although we wouldn't mind if you tried it with us," Anri coyly added.

"Anri!" Sylvie snapped at her bond-mate.

Anri ducked the sniper's annoyed look. Ataru and Ranma exchanged a look, and then the former sat back on the bed. "Um, well . . . ah, gee, girls . . . I'm flattered that you'd want me to help out, but still . . . "

"Oh, don't worry if you think we'll just turn to you to get the genetic samples so we can have children, Ataru-sama," Namiko assured him. "We've got our eyes on a whole host of other nice men to act as Daimon'cha for us."

"There is Ranma-sama's male body to think about, too," Lisa added.

"NO!" Ranma automatically asserted. "Do NOT go there, Lisa!"

"We'll just have to find a way to separate them, then," Naoko proposed.

"Hey!" Ranma snapped. "Didn't you listen to me?!"

"Ranma-sama, are you a man or a woman?" Megan asked.

"I'm a woman, dammit!"

"They why should you live a life where you might risk permanent insanity if your curse gets unlocked again?" Megan then asked.

Silence.

Ranma blink-blinked. "Say what?"

"You're planning to adopt Lufy as your older sister, aren't you? Like Ataru-sama adopted Thoughtmistress-prime Negako as his sister?"

The redhead's jaw hit the bed. "How did you . . .?"

"It's your life-aura, Ranma-sama. Your 'ki' as you call it. Syl and I . . . " -- Megan waved to her sister Pirpirsiw'r -- "Can tell right off the bat what you've got in mind. But before you take the plunge, there're some things you gotta know." She held up a finger in warning.

Another chorus of blinks from the former heir of the Saotome-ryuu. "Since when is my adopting Lufy as my sister life-threatening?"

"Since Lufy would insist that you'd become of our blood, Ranma-sama," Sylvie spoke up. "There's no way that Lufy would allow a sister, even an adopted one, to live without having the ability to fully defend herself up to Lufy's standards. And her standards, as I'm sure you are aware, ARE a lot higher than even what you're at right now, Ranma-sama."

Ranma flustered. Damn, was she THAT easy to read? "Um, y-yeah, I did notice . . . " she then sputtered out.

"There's never been a male Pirpirsiw'r in Yehisrite history, Ranma."

Ranma gazed in confusion at Ataru. "'Piiru-piiru-shiiwaru?'" she tried to stutter out the harsh Yehisrite syllables.

"Literally translated, 'Most Dangerous Soldiers,'" Ataru explained. "The Yehisrite version of the Nujiézú; they existed up to about four centuries ago. They all have tattoos on the right cheeks like Lufy, Sylvie, Megan and Makoto have. And I assume there are many more among your girls . . . "

"Seven thousand, two hundred-and-thirteen," Sylvie provided.

Ranma took that in. "Same school of martial arts?"

"It's more than just martial arts, Ranma-sama . . . "

A sharp breath exploded from the redhead's lips. "Sylvie, willya QUIT being so damned formal with me . . .!"

"I have to, Ranma-sama. We all do."

"Why?! Just because I'm bonded to Ataru? Lufy was the one . . . "

"We know that," Sylvie cut her off. "But it's a lot different for us than it would be for the rest of the Daishi'cha, Ranma-sama." She waved to her mates. "When Ataru-sama came to Sagussa eleven years ago at the Elder Mother's invitation, there were EXACTLY 100,000 Daishi'cha residing there. None, NONE of us . . . " -- again, she indicated her mates with a wave of her hand -- "Were among them. We would have been had there not been a terrible accident with medical nanites within mine, Anri's and Reika's bodies having reacted badly to the regeneration matrix that was used to restore us to life. And those nanites broke out and infected almost five thousand other Daishi'cha before it was finally contained. But for those who were infected . . . "

"Including all of us," Megan cut in.

"We were later sealed off in tanks filled with nanite-infested samples of the matrix and buried on our old home worlds," Sylvie finished before her eyes turned to Ataru. "And if it wasn't for you, Ataru-sama, we all would still be dead to the world we were literally reborn to help create."

* * *

_Eleven years before . . ._

_The Chamber of Eternity, since it was buried deep into an isolated southern branch slope of Sagussa's highest peak, the Esanta'cha, seemed always to be a dark place even for its vast size, excellent internal lighting and airy nature. Walking on a catwalk on the uppermost level away from the large bedroom the engineers had just built for their prospective Daimon'cha in anticipation of the day in the future when he would return to their world to live the rest of his life, Moroboshi Ataru seemed sad._

_"I really don't wanna go home, Ai-chan."_

_Walking beside him, the woman who one day would take the name "Noa" tried to smile. It was still difficult to move her facial muscles in such a way, even if she had finally come to comprehend the emotional purposes such an action represented. "You should return home as soon as possible, Ataru-sama," she said. "While we here on Sagussa do accept that a child, even one as young as you, has a right to decide his or her own destiny according to the knowledge he or she possesses, on Earth, it is much different."_

_"But Mom'll start yelling again!" Ataru whined, his eyes brimming with tears. "Saying to Dad that she wished she never had me! She never says anything nice about me! And she's really mean whenever I go to Uncle's place in Sendai and visit Nokoko-chan! Why, Ai-chan?!"_

_Noa took a breath. "Indeed, her behaviour vis-à-vis you leaves much to be desired. Perhaps Ii'iieo's suggestion about deploying a team to Tomobiki . . . " -- her mouth curled into a frown on her saying that -- "Is a wise one."_

_Ataru brightened. "Would you come to live on Earth, Ai-chan?"_

_Noa blinked, and then she smiled. "If the authorities in New York City will allow it . . .! Eh?! Ioiouieoao! What's the matter?!"_

_The woman who one day would take the name "Nene" had just run up to them. "Ashi'cha, there's something wrong with Eiei'ioao-o!"_

_"What is it?"_

_Nene shrugged helplessly. "She just started crying and yelling twelve minutes ago when she was looking through files in her terminal. The others in the Troop are trying to calm her, but she's . . . " Another helpless shrug._

_Instantly, Ataru raced off. "Ataru-sama, wait!" Nene screamed out._

_He ignored the Pathfinder's words. Even if the Chamber was five kilometres long from end to end, reaching down almost a kilometre into the hard limestone rock of Tere'na Province, Ataru knew where the offices used by Pathfinder Troop Six were located. In the two months he had been living on Sagussa, he had become very close to the six specialized warfare troopers, just as he had become close to the crew of the_ Hasei'cha_, the Elder Mother, her sister and a whole slew of others. If Eiei'ioao-o -- the woman who would one day take on the name "Priscilla" -- was crying for some reason, Ataru wanted to know why and help her. After all, she was his friend._

_You always helped your friends, didn't you?_

_Reaching the door to the Troop's offices, he looked inside. "Ei-chan!"_

_Priss' head snapped around as her crimson gaze locked on Ataru, the painful sadness on her face melting into shock. "Ataru-sama!"_

_"What's wrong?!" Ataru asked before he looked left to see the other members of the Troop standing there. "What's wrong with Ei-chan?"_

_"Ataru-sama, you don't have to be . . .!" Eoao'oe-eoii (Sylia) insisted._

_"Commander, we agreed that we would not lie to Ataru-sama regardless of the reason," Aioai-eieoei (Reinoevan) cut in to remind her._

_Sylia gazed on the executive officer/sniper, and then she nodded. Priss was still gazing at Ataru, though both Ui'iioe-uoai (Linna) and Uouiaioi'ii (Asukanoevan) had shifted themselves over to place supportive hands on the coxswain's shoulders. Priss then sniffed back her tears as she stood, walking over to kneel in front of Ataru. His hands reached out to hug her as she scooped him into her arms. They remained in place as Priss allowed her empathic guards to relax, the warmth of Ataru's love and friendship flooding her from head to toe. As she felt new strength flow into her heart from that contact, the Troop coxswain then shifted her head around so she could stare directly into Ataru's eyes. They remained in place for a moment, and then they shared a kiss. "I love you, Ei-chan," Ataru whispered._

_"And I will love you for all Eternity, Ataru-sama," Priss vowed._

_"Why are you crying?"_

_Priss took a deep breath. "I was mourning someone."_

_Ataru blinked. "Someone died?!"_

_"Eiei'ioao-o, does Ataru-sama REALLY need to know . . .?!" Noa demanded._

_Priss froze the Ashi'cha with a warning gaze. "'No lies,' remember?"_

_Noa's voice caught in her throat. "It is not one of us currently on Sagussa, Ataru-sama," Sylia explained. "The person Eiei'ioao-o is referring to would have become one of us hadn't a terrible accident concerning both the warm rock bath and some very tiny machines . . . " -- the Daishi'cha had to be very circumspective when it came to explaining concepts like the regeneration matrix born from the magma of Sagurei, Sagussa's lone blood-red moon, to the five-year old Ataru -- " . . . ended not only her life, but the lives of many others."_

_Ataru gazed on the Troop commander. "When?!"_

_"Way before my time, Ataru-sama," Linna provided._

_He blinked several times as he tried to wrap his mind around what Sylia said, and then he gazed at Priss. "What happened to your friend, Ei-chan?" he asked as he wiped her cheeks clean. "Is she still here? Can't you visit her?"_

_Priss shook her head. "No. At the time, we felt we just had no choice but to bury her on Yehisril, where she had been found by Henry . . . " -- that was Ataru's nickname for the Gatherer's central computer; it came from the ancient Ly'sha word_ hengh'ryi _(the one who gathers life) -- " . . . along with the others that had been found with Eiei'ioaoai; that was her number."_

_Ataru stared at her. "You left her there . . . "_

_"There was no other choice!"_

_"WHY?!"_

_"Because we didn't want those awful machines to hurt us!" Priss insisted, fresh tears flowing down her cheeks. "Ataru-sama, I wanted to bury Eiei'ioaoai in the Forge." The Forge of Tere'na was a fifty-kilometre wide silver dome, it forged of a kilometre-thick layer of carbonized neutronium, located at the southern tip of Tere'na. It was in the geographic centre of the dome's enclosed space, at the end of the Clone Rights War that had wrecked Sagussa millennia before, that Lyna's remains were interred. Ever since the first of the Daishi'cha -- Ataru knew her as "Ai-oneechan;" she would eventually take the name "Yoakenikkou" -- had been brought to Sagussa, the first citizens of the Fifth Republic had visited Lyna's grave to pay homage to the singer whose tragic fate had led to the Clone Rights War. Ataru's visit to the Forge two weeks ago, in the company of Eiuoiiaoii (Lufy) and Oioai-oi'iiui (Catty), had been weird. "But I couldn't. I couldn't risk bringing her here and . . . "_

_"You gotta bring her back, Ei-chan!"_

_"Ataru-sama!"_

_"You gotta bring her back!"_

_"There may be a way to do just that."_

_Eyes locked on Reinoevan. "What do you mean?" Asukanoevan asked._

_The Troop's first officer faintly smiled. "You weren't here at the time we had to deal with that particular tragedy, Uouiaioi'ii, so you wouldn't know about this. But shortly after we were forced to transport those unfortunates back to their planets of origin, the Medical Directorate began to work on ways of ensuring nanites were purged from the bodies of potential Daishi'cha when they were exposed to the regeneration matrix." Rei then gazed on Ataru. "We have a way now in which we can go rid our friends' bodies of those awful machines using the warm rock bath, Ataru-sama," she explained. "It is possible to go retrieve them and restore them back to health."_

_"Why didn't you do it before, Aioai-chan?" Ataru asked._

_An embarrassed blush crossed Rei's face. "To be frank, we never saw the logic of such a choice before you made us look at it."_

_The young boy then scowled. "'Logic!' I hate that word."_

_"We're starting not to like it ourselves," Asuka noted with a wink._

_Warm laughter then filled the room._

* * *

" . . . and thus, starting a month after your return to Earth, Ataru-sama, we were all retrieved and rejuvenated, the nanites purged from our bodies," Sylvie finished, having shifted herself over so she could hold Ataru's hands in her own. "A total of 4,915 Daishi'cha were nearly killed by those things Anri, Reika and I accidentally brought to Sagussa when we were taken with Priss by the Gatherer all those years ago. All of them, Ataru-sama -- ALL OF THEM! -- are alive today. Thanks to you." 

Ataru blinked several times, he again -- for what seemed the umpteenth time this very day alone! -- inwardly wishing that his memories hadn't been so devastated by the insertion of the Saikoo Jinseijitsu into his mind so that he could remember his visit to these girls' distant home planet. Still, even if some parts of his mind found it quite hard to accept that story, the look on Sylvie's face confirmed it had really happened. Licking his lips to put some moisture back into them, he sighed. "Sylvie, I don't even know what to say."

"I know." Sylvie smiled. "I know. We all do. Please, don't be afraid of us. We know what you've been going through these last few years. Believe me, after everything went to Chaos after Lum came, we kicked ourselves around in circles trying to figure out a way to get you out of that situation."

"We couldn't do it openly," Megan added. "If we did, we could have ignited a war with half the galaxy over Earth. You made it plain and clear how you felt about shit like that when the Urusians and the Ellsians almost came to blows over who'd end up going to the altar with you. Damn it all, Ataru-sama, you KNOW what could've possibly happened to you if it got out that YOU were the Chosen One. You KNOW what Lum could've done to you, much less that idiot father of hers and the rest of those kimei'aidoei fools on Uru."

"And then there's you, Ranma-sama." Reika's eyes fixed on Ranma. "Yes, it was only just now that we learned that you were the Other. But if we went after Ataru-sama at an earlier time, I know we would've come to look for you. Lufy would've certainly revealed what she had done to you in that circumstance! How would you've felt if that happened to you? Your would-be paramours, much less that pathetic farce you called a family? How would that have set with them, much less Ataru-sama's so-called 'friends' in Tomobiki?!"

"Yes, it was Lufy who bonded you two," Anri spoke up. "But that doesn't matter. You are the Daimon'cha, Ataru-sama. And you are Ataru-sama's Other, Ranma-sama. No matter how it happened, it happened. And because Ataru-sama is and has always been a part of us . . . "

"So are you, Ranma-sama," Louise finished.

Silence fell as Ataru and Ranma exchanged a look. This went WAY beyond what Lufy and Noa told them about how much Ataru had come to affect the entire destiny of a planet recovering from a brutal five-century war that had cost over ten billion lives. This was the most profound of honour-debts that Sylvie and her companions, not to mention the 4,905 other Daishi'cha who had been given a remarkable THIRD chance at life thanks to Ataru's words to Priss that day in the Chamber, felt for their Daimon'cha.

And since Ranma was seen as Ataru's marei'cha, she was included in that honour-debt even if she personally had nothing to do with . . .

Or did she?

After all, hadn't Noa come back a year after Lufy had bonded Ataru and Ranma to bring Ataru to Sagussa so he could meet all the Daishi'cha?

Hadn't Ranma's encounter with Ataru in Sendai really it?

Toward giving Sylvie and her friends new life?

New hopes . . .?

Ranma then stood up. "Ranma . . . " Ataru called out.

She gave him a smile of assurance before she walked to the entertainment centre located in one corner of the cabin. Leafing through the CDs, Ranma then grinned on picking out one greatest hits compilation from an Irish new age band Ataru had been introduced to by Yotsuba some weeks before. Taking the case out, she loaded one of the CDs into the player, and then set the music to the sixth track. "Something tells me you people'll like this stuff," she announced before pressing the PLAY button. As the synthesizer and piano introduction to Clannad's _Coinleach Glas an Fhómhair_ began to play, Ranma walked over, holding her hand out. "Reika-chan, would you like to dance?"

Reika blinked, and then she nodded. "Hai!"

As she joined the martial artist, Ataru turned to Sylvie. "Madame?"

Sylvie shook her head. "Irene first."

Ataru blinked, and then he mentally kicked himself as he glanced to his right at the _Kiboo'cha_'s engineer. "Irene-chan?"

"Hai!" Irene gushed.

They headed onto the floor, followed by Sylvie and Anri, Megan and Louise, and Lisa and Naoko. The others remained on the bed as they clapped to the music, Namiko's and Naomi's voices humming out the lovely Gaelic tune . . .

_Ar chonnlaigh ghlais an Fhoghmhair  
__A stóirin gur dhearc mé uaim  
__Ba deas do chos i mbróig  
__'Sba ró-dheas do leagan siubhail  
__Do ghruaidh ar dhath na rósai  
__'Sdo chúirnini bhi fighte dlúith  
__Monuar gan sinn 'ár bpósadh  
__Nó'r bórd luinge 'triall 'un siubhail_

As they danced, Ataru's and Ranma's eyes fell on each other . . .

Are you doing it?

I have no choice now.

Yeah, you don't.

Will you be there for me?

I got no choice on that.

You don't have to.

I want to.

You sure?

Yeah, I'm sure.

I love you.

I love you, too . . .

Watching their silent communication, the Daishi'cha could only smile.

* * *

"You, Sylia dear, are a sneaky woman." 

"Do you question your own love for Ataru?"

Eluza blinked, and then she smirked before sipping her glass of Sagussan brandy. The _Hasei'cha_'s commanding officer had beamed to the _Kiboo'cha_ to confer with the commander of Troop Six minutes before. "Of course not."

"Don't complain about it, then."

"Am I complaining?"

Silence fell, and then both began to laugh.

* * *

A knock was heard at the door. "Hai, just a moment!" echoed from inside the old shrine, and then the door opened. "Hai?" 

"Hello, there," the woman standing on the front porch hailed as she gave Chigaiko a smile. "You must be Inu Chigaiko."

Chigaiko blinked as her eyes took in the speaker's looks. Save for flecks of grey in her brown hair, plus laugh lines and crow's feet around the eyes and mouth, this woman could easily be Negako's twin sister. Her clothing was modern in style yet plain, a tubular-shaped duffle bag slung over one shoulder. "Um, h-hai!" Chigaiko then stammered before she tensed on sensing someone walk up behind her. She turned around to see Negako standing there, a knowing look on the ninjutsu grandmaster's face. "Negako-san, um . . . "

Negako guided Ataru's former classmate away from the door, and then she stared at the visitor. "Naho, what did I say about Ayano?" she wondered as her eyes flicked to the raven-haired, tomboyish teenager standing on the grass.

"She stowed away in the truck before we came down from Onogawa," Hana Naho replied with a chuckle. Behind her, Inaba Ayano had the courtesy to look sheepish, though the flush on her cheeks clearly represented something else other than embarrassment. "And since this is an important meeting between us and the Nujiézú, I felt it wouldn't be right to turn around and take her back."

Negako gave Naho a knowing look, and then she shook her head. "Come in."

Chigaiko watched as the newcomers stepped inside, each taking off their shoes before they walked into the living room. The four other newcomers were teenagers in general appearance, they dressed in neat, stylish clothing. Each of them focused their eyes on Chigaiko as they walked in, their smiles brightening considerably as they gave her a polite bow in greeting. One of them, a taller-than-average blue-eyed girl with her long raven hair tied in a high ponytail, moved to stand beside her. "Konban wa, Chigaiko-san," she greeted the expat Tomobiki native with another polite bow. "I'm Misaki Shiina. I'm very honoured to meet another of Negako-sama's students."

Chigaiko blinked, and then she gazed on Negako as the others sat around the living room table. She was quick to note that Ayano had positioned herself in a place immediately beside where Negako normally sat. "You're one of Negako-san's students?" she then asked as she turned back to Shiina. "I didn't know Negako-san had any other students in the Art."

"She does, Chigaiko-chan," Naho, who had sat directly opposite from where Negako would sit, spoke up. "Do you think she spent all of the last five years after she was taken out of Ataru-chan's mind wandering around the world?"

Chigaiko blinked. "You know Ataru-kun?!"

"Of course I do," Naho replied as Chigaiko and Shiina walked over to sit around the table. "My name is Hana Naho. I'm the daughter of Ataru-chan's paternal great-uncle." She gazed fondly on Negako. "And, as I'm sure you'll no doubt have noticed by now, I'm also the person who provided the DNA patterns for the Zephyrites to use so they could create Negako-chan's body."

Chigaiko boggled on hearing someone use the "-chan" suffix for NEGAKO of all people! Seeing this, the newcomers laughed as Kimiko walked into the room, Ten in her arms. "She wants Negako-sama to call her 'mother,'" Shiina added.

The laughter died as the younger newcomers gazed as one at the adopted member of the Tendou family and the boy in her arms. The mutual staring contest continued for a moment, and then Naho's eyebrow arched. "I take it the factory's here," she mused as she gazed on Negako.

"It is," Negako replied. "Directly in orbit over Tomobiki High School."

Chigaiko stared at the ninjutsu grandmaster for a second, and then her eyes focused on Shiina. "Soo na! You mean . . .!"

"They're all Avalonians. The younger ones, that is," Kimiko announced.

Naho gazed on Kimiko her own well-trained senses locked in on the latter, and then her eyes widened in recognition. "You're the Noroi no Ningyou, aren't you?! How . . .?" She paused as it came to her. "Chikage-chan was involved!"

"H-hai!" Kimiko stammered as she moved over to sit by the table, allowing Ten to remain in her lap. "And this is . . . "

"Redet Jariten," Naho finished, a knowing twinkle shining in her eyes as she stared at him. "Who prefers to be called 'Ten,' especially by women. Who can, at times, be as much of a shameless flirt when it comes to women -- especially young, beautiful ones! -- as Ataru-chan once was." Seeing Ten's cheeks redden in embarrassment as that comment hit home, Naho laughed before she sobered and carried on, "And, by the looks of it, was so badly hurt during the recent conflict between his people and the Noukiites that Hinako-chan had to use the Staff of Gihan to obtain a new body for him shortly after his return to Earth . . .! Sometime late on Tuesday morning, I believe?"

Ten blinked. "Ah . . .! H-hai, N-n-Naho-obachan!"

"Naho's ki perceptive abilities, even with her retaining a non-enhanced body, are almost on par with mine, Ten," Negako said. "Understandable; I was the one who taught her those skills." An amused twinkle then crossed her eyes. "Then again, were it not for Naho and the girls at the Hotel Kiraboshi, my emergence as an independent sentient being would not have proceeded as easily."

"Not that the first three years after you got yanked out of Ataru-chan's mind weren't rough enough," Naho added.

Chigaiko, Kimiko and Ten looked at Naho, and then at Negako, and then back to Naho again. "So why are you here, Naho-sama?" the just-adopted member of the Tendou family wondered. "And how is it you met these girls? Are they related to the group that came to Earth years ago seeking out your aunt to obtain assistance from the Zephyrites in freeing the Avalonians from slavery?"

"No, but these girls and their friends up in Onogawa are as much refugees from that insane planet as Ikusawa Kyooko's mother and her companions," Naho answered. "In effect, until six years ago -- which was the time that the 'great awakening' that ushered in the Church of Lum among the Niphentaxians happened -- Ayano-chan, Shiina-chan, Mutsumi-chan and Nanase-chan, plus their friends, were all prostitutes in a brothel on Phentax Three. They were soon 'liberated' by another Avalonian, the former companion of a doctor who, quite surprisingly, currently works in Tomobiki as the senior physician to all the Church's observers in and about their 'holy city.' When they came here, they had the fortune to run into me, and then I arranged to have them take up residence in Onogawa, where they currently run an onsen hotel, the Kiraboshi."

"Oh, that's right!" Chigaiko said as she held up a finger. "Ataru-kun and the others wanted to go up there to spend the weekend before they'd go back to Promised Island and start the new school term." A rueful look then crossed her face as she added, "Well, that WAS the plan until a few stupid things happened that forced them to stay here for the time being."

"Negako-sama, when will Ataru-sama and the others return?" Shiina asked.

"Sometime tomorrow," Negako replied as she perked on sensing three people arrive at the front gate of the old shrine. "In the meantime, our guests are arriving. Mutsumi, Nanase, are you ready to meet your prospective husband?"

"Hai!" Horikawa Mitsumi and her younger "sister," Nanase, chanted.

A knock echoed from the doorway. "I'll get it," Chigaiko announced as she walked over to open the door, and then she smiled on seeing the crowd from the Nekohanten. "Cologne-sama! Shampoo-san! Mousse-san! Come in, come in!"

"Thank you, dear," Cologne replied as she pogoed her way inside, and then she stopped on seeing Naho. The elder's eyes then went VERY wide on seeing Nagaiwakai's niece. She then relaxed as Naho got up, the latter running over to sweep Cologne in an embrace. "Child, it's been so long!" Cologne stated as Naho escorted her to the table. "Where've you been all these years?!"

"For the most part, hiding in plain sight," Naho replied.

* * *

A cell phone rang. "Yes?" 

"Father, it's me."

"Is it done?"

"Hai. He's on his way. I expect it to happen within the hour."

"What do the observers say?"

"The target's all alone. I'll make sure everything proceeds as planned."

"Very well, then. Well done, child."

"Thank you, Father."

* * *

Looking up from her counter, Kamekichi Tampopo seemed to freeze for a moment. "Something in the air . . . "

* * *

"Hey, Nabiki! You okay?" 

Nabiki jolted, and then she turned to find herself gazing into Priss' burning eyes. Tensing as she felt that rush of hormones surge through her as the Sagussan's heart-melting looks registered deep within her brain, the middle Tendou daughter then forced herself to relax. "Um, I was actually hoping to get someone to get me back to Nerima," she then stated, inwardly hoping that Priss couldn't detect the tremor in her voice. "Like it or not, I've got some things to do before everyone else gets back . . . "

The first officer of Pathfinder Troop Six nodded. "That replica of your kid sister. Gotcha. Give me a moment to get changed and then let me take a look at Ten's mom. We'll both beam over into Nerima right after that, okay?"

Nabiki blinked before her eyes turned to gaze out the view port. The Moon floated beside the _Konggh'cha_; the cargo carrier had cloaked itself sometime after the _Goddess of Luck_ and the _Wanderer_ had locked alongside. "Wait . . .! BEAM into Nerima . . .?!" she sputtered.

"Relax, Nabiki-vayae!" Priss assured her with a wink. "We'll just bounce the signal off the _Haengge'cha_. Yomi's ship is about halfway between Luna and Earth. It's a piece of cake. You stay right here and I'll be right back."

With another wink, the Pirpirsiw'r raced off to her guest quarters to get changed. Nabiki watched her go, and then she shook her head. "No! No! No! NO!" she hissed, she grabbing her hair. "This just CAN'T be happening to me! I'm not into all this stupid, lovey-dovey stuff . . .!"

"Neither is Priss for that matter."

Nabiki gargled in shock, and then she spun around to see Ryooki Koosei standing behind her, an amused look on his face. "Damn!" Nabiki snapped at him before she relaxed herself, and then she glared intently at him. "Are you related to Ono Toofuu-sensei, Ryooki-san?!"

Koosei chuckled. "No, Tendou-san, I don't know that person. Let's just say that in the decade after the Ipraedies kidnapped me from Earth, I've been through some nasty events. Keeping yourself trained to take advantage of surprise moments isn't just something you'd use for a quick laugh." He winked. "At times, it happens to be a survival requirement."

Nabiki paused, and then she breathed out, nodding in understanding, "I see. Ataru-kun told me about the Ipraedies when Elle kidnapped his sisters and his old classmates in Tomobiki. I assume their kidnapping of you was a precursor to their planned invasion of Earth."

"It was," he answered, nodding. "But don't let that totally cloud your opinion of them, Tendou-san. They're not all bad. A little xenophobic at times, but that's to be expected of almost every race in the galaxy. I've got Ipraedies friends. I even had an Ipraedies girlfriend, believe it or not. In many ways, they're like people back on Earth. More advanced technologically in comparison to us, of course, but they're still people."

She took that in, and then she tilted her head to gaze in the direction of the _Konggh'cha_'s sickbay. "How is she?"

Koosei sighed, a hand reaching up to take off his glasses so that his other hand could massage the bridge of his nose. "Jon's going to wait until Ataru-san and his family get back before she makes a decision as to what to do with herself. There're two options. One, she gets exposed to the regeneration matrix the Sagussans use to bring Daishi'cha into their ranks. That comes with risks, though. The matrix is quite powerful -- to call it 'magical' wouldn't actually be too damned far off the mark, if you ask me -- but on rare occasions, it doesn't cure EVERYTHING." A pause. "And then, there's the second choice: She gets an Avalonian body, just like Ten-chan did thanks to Ataru-san's sister Hinako. That might be the better choice for her."

"You care for her, don't you?"

He blinked before he replaced his glasses. "Hai, I do. Please don't misunderstand me. It's been a rough few weeks for me. When I realized how bad this whole war situation was between the Urusians and the Noukiites, my first concern was ensuring the safety of what friends I had on Uru. Jon and Ten-chan were atop that list. I know Ten-chan has something of a bad rep in the eyes of the legal authorities on Earth. Yes, he's a young boy, but he certainly should've known to act a lot better than I heard he did."

"Yes, turning swallows into giant penguins was pushing it," she noted.

He chuckled. "I heard about that incident. Well, hopefully now, he'll have something of a better life."

"What about his mother?"

A deep breath. "Jon's a very good person, Tendou-san. Yes, she's horrendously fanatical when it comes to firefighting. If you knew her story, you'd understand why." Stating that told Nabiki a lot more than Koosei would have intended, but the middle Tendou daughter kept her peace as he continued, "But that led Ten-chan to come to Earth. You know what his powers were like back then." Koosei glanced in the direction of the sickbay. "When I was babysitting Ten-chan, I tried to do my best to make Jon see what she was doing to her own son. I didn't succeed, unfortunately. But hopefully now, they might have a chance to live together as a real family."

A knowing look crossed Nabiki's face. "With you as the father?"

Koosei remained still for a moment. "I guess I deserved that." A chuckle escaped him. "You probably know of my 'relationship' with Oyuki-chan, Tendou-san. Before this whole mess started, you couldn't even MENTION Oyuki-chan's name to me without my brain taking a drop shot into a black hole. But, like it or not, wartime does make for strange circumstances."

"And since she's a crown princess, heiress to her planet's throne, the chances of you, a commoner, actually marrying her . . . "

"Aren't that good."

"Geez, Nabiki! If you ask me, Oyuki's nuts to let him out of her grasp."

Koosei and Nabiki turned as Priss came up to join them. The Pathfinder had draped herself in a white button blouse, motorcycle riding pants and a black leather vest. Nabiki was quick to note the holstered pistol on the inside of Priss' vest, just below the curve of her breasts. "Looks good on you, Pri-chan," Nabiki then stated before her breath caught in her throat. _Damn! I've GOT to stop calling her THAT!_ she mentally railed.

Priss chuckled on seeing the middle Tendou daughter's reaction, and then she reached over to gently grasp Nabiki's hand. "Thank you so kindly, Nabiki-vayae. So what say we give you your first experience in a transporter?"

Nabiki blinked. "Is this gonna hurt?"

Priss stopped. "What?! You related to Leonard McCoy or something?!"

Nabiki shook her head. "Not really!"

"Let's go, then!"

Priss led her off. Koosei watched them, a smirk crossing his face. _If they're not bonded in a month, something's wrong with them!_

* * *

The man surged through the back streets of Nerima, taking a wide circle route that kept him a safe distance from the most dangerous place in the district, an abandoned Shinto shrine near Kasuga-chou. The swaying shakiness of each of his strides would indicate to onlookers that he was thoroughly drunk. On seeing his face and recognizing him, those ubiquitous onlookers would no doubt conclude that he had been out in one of the local watering holes, drowning his sorrow over the shattered dream he had once shared with his best friend. Many of them would probably wonder this as they watched him pass through the streets: Had the poor man already been told about the awful death of his youngest daughter in Hikarigaoka Park the previous night? 

But the thoughts of onlookers didn't concern the man at this time.

Only the task mattered.

The task needed to be done.

The task HAD to be done.

The task MUST be done.

Nothing else mattered.

Nothing at all.

* * *

"Lyna's Soul, this so-called 'father' of hers should have been killed!" 

Hotaru pulled her fingers away from Akane's face. The youngest Tendou daughter was reclining on Marie's bed, her eyes closed; Hotaru had placed the bioroid into a meditative trance when she began her examination. Marie was sitting on the bed beside Akane, she keeping one of the latter's hands in her lap. The nurse took a deep breath as she walked over to sit on the bed to Marie's left. "You can't mean that! Can you, Sensei?" Marie wondered as she gazed on Mie's sister, an amused look crossing her face.

"I DO mean it!" the nurse spat. Seeing the surprise cross Marie's face, Hotaru took a breath before she explained further, "Marie-sama, even in the days of the Fourth Republic, the proper raising of children was always seen as vital. To do what that . . .! That MAN . . . " she barked, " . . . did to Akane-san . . .?!" She shook her head. "It's so wrong!"

"I don't think Akane-san's father will be much of a bother anymore, especially after what he did to Nabiki-san and Shinshi-san," Marie noted, and then she gave Hotaru an annoyed look as she pleaded, "And PLEASE, Hotaru-sensei, will you STOP calling me 'Marie-sama?!'"

Hotaru smirked. "Then, PLEASE stop calling me 'Sensei,' Marie-chan!"

"Okay!"

Both girls giggled, and then Marie turned to gaze on Akane. "Oh, Hotaru-chan, what do I do?" she wondered, reaching over to gently stroke the bioroid's cheek as she gazed into that peaceful face. "I don't want to see her live like the other Akane-san, for Heaven's sake. But . . . "

"It scares you, doesn't it?"

"Does it have to go THAT far?" Marie gazed on the nurse.

Hotaru paused as she considered what should happen next, and then she sighed. "Marie-chan, I know it may sound a little rushed to plunge all the way into a bond-mating between you and Akane. It doesn't really have to happen right away, of course. But if you ask me, given how she came into being, there may be no other choice in the long term if you, much less her family and yours, don't want to see Akane slip 'back' into the modes of behaviour her template demonstrated at times, especially with Ranma-sama."

Here, the nurse paused again as she considered what else to say, and then she placed a hand on Marie's shoulder. "Marie-chan, from what I understand of what she was like, the other Akane needed very strong emotional support to overcome the many pains of her life, especially when it came to what happened to her mother. When you look at how her life went, she never really got it, not even from her family. Now, our Akane here has those same needs," Hotaru continued as she indicated Akane. "She isn't just a memory-copy of Tendou Akane. She's actually a SOUL copy of the original Akane. When you get down to the nitty-gritty of it, there's no real emotional difference between the two. But the big PHYSICAL difference in this case is that Akane is now in a body that will react much more strongly to her emotional state than what she is personally used to. And that means that she will need, really NEED, very close empathic, even telepathic, contact with someone who can give her the support the original Akane never got. And since she won't be able to realistically get it from Ranma-sama now that it's known that she's bonded to your brother, she has to get it from elsewhere. That's where you come in."

Marie blinked as she considered it, and then she sighed. "What do I do?"

"Well, you don't have to do the tamgh va ragh right away in this case," Hotaru noted. Marie smirked as she quickly guessed what the phrase the nurse just used might imply. "If you jumped all the way to _that_, it would scare her just as much as Kunou's abuse scared the original Akane. Start with the simple things, Marie-chan. Holding hands, touching her skin on the safe places. Kiss her every chance you get. Not deep-throat kisses, but simple pecks. She'll warm up to that right away. She'll sense that you care for her. That you want the best for her. And that's how a true relationship starts. As for what happens afterward . . . " Here, she shrugged as she gave Marie a smile. "That's a subject that I really can't predict anything about."

Marie sighed. "If you say so."

* * *

Sitting on a bench in Hikarigaoka Park after doing his evening rounds, Happoosai quietly drew out his pipe and lit it, and then he blew out smoke into the evening sky. Glancing south towards Negako's home, the aged grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu could only grin. So, Naho-chan had been hiding all these years from her relatives, had she? And despite that, she STILL had the opportunity to head to Rishiri-tou and offer up one of her blood cells for Nagaiwakai's friends on Zephyrus to grow Negako's body from? 

And even better -- if what he was sensing of the wonderful, mouth-watering torrents of ki emanating from that place was even REMOTELY true -- sweet Naho-chan had become the virtual mother of a pack of those too-good-to-be-true Avalonians like Kimiko-chan and Nabiki-chan were now. Happoosai had yet to take any sample of an Avalonian's ki; with what just happened to Nabiki and her brother Shinshi, plus what just happened to poor Akane, it wasn't proper. But the chance would come, the aged grandmaster knew.

It just HAD to come!

As soon as he could . . .

Oh, my . . .!

Oh, dear!

Happoosai then jolted on hearing a strange ringing noise emanating from a cull-de-sac off to his right. Canting his head over, he blinked on registering a very familiar ki signature. "Nabiki-chan!" he called as he bounded from the bench, and then he stopped on sensing a SECOND ki signature with the elements marking an Avalonian. That had just appeared beside Nabiki. "Who . . .?"

"Yo, Ojii-chan!" Nabiki called back as she walked into the open. Following her was a brown-haired, chestnut-eyed girl who -- save for what just HAD to be an all-body tan and that note-and-dagger tattoo at the corner of the right eye -- resembled one of the pretty heroines in that stupid "cyberpunk" video series whose main theme song Ranma just LOVED to sing in the shower.

Then Happoosai took another look as the woman's ki became clearer . . .

Oh.

Ye.

GODS!

Silence fell as the newcomer gazed on the aged grandmaster. He was trying desperately not to tremble in the presence of this . . .

This . . .

MANSLAYER!

This WARRIOR!

Warrior, HELL!

That word just couldn't BEGIN to describe this person!

Where on Earth did Nabiki find someone like THIS, for Heaven's sake?!

"Ojii-chan, you okay?!"

Happoosai nearly leapt out of his clothes as his eyes snapped around so he could look at Nabiki. "Eh . . .?! Ah! Oh, Nabiki-chan, it's you!" he blurted out before embarrassed laughter stole his voice, he rubbing the back of his head. "You came back! Did everyone else come back . . .?!"

"This is Happoosai, right?"

Happoosai froze as his eyes swung over to gaze anew at the other girl.

Oh, shit . . .

"Yeah, that's him, alright!" Nabiki replied. She had sensed the wave of total, mindless, underwear-soiling FEAR the grandmaster was presently expressing towards Priss. While Nabiki had guessed that the Sagussan was a well-trained warrior, her own personal ki senses hadn't been fine-tuned enough for her to deeply read other people with the precision Ranma, Happoosai, Cologne or Negako often demonstrated. "What . . .?"

What Priss did next surprised them both. Standing to attention, she clasped her left fist into her right hand in a salute used often by many kung fu schools, as well as practitioners of Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjitsu-ryuu. With that, Priss bowed her head in a show of respect. "I humbly wish you peace, logic and harmony, Thoughtmaster-prime," she stated honestly before she straightened herself. "Please excuse us."

With that, she headed off. Nabiki remained frozen in place, her jaw hanging down somewhere around her knees as her mind tried to wrap itself around what just happened. A glance at Happoosai revealed him to be quaking, "I'm alive! I'm alive! I'm alive . . .!" fluttering from his lips at machine gun speed as he seemed to try his best not to piss himself. Shaking her head to snap her mind back into gear, the middle Tendou daughter then raced off after the Sagussan. "Hey, Pri-chan! Wait up!" she called out.

Happoosai remained in place. "I'm alive! I'm alive! I'm alive . . .!"

* * *

"Negako-chan, are you alright?"

"Negako-sama, what's wrong?"

Negako blinked before her eyes fell on Naho. "Nabiki has returned."

The others perked as they took in the grandmaster's words. "Did Ataru-kun and the others come back, too?" Chigaiko asked.

"No. As I informed you earlier, Chigaiko, they had to proceed to the other end of the galaxy to retrieve the Genesis Wand of Parah for Aria," she explained. "Even at the _Windrider_'s top speed -- even if they make use of this spatial wormhole the Staff of Gihan informed us about when the trip was initially planned -- they will not return to Earth until tomorrow morning."

Naho nodded before she gazed on Mousse, she moving to turn the meeting back to where it was meant to be. "Well, Mùsi. What do you think?"

The others -- save for Negako, who seemed mildly bored by the whole process -- turned to gaze on the weapons-master with a mixture of sympathy and barely-suppressed mirth as he found himself the SOLE object of attention from Naho's "daughters," Horikawa Mutsumi and her younger "sister," Horikawa Nanase. While most young men would consider themselves VERY blessed if they found themselves in the romantic sights of TWO very beautiful women like Mutsumi and Nanase, Mousse was certainly not normal by far.

Given his all-consuming obsession with winning Shampoo, Mousse had pretty much blinded himself from gazing at other women with anything other than a fleeting look. He couldn't do that in Mutsumi and Nanase's presence, unfortunately, especially with the spectre of being drawn into a blood-alliance marriage with one of the Tora-Seishin having been brought up. And what was worse, he couldn't possibly think of trying to duck away from it by using the excuse of going off to fight Saotome Ranma to win Shampoo's heart. With Ranma legally a girl -- and soon to be recognized as such by the Council of Elders back in the village -- whatever marriage existed between Ranma and Shampoo had vanished. Worst of all, thanks to Ranma's overdeveloped sense of right and wrong, not to mention her own experiences dealing with fiancées thanks to her late father, there was just NO way in Hell that Ranma could be persuaded to use the Blood-Sibling Law to make Shampoo marry Mousse. And Mousse didn't even have the luxury to go off and fight Ranma to make the idiot change her mind; she was off somewhere in deep space with Moroboshi Ataru and his family to locate some ancient alien weapon for one of Ataru's sisters to use!

This was just NOT FAIR!

Not fair at all.

Not fair . . .

Watching her unmoving would-be husband, Shampoo could only sigh before she flicked concerned gazes at the Honourable Elder Naho's lovely adopted daughters. Mutsumi, the elder of the pair, seemed to be your atypical Japanese bookworm, complete with reading glasses over her pretty hazel eyes. Her brownish-grey hair was pulled back over the top of the head into a stubby ponytail at her crown; the rest of the mass was allowed to cascade down the sides of her head to her collarbones. She was in a knee-length dress, that partially masking a body that would seem semi-trained by Nujiézú standards; Mutsumi was still probably just a genin in Saikoo Jinseijitsu-ryuu.

The younger of the pair, Nanase, reminded Shampoo a little too much of the lead character of _Sailor Moon_: A ditzy airhead who was concerned with silly, trivial things rather than the more womanly pursuits a native of the village would consider worthy of her attention. Only a couple centimetres shorter than Mutsumi, Nanase wore her deep chestnut hair in two buns at the sides of her hair. Her caramel-shaded eyes were currently fixed on Mousse's face, they sparkling in a way that Japanese girls -- Wasn't this girl supposed to be an ALIEN?! Honestly! Were alien girls like this, too?! -- demonstrated when they encountered something VERY handsome of the male persuasion, even if that male was nowhere close to what Shampoo's transformed Airen had once been.

Oh, Ranma . . .

That was just NOT FAIR!

Not fair at all.

Not fair . . .

Gazing on Shampoo out of the corner of her eye, Mutsumi concentrated as she reached out empathically to gauge what the Chinese warrior-maiden was currently feeling. Sensing her derision at Nanase's "bubblehead" act concerning Mousse, the elder Horikawa tried not to grin. Some people could just be SO damned blind at times. Couldn't Shampoo tell that Nanase's act was a simple ACT meant to make Mousse relax and enjoy himself during this omiai? For what had once seemed a mindless eternity, that HAD been Nanase's -- her Niphentaxian name was Nana dai-Tythya; the family name had been adopted from the woman who rescued Nanase and the others from that slime pit on Phentax Three, Kaili bedai-Tythya (known on Earth as Yamashina Mizuho) -- function as a prostitute. Yes, Mousse was nervous and confused at this time. Who wouldn't be when you literally had the prospect of a lifelong child-mating partnership dumped into your lap just like that? But, still . . .

_Onee-chan?_

Mutsumi blinked as she registered Nanase's voice in her mind. A quick glance at her "sister" revealed her to still be gazing fondly at Mousse; the latter's left hand had fallen over the former's right atop Mousse's right shoulder. _What is it, Imooto?_ she telepathically sent back.

_Nanase doesn't think he can take both of us at once._

_Agreed_, Mutsumi responded. _I think I'd rather get a bond-mate first before scouting out a potential husband. Would you want him all for yourself?_

_Nanase doesn't think she'll EVER feel THAT particular urge, Onee-chan._

_Okay, then. He's all yours. But don't force yourself all over him._

_Arigatou._

With that, Mutsumi pulled her hand away from Mousse, and then she shifted herself away from his side. "Mama?" she then called out.

"Yes, dear?" Naho asked.

"I've discussed this over with Nanase-chan." A glance to Nanase later, she carried on, "I'm not really in the mood to seek out a potential husband at this time. Besides, I don't believe Mùsi could possibly take BOTH of us. He strikes me as the typical 'one-woman man.'" As Nanase giggled -- in Sagussan society, which the Avalonians often tried their best to emulate, a man who locked his sexual intentions on only ONE woman was seen as truly weird -- Mutsumi added, "I'll let Nanase-chan take this one, Mama."

"How did you talk to her?" Shampoo asked. "This one didn't see . . . "

"Telepathy."

The warrior-maiden blinked. "Aiyah! You're a mind-reader?!"

"I am," Mutsumi answered. "We all are, in fact." She waved around the room to indicate the other Avalonians present at this time.

"Are you sure about that, child?" Cologne asked, a contemplative glimmer flickering in her eye. "That Naho-chan's giving us the opportunity to have one of our boys mate with someone with YOUR genetic potential . . . "

"The more brought in, the merrier. Correct?"

A dry chuckle. "Indeed."

The older Horikawa daughter sighed. "Well, if I was to meet another male of your esteemed tribe, Elder Mother, I might actually consider it. If Mùsi is an example of what good country breeding can do to males on this planet, I'll definitely keep my welcome carpet out just in case someone from your place in the mountains comes my way." She then held up a finger. "But, as you are no doubt well aware, Mùsi here has locked his heart and soul on winning over your exceptionally beautiful great-granddaughter . . . " -- the others in the room smirked on seeing Shampoo's cheeks flame at her compliment -- " . . . to the detriment of all other potential would-be wives out there if you ask me. To deluge the poor man with _two_ would-be wives -- this, I should note, is typical in our society -- I think would kill him in the long term. While this whole arrangement is a back-up plan in case things between Ataru-sama and Ranma-sama fall through (hard as it is for me to imagine such a thing happening given that they ARE bond-mates), killing off my sister's would-be husband would be quite bad form. Therefore, I, in the interest of Mùsi's good health, will defer to Nanase-chan and seek my fortune elsewhere."

Cologne's eyebrow arched as she gazed intently at Mutsumi, and then she stared intently at the other Avalonians. "Is this normal for your kind, dears?" the elder asked. "Girls actually seeking each other out in a relationship before looking for a potential man to have children?"

"Hai, Elder Mother, it is," Yusa Rinko spoke up from beside Shampoo. Save for cutting her ponytail off short at the crown of her head, Rinko was essentially a chestnut-haired, hazel-eyed version of Misaki Shiina. "Back on Sagussa, our ancestral home planet, it was seen as quite normal for women to bond with each other psionically -- that was called 'bond-mating' -- to form a family unit. When that was done, only THEN would the couple seek out a man to be the father of their potential children." She then held up a finger. "Of course, I should note that in classical Sagussan society, it was seen as equally normal for men to bond with each other in the same format of bond-mating as women did. And since it was seen as very odd to remain locked with only just one set of child-mate couples -- after all, sticking to one such couple over an eight-hundred year lifespan would get stale after the first half-century or so . . .!" She then shrugged.

"That's why what you know as 'marriage' never happened," Shiina finished.

Cologne took that in, and then she breathed out, "Goddess, that has to be the most intelligent concept for propagating one's whole race that I've EVER heard! Why on Earth were you hiding these people from us, Naho-chan?!"

"Auntie, you have to admit, while their many gifts would be a great boon to your tribe as a whole, how do you think the Musk and the Phoenix would ultimately react if all of the Nujiézú suddenly started to display such abilities?" Naho asked as she gave the elder a knowing look, her eyebrow arching. "To say ANYTHING of what might happen if those spineless morons in Beijing ever got wind of this?" she then added.

Cologne took that in, and then she nodded. "Yes, that is true."

"Does that mean Nanase can have him now?" Nanase cutely asked.

"He's all yours," Shampoo declared with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Hai!" Nanase then stopped. "Still . . . "

"What is it, dear?" Naho asked.

The younger Horikawa sighed. "Nanase should do it properly, then . . . "

She spun around and slapped her fingertips onto Mousse's forehead. The weapons-master gargled as a burst of psionic energy slammed into his brain, and then he dropped to the floor in a dizzy faint. Seeing that, Nanase gushed as she turned around to wave the "V for Victory" sign to the others in the room. "Hai! Nanase defeated him! Guess Nanase has to marry him now!"

"Looks that way to me, Imooto," Mutsumi confirmed with a nod.

Laughter then arced through the room as Nanase swept the very dazed Mousse up in her arms, and then she stared landing wet kisses all over his face. "Wo ai ni!" she cutely cooed after every kiss she gave him.

* * *

"Pri-chan, how on Earth do you know about Ukyou . . .?" 

Priss laughed as she opened the door to Okonomiyaki U-chan's, waving Nabiki inside. "Nabiki-vayae, Noa's been keeping an eye on events around Tomobiki for the last ten years, for Lyna's sake. And you gotta admit, what's been happening in this part of town's been hard to hide. Even if Noa didn't know about Ranma's connection to Ataru, she checked Nerima out regularly."

"Really . . .?" Nabiki then perked on hearing footsteps heralding someone coming from the kitchen. "Oh! Hey, Konatsu!" she called out.

"Hello, Nabiki-sama . . .!" Konatsu then stopped on seeing the woman accompanying the middle Tendou daughter. "Ara? Who's . . .?"

The cross-dressing kunoichi froze in place as his eyes danced over the Yehisrite-turned-Sagussan specialized warfare officer's body. Priss casually stared back at Konatsu, instantly recognizing what he was doing. Nabiki blinked as she quickly sensed what was happening, and then she frowned. "Konatsu-kun, what the heck are you doing staring at MY girl like that?!" she declared in her iciest voice, she pointing at him.

Konatsu blanched as that question washed over him, and then he bowed repentantly. "I'm sorry, Nabiki-sama! I didn't mean to . . .!"

Priss' cackling laugh cut off the kunoichi's apology. "Lyna's Blessed Soul, Nabiki-vayae, lay off the poor guy, huh?!"

Nabiki jolted as she realized what she had just said, and then she screamed out as she started to pound her forehead into the counter before her. "This can't be happening to me!" she wailed as she gripped the sides of her head. "This just CAN'T be happening to ME! It CAN'T!"

"Should I start calling myself 'Tendou Priscilla' now?" Priss wondered.

"ACK!"

"Hey, I know!" Priss then held up a finger. "We can go over to Toronto and do all the legal stuff there if you want."

"URK!"

"I hear that cottage country in Ontario's really nice this time of year!"

"GLK!"

"I'd LOVE to skinny-dip in those lakes! You skinny-dip, Nabiki-vayae?"

"ULP!"

Watching Nabiki nearly gag on her tongue as Priss continued her tirade, Konatsu didn't know whether he should still seek to run away from the monster the middle Tendou daughter had currently hooked herself up with -- or fall over laughing on seeing Tendou Nabiki act like she was doing at that time. More laughter and loud clapping then turned everyone's attention to the door leading up to Ukyou's apartment, where Kuonji Ukyou and Saotome Kumiko were standing, delighted smirks on their faces. Seeing that, Nabiki shuddered as her mixed feelings for Ranma's raven-haired mirror-twin surged up from the depths of her heart. Before she could bolt up and shout Kumiko down, a hand landed on her shoulder and forced her back onto her stool. Spinning around, Nabiki then stopped on seeing a knowing look on Priss' face. "Priss . . . "

The Pathfinder winked. "Nabiki, will you calm down and lighten up?"

Nabiki took that in, and then she felt her cheeks heat as more laughter burst forth from Ukyou and Kumiko. "Lady, just for the sheer delight of seeing you do THAT to Nabiki, the first okonomiyaki's on the house!" the proprietor of U-chan's said as she positioned herself behind her grill. "What'll you have?!"

"Two Noa-chan Specials," Priss announced.

Nabiki's head snapped over as Ukyou blinked in shocked surprise. "What?!" the chef gasped. "You're one of Noa-chan's friends?!"

"WHAT?!" Nabiki shrieked as she bolted to her feet. "YOU KNOW HER?!"

The okonomiyaki chef smiled. Given Nabiki's mania when it came to her learning ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that might, in any way possible, come to affect her family, to learn that the middle Tendou daughter had FAILED to learn anything about the woman Ukyou knew as "Aruka Noa" brought great cheer to the chef's heart. "Even though she only comes around here once every six months or so, she's one of my favourite customers," she declared. Ukyou then laughed delightedly as Priss whipped out a gold coin the size of a Japanese 500 yen piece, the latter flicking it into the former's hand. Staring at it, she nodded before showing it to the middle Tendou daughter. Displayed there was the phoenix-like national insignia of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa, the characters that denoted the name of that world in the Sagussan language -- **SAGUSSA UISEN'A** -- in an arc underneath the bird's tail. On the obverse side of the coin was a side profile image of a clean-shaven Terran man. Nabiki was quick to realize who that image represented. Did Ukyou know THIS?! "This tells me that whoever has a coin like this hails from Noa-chan's planet," Ukyou added. "But I gotta admit, you sure don't look Urusian."

"I'm not. I'm originally from a planet named Yehisril."

The three pureblood Terrans blinked confusedly. "Never heard of it," Kumiko said as she stepped up to Ukyou's side.

Priss shrugged. "Doubt you'll have. Believe me, minna, if any Yehisrite ever visited Tomobiki, you WILL have heard of it!"

"I get it," Ukyou mused. "Okay, two Noa-chan Specials, coming right up!"

Kumiko and Konatsu got out of Ukyou's way as the chef got to work. Nabiki was quick to notice what normally went into a Noa-chan Special. "I take it you guys really love spicy food," she mused as Ukyou doused red pepper powder in the batter before she began to mix it up.

"As much as the Noukiites do," Priss replied. "And the Koreans, the Indians and the Mexicans here on Earth, too."

"Have you ever had kimch'i before, Nabiki?" Ukyou wondered.

"The local versions of it. Not anything imported directly from Korea."

Ukyou nodded in understanding. "Don't worry. This won't be any worse. Konatsu, get some water just in case."

"Hai, Ukyou-sama!"

He ran off into the storeroom to get the bottled water from the fridge. Priss gazed on Kumiko. "You must be one of Ranma's sisters."

"I've that honour," she replied. "Have Ranma and the others come back?"

"They won't be back until probably late tomorrow morning," Priss replied. "Don't worry about your sister. My friends are keeping an eye on them."

Ukyou blinked. "You mean it was Ran-chan Noa-chan was interested in?!"

"No, Moroboshi Ataru."

The chef blinked again. "Why him?"

Nabiki held up a hand to stop Priss from speaking. "Allow me, Pri-chan."

"Nabiki, I'm not paying for it," Ukyou warned.

"You won't have to," Nabiki replied. "This is going to get out sooner or later anyway. And since you are close to Ranma-chan, Ukyou-chan, you deserve to know this more than the normal man-on-the-street, especially in Tomobiki."

Ukyou's jaw dropped. Nabiki NOT charging for information . . .? "Oh, man!" she breathed out. "Now I DEFINITELY have to hear this!"

Nabiki smirked. "You ever wonder from where Ataru-kun's harem dreams came? Well, minna, get ready to hear this one."

* * *

"Hello? Is there someone here?" 

Kasumi blinked as she looked around. She had just walked down from her bedroom after sensing something -- or someone -- enter the grounds. "Ojii-san? Nabiki-chan? Shinshi-chan? Akane-chan? Kimiko-chan? Are any of you here?"

No answer.

Feeling a cold shiver run through her, she turned to walk onto the porch.

* * *

Watching his target step outside the house from the shadows near the corner of the property, the man quivered excitedly as the voice deep within his mind began to loudly chant, repeating the same thing again and again: 

The task!

The task!

The task!

A guttural roar escaped him as he lunged, his hands lashing for her neck.

* * *

Everyone jolted as Nabiki suddenly gasped, her whole body locking up as a blank look crossed her face. "Nabiki . . .!" Priss called out as she reached over to squeeze the middle Tendou daughter's shoulder. "What's wrong?!" 

Nabiki barely shook as Priss' fingers made contact with her clothes, and then she whispered, "Onee-chan . . . "

Before anyone could say anything else, Nabiki bolted out of her chair. In the blink of the eye, she was out the front door of U-chan's, running at inhuman speeds for the Tendou home. "NABIKI!" Priss screamed out as she leapt off her stool to race after her companion.

Ukyou, Kumiko and Konatsu blinked confusedly for a moment, and then the chef gasped, "Something's wrong with Kasumi!"

"Oh, shit!" Kumiko screamed as she bounded over the counter to follow. "Call everyone you can, U-chan!" she bellowed as she passed through the doors.

"Right!" Ukyou called back as Konatsu moved to shut down the stoves.

* * *

"Kasumi is under attack!" 

Eyes locked on Negako. "What?!" Kimiko gasped. "Are you sure?!"

"Who?!" Cologne demanded.

Negako's eyes locked with Naho. "Akiko."

Naho started on hearing that name, and then she scowled. "Let's go!"

Everyone bolted to their feet as they moved for the doors to the shrine.

* * *

"F-f-father, wh-what's wr-wrong with . . .?" 

Kasumi screamed out as a hand snapped for her neck. She ducked away from those fingers as she collapsed to the floor. Nearly forgotten lessons given to her years ago in the doojou quickly came back to Kasumi as she rolled herself as far from the attacker as possible, and then she got back to her feet. She didn't move fast enough to escape his lunging down to grab one of her legs. Losing her balance, the elder Tendou daughter soon found herself kissing the floor as the attacker surged up to grab her by her hair.

A voice then bellowed from outside, "LET HER GO, YOU MONSTER!"

The attacker snarled as he swung around to stare at the slender figure charging at him from the front gate of the property. Before Nabiki could close in enough to get a clear look at whoever was attacking Kasumi, someone dropped on her from above, knocking the middle Tendou daughter into the ground by the koi pond. Growling, he then turned back to deal with the task at hand.

Meanwhile, Nabiki was being spun around as an opened hand, the fingers ringed with ninjutsu tiger claws, whipped right at her face. Before the tips could rip Nabiki's eyes, a hand snared the arm and yanked it back, the force of Priss' pull propelling Nabiki's opponent through the air over the koi pond to smash head-first into the nearby cherry tree. Gasping, the middle Tendou daughter quickly rolled back to her feet to take a good look at the person who had stopped her from trying to save Kasumi. "Who . . .?!"

"Never mind!" Priss said as she yanked out the pistol from inside her vest, bracing herself as the other attacker rolled back to her feet. "Get in there and stop that thing! It's brain-dead, but it can kill Kasumi! MOVE!"

Nabiki spun left and lunged for the patio. Priss' eyes remained locked on the woman by the tree as her future bond-mate hurried off to rescue her sister. Sure enough, the other woman was moving swiftly to grab something from inside the sleeve of her . . . kimono? _What in Lyna's name is this kimei'ne doing dressed like THAT?!_ Priss demanded as she made a somersault, her line of advance set in a diagonal direction to the right of Nabiki's path to the patio. Her left arm then snapped up just as the kimono-clad woman moved to fire several sharp throwing stars into the middle Tendou daughter's back.

"NABIKI, CATCH!"

As the shuriken were fired towards Nabiki, she spun around just as Priss' right hand flung the Pathfinder's pistol directly at her. Seeing the oncoming object spinning at her, Nabiki's hand lashed out to snare it just as the first of the shuriken bit through Priss' left sleeve and into her lower arm muscle. The Pathfinder grunted as the sharp sting of the impact registered somewhere deep inside her mind, and then she looked back to see the other whizzing stars angling at her. Priss' right hand snapped up to snare two of the shuriken out of the air. She ducked her head clear as the final two of the group whipped past her. Fortunately for her, Nabiki had spotted the incoming shuriken when she had turned around to catch Priss' pistol. Dropping to the patio deck to allow those projectiles to slam harmlessly into the outer wall of the Tendou home, Nabiki then spun left to regain her footing and leap inside the house.

By then, the kimono-clad attacker was moving to get around this woman interfering in her mission and stop Nabiki from saving Kasumi's life. To most normal people -- even to the average run of martial artists that frequented Nerima -- her movements were quite swift. To a Pathfinder-trained, Pirpirsiw'r-born Sagussan, she was as slow as a snail. Priss wound up in an overhand cricket pitch to fire the shuriken she just caught out of mid-air back to sender. The attacker didn't see her own projectiles race at her before the first cut a deep gash in the bridge of her nose and the second clipped off the top of her left earlobe before it buried itself into her skull. She screamed out as the sharp pains ripped through her mind, her feet stumbling as the blood from her torn nose blinded her right eye. Before she could wipe her face clear, a fist slammed into her gut with the power of a sledgehammer, smashing all the air out of her lungs in one explosive _WHOOSH!_ Her body instantly curled around Priss' fist before she collapsed to the ground.

Inside the Tendou home, Nabiki rounded the corner to enter the sitting room. Her eyes then locked on the figure looming over a wildly screaming Kasumi on the far side of the room, his fist rising to strike down on her like a falling Sword of Damocles. Her heart hammering wildly in her ears, Nabiki whipped up the pistol to lock onto the attacker's back. While she had no real training with this type of weapon, enough exposure to American action films over the years gave Nabiki a general idea of how to use the damned thing. Line up both the forward and aft sights with the place you wanted to hit, and then shoot. That took her a second before her index finger squeezed the trigger.

The Sagussan personal defence pistol is a weapon resembling a Glock 17 pistol. It fires case-less ammunition, just like the Heckler & Koch G-11 assault rifle. The rounds it fires are solid gelatine bullets composed of frozen plasma; a total of thirty can be loaded into a PDP magazine. When the trigger is squeezed, a micro-battery poised right over the firing bed ignites the round by charging the plasma with the energy level desired by the person handling the weapon. The PDP can be used in one of sixteen potential power settings, ranging from **tracer/very low stun** to **kill/disintegrate**. Priss had the pistol set at the twelfth power level when it was passed to Nabiki.

The bolt of burning energy slammed into the attacker's back to the left of the spine, punching through one of the chambers of his heart and a section of his left lung before shattering a rib and exiting through his lower pectoral muscle. Kasumi screamed out as a small fountain of blood exploded from the exit wound as the force of the impact sent the attacker to stumble over her and collapse to the floor nearby. Kasumi quickly rolled clear as Nabiki raced up to insert herself between her sister and the attacker, the PDP aimed at his body. A savage kick into his abdomen was enough to flip the man over onto his back, thus exposing his face for the middle Tendou daughter to see.

"Dad . . .?"

Nabiki's jaw dropped in horrified shock and disbelief as Tendou Souun's hideously twisted features appeared before her. Blood burbled from the wound in his chest from his shattered heart, which was still beating despite the fatal injury just done to it. Taking a staggered step back, Nabiki gagged as bile welled up from deep inside her throat, a hand coming up to cover her mouth as the truth of what she had just done began to sink into her. Before she could be overwhelmed by a tsunami of horror and guilt, two hands clasped her shoulders as a wave of empathic calm surged through her from Priss.

"Easy, love!" the Pathfinder hissed into her ear as a hand reached down to lift the pistol out of Nabiki's hand. "Easy! It's all right, Nabiki-vayae! It's okay!" Priss soothed as she embraced her would-be bond-mate.

Nabiki blinked as Priss' empathic show of support chased away the last of the former's guilt, allowing curiosity to overcome her as she reached out with her own senses to probe the bleeding shell of a man before her. Footfalls then made her look left as a girl with reading glasses -- an Avalonian, Nabiki quickly sensed -- ran up to sweep Kasumi into her own comforting embrace, and then the middle Tendou daughter turned back to stare into Souun's face. The simple, total _silence_ that responded from her empathic probe made Nabiki blink several more times, though she didn't feel a fresh bout of horror thanks to Priss' embrace, the psionic support the Pathfinder was giving her without any hesitation or question. Another glance at Kasumi revealed that the newcomer Avalonian's embrace had worked wonders on her as much as Priss' had done to Nabiki. With that, she reached up to squeeze Priss' arms. The stickiness that came from that contact then made Nabiki look down to see her hands covered in gold-flecked blood. "You're hurt, Pri-chan."

"It's healing," Priss assured her.

"Oh, my!" Kasumi gasped as she focused on her arm. "Let me get. . . "

"Shoima'cha, don't bother," Priss said. "It's okay. I heal fast."

Nabiki blinked, and then she stared at Priss. "What does that mean?"

"'Bond-mate's sister,'" the woman holding Kasumi translated.

Nabiki's cheeks started to heat as the implication of THAT sinks into her heart. Priss looked her over. "Who're you?"

"My Niphentaxian name is Mutzi dai-Tythya. On Earth, I go by Horikawa Mutsumi. I assume you're from Sagussa," the other woman introduced herself.

"She is," Nabiki answered for her. "Pri-chan. I need to scream."

Priss shook her head. "Not yet, Nabiki-vayae. We need to think this mess out first. You and Shoima'cha can mourn later."

"Then allow me to illuminate all of you further, Priscilla."

Eyes turned around as someone in a black gi stepped inside, a woman in a kimono slung over her shoulder. "Negako-san!" Kasumi gasped.

Negako gazed briefly at the Tendou siblings, and then she casually flipped her cargo off her shoulder, allowing the woman in the kimono to crash unceremoniously onto the floor. Following the ninjutsu grandmaster were most of the crowd from the Moroboshi home. "What the devil . . .?!" Cologne began before her eyes fixed on Souun's unmoving body, and then they widened in stunned shock. "Oh, Goddess . . . " she breathed out.

"Negako-sama, what happened to him?!" Yusa Rinko demanded after she took her own empathic "look" at Nabiki's father.

"A process the Hoofuku conceived of many years ago in hopes of their pressing a more successful campaign against our family, Rinko," Negako explained. "As you can sense, when it is employed against victims of a soulsword attack, it is fatally effective."

"Transforming a coma victim into a brain-dead, runaway killing machine," Cologne noted with a sneer. "Sickening."

Staring at the crowd around the fallen Hoofuku Akiko, Kasumi was quick to notice the VERY strong familial resemblance between Negako and an older woman currently standing between the ninjutsu grandmaster and the Nujiézú elder. And there was also a marked amount of physical similarity between that woman and the older woman in the kimono at Negako's feet. "Um, excuse me," Kasumi called out as she pulled herself away from Mutsumi, though she still held onto the Avalonian's hand. "Negako-san, who are . . .?"

Negako indicated Naho. "This is the daughter of Ataru's late grand-uncle Seinen, Kasumi. Her name is Hana Naho, although she currently lives under the alias 'Horikawa Nahoko.' She is the one who gave a blood sample to the Zephyrites to use to create this body for myself." The grandmaster pointed at her heart. "And this is Naho's maternal aunt, Hoofuku Akiko, elder sister to Naho's late mother, Jiko." Her finger swung over to indicate Akiko.

"So why did this woman turn Dad into a zombie to make him attack Onee-chan?!" Nabiki asked as she shifted herself in Priss' embrace.

Naho sighed. "For that, Nabiki-chan, I must apologize profusely to yourself and your family for what my relatives just did." She gazed ashamedly at the Tendou sisters as she continued, "My grandfather Reiji did not approve of Mother's marriage to Father whatsoever. This was at a time when the Hoofuku and the Tora-Seishin were at odds with each other in the wake of the end of the Greater East Asia War. My mother's family were viciously put down by my father's at the order of the Shoowa Emperor -- with the assistance of the Zephyrites, by the way -- to bring an end to decades of feuding between the various shinobi clans. Reiji didn't approve of that, of course, so he . . . "

"Had your parents killed off to punish them for their 'betrayal' of his family," Nabiki finished. "Thus forcing you into hiding."

"Hai," Naho replied. "Now, I don't know why exactly this happened, but I have no choice but to believe that your father was made to kill your sister at the instigation of Asagaya Isao. I think both of you know who that person is."

"Yeah, he's Auntie Nodoka's father," Nabiki spoke up. "He's been . . . " Her voice then trailed off as it hit her. "Oh, shit . . .!"

"You mean to say that this happened because Ranma-chan refused to become part of that man's family?!" Kasumi demanded.

"That is most likely," Negako stated before her eyes focused on Priss.

The Pathfinder blinked. "What?"

"You have a friend who is a law enforcement officer on your planet."

Priss gaped. "Lyna's Blessed Soul, how did you . . .?!" She then stopped herself before a barking laugh escaped her. "Damn, Negako-san, you ARE good!" With that, she reached up to tap the communicator affixed to her vest collar. "Priss to Tomo!" she called out.

"Yo, Priss!" the internal security officer called back. "What's up?!"

Priss smirked. "Tomo, how'd you like to get the chance to practice your interrogation procedures on someone right now?!"

Everyone was quick to note the excitement in Tomo's voice. "Who?!"

"A kimei'ne who just effectively murdered Tendou Nabiki's father."

A hum trilled over the link with the _Haengge'cha_. "Murder, huh?" Tomo mused. "I'll bring my stun-baton."

"Tricorder, too, Master Chief," Priss advised. "We need a scan of this perp so we can hunt down her father with the Rover in orbit over Welcome House right now. He's probably somewhere in the vicinity of Tokyo if not in Tokyo itself. When we find him, we beam him up and freeze him in mid-transport. I don't think he'll be much of a bother to you, Tomo, but I'm sure you don't want to mess up Yomi's ship along the way."

"Damn right about that!" Tomo replied. "If I even put a _scratch_ on this tub, Yomi'd make me sleep on the couch for a month!"

"I would, too!" Koyomi's voice then broke into the conversation. "What in Lyna's name happened anyway, Pri?"

"Tell you in a bit, Yomi. Get Tomo down here right away!"

"Hai!"

The link was cut. "Hey, what's going on here?!" Ukyou's voice then hailed from outside. "Kasumi! Nabiki! Where are you guys?!"

"In here, minna!" Kasumi called back.

Ukyou and Kumiko stepped inside, both then halting on seeing the prone form at the end of the room. "What the . . .?! Holy shit!" the chef gasped on recognizing Souun, and then she turned to Kasumi. "Kasumi, what . . . "

"It will be explained later, Ukyou . . . " Negako then perked as a ringing sound echoed through the house. "Ah!"

"Oh, MY!" Kasumi gasped as she looked up. "Is that a . . .?"

"Transporter," Nabiki finished.

Footfalls heralded Tomo's appearance, the Sagussan police officer dressed in her duty uniform. A telescoping stun baton was strapped onto her pistol belt at the small of her back, the holster at her right side filled with a PDP like Priss' own sidearm. A tricorder was in Tomo's hand. "Hey, everyone!" she hailed, and then her eyes took in the details. "Okay, there's the victim . . . " she muttered as she looked over Souun's body, and then she glanced down at the unconscious Akiko. "And that must be the perp."

Priss held out her hand. "Tomo."

The tricorder was tossed over. Priss snared it, and then she made a pass over Akiko's body as Tomo walked over to kneel beside Souun. The master chief warrant officer reached down to touch his face, and then she grimaced. "Damn! Total mind-wiping!" she hissed. "They sure don't get deader than this." She then stood, her eyes focusing on Kasumi. She blinked as Tomo's dark gaze seemed to bore right into her very soul. Kasumi then relaxed as Tomo lightly nodded before the latter turned away to walk over to Akiko.

"Are you alright, Kasumi-sama?" Mutsumi gently asked.

"I . . . " Kasumi then stopped before she stared at the Avalonian. "I just found it very odd, Mutsumi-chan," she said.

"About what?"

Kasumi waved at Tomo. "That I'd actually meet someone who looks so much like Takino Tomo-chan from _Azumanga Daioh_!"

Mutsumi smiled. "Soo na. I wonder if they have an Osa- . . . "

Priss and Tomo suddenly appeared before her, both shushing her. "_**DON'T CALL HER THAT!**_" both screamed out.

Mutsumi stared fearfully at them as the others exchanged confused looks.

* * *

"A-ri-ri?! Ayumu-chan, why are you crying?!" 

Aria, Mie and Makoto turned to gaze into Ayumu's tear streaked face. The group which had departed the _Windrider_ an hour before to retrieve the Genesis Wand of Parah had just passed through the Kuiper belt of a strangely dark solar system located five galactic spiral arms counter-clockwise from the branch of the Milky Way containing Earth. The master chief petty officer of the Sagussan Navy then sniffed as she looked down at Hinako. "Hinako-chan, I think . . . " she burbled, and then she hiccupped. "I think that . . . "

"What?!" Mie demanded.

Ayumu then cried out, "SOMEONE'S CALLING ME 'OSAKA' AGAIN!"

Makoto breathed out in relief on seeing that Ayumu wasn't flying totally off the handle on her saying that. Aria gazed confusedly at Ayumu. Mie jolted before she moaned, a hand flying up to slap her forehead. "YOU'RE CRYING OVER THAT?!" she then shrieked at the master chief petty officer.

"Mie!" Makoto hushed her.

"Why don't you like being called 'Osaka,' Ayumu-chan?!" Hinako asked.

"Because that kimei'ne I took my name from didn't do or say ANYTHING when everyone started calling HER 'Osaka,' Hinako-chan!"

A thoughtful look crossed Hinako's face as she considered that point. "Well, yeah! That's true, isn't it?"

"Hinako-chan?"

"Huh? What is it, Aria-chan?"

"Is that where Tsue-san is?"

Aria pointed ahead of them. Everyone looked as a four hundred million kilometre-wide spheroid, it composed of black metal which was barely lit by the faint luminescence from nearby stars, loomed before them. "Hina's not sure!"

"This is the place," Mie announced. "Welcome to the Planet of Shadows."

Everyone quickly took in the details. "It sure is big!" Hinako noted.

"Looks like that Dyson sphere the _Enterprise_-D encountered the day they found Scott-taisa," Mie added as she scratched her chin in contemplation.

"Ever wondered who built this place?!" Makoto asked.

"What made you ask that, Makoto?" Ayumu wondered.

The flightmistress sighed. "Ayumu, even with our technology, there's no way in Eternity that we could possibly try to equal THIS!"

She waved to the massive construct before them. "Yeah, that's true, isn't it," Ayumu mused before she rolled her eyes. "Then again, who in Lyna's name would want to enclose a STAR?! Stars need to breathe, too, you know!"

"True," Mie agreed with a nod.

"What do you think, Aria-chan?" Hinako asked.

The young Parisian hummed. "Aria doesn't see a door, Hinako-chan."

"Wait! There's a door!" Makoto announced, pointing to their right.

Everyone looked. "Ah, Hina sees it!" Hinako cried out. "Bou-san!"

_**Heading toward it now,**_ the Staff dutifully announced.

The energy comet performed a sharp right turn as it climbed up over the plane of the Planet of Shadow's equator toward a kilometre-wide circular hatchway located about thirty-eight degrees north of the equator. Everyone currently on this trip had been able to spot the entrance right away thanks to the Staff's enhancing their visual sight so they could find a door and get inside as soon as possible. While Ayumu remained fully awake at this time -- thus, she was able to keep Makoto alive and well -- even Mie knew of the Navy master chief's frequent bouts of narcolepsy. The sooner they got this trip done and the Genesis Wand of Parah was in Aria's hands, the better.

"Hinako-chan, can the Staff open the hatchway so we can get inside?" Mie then asked. "I don't want Ayumu to extend herself . . . "

_**I've detected a proximity sensor net over the entrance, Mie. The net will automatically open the door when we come in range.**_

"Um, Bou-san . . . "

_**What is it, Hinako?**_

The youngest sister pointed. "What's that sign say?!"

Everyone blinked, and then they looked. Sure enough, hanging from a metal arm on the right side of the entranceway was a green sign well over five hundred metres in height, it stylized like your atypical highway road sign. Scripted on it were what appeared to be some alien version of Mandarin character blocks. "That's Vosian!" Makoto declared. "Staff, translate that!"

_**Just a moment.**_

The air shimmered before everyone's eyes as the script on the sign seemed to transform instantly into kanji (complete with furigana for Hinako's and Aria's benefit) and kana. The people blinked before Ayumu read out the main phrase, "'Welcome to the Planet of Shadows.'"

"'Those wishing to invade, please use back entrance,'" Mie then finished, a tendon over her eyebrow twitching.

_**To be continued . . .**_


	20. 9th Part B: New Families

"Hmmm . . . Mizuho-chan?"

"What is it, Nodoka-chan?"

"Why is it every time we get together, we wind up naked as jaybirds?"

The lovely twenty-something currently straddling over Nodoka's legs burst out laughing before she continued to knead the muscles and tendons around the older woman's shoulders. "Maybe it's because I have such an animalistic sex appeal, you simply can't resist me!" Yamashina Mizuho slyly proposed as her fingertips dug into the flesh between Nodoka's spine and shoulder blades.

Nodoka laughed as she reached back to playfully swat her friend's hands. Both were currently in Nodoka's bedroom. They had shifted there from the furo after a long soak so that Mizuho could give the older woman a massage before they would go to bed. It had surprised Nodoka when Mizuho appeared at her front door late the previous afternoon, sometime after Nodoka had returned home from her meeting with her father downtown. Then again, given how close Saotome Nodoka had come to be with Yamashina Mizuho, the latter's surprise visits to Nerima had lost their real shock value long ago.

Besides, given what happened between Nodoka and her relatives over the last couple of months, she really needed a friend at this time. One she could confess ALL her problems to, hug and be hugged by when she needed it, whose shoulder she could cry on when it just became too much for Nodoka to handle. Hisayo, bless her heart, was quite wonderful, but there were some things Nodoka, to this day, didn't want to burden her twin sister with. Yamashina Mizuho, in a short space of time, had become Nodoka's perfect friend.

"Feel better?" Mizuho asked.

Nodoka moaned. "Much better. Has Nahoko-san been giving you lessons?"

Mizuho chuckled. "No, I learned this from someone else. I hear you've met her over the last couple of weeks: Moroboshi Negako."

Silence.

Nodoka looked up, her jaw dropping in shock. "You know Negako-san?!"

Sensing the surprise and underlying fear her friend was currently feeling about the grandmaster, Mizuho sighed as she slipped herself off Nodoka's legs, allowing the older woman to shift to her side so they could stare into the other's eyes. "Of course I know her." A smile crossed her face. "Surely you noticed the physical similarities between Nahoko-san and Negako-sama, Nodoka-chan. Nahoko-san was the one who allowed her body to get cloned by Ataru-san's friends so Negako-sama could have her own body."

Nodoka blinked. "Mizuho, why haven't you told me about this before?"

Mizuho sighed. "Nodoka, the last time we spoke to each other was back at the hotel in Onogawa, sometime before you found out the truth about your son's curse and 'Tendou Ranko.' Remember? We haven't talked since then. I never believed that a chance might come that you, much less Ranma-san, would ever get the chance to meet either Ataru-san or Negako-sama for that matter."

Nodoka considered that, and then she slowly nodded, a hand reaching out to rub the younger woman's thigh. One of the many things Nodoka had come to envy about Mizuho was her baby-soft skin. It had such a silky feel! It didn't take Nodoka long to conclude that ANY man would KILL to be able to touch skin like this. Why Mizuho's husband had divorced her, leaving her in Onogawa pregnant -- these days, Mizuho had a cute six year-old daughter, Kahori, who was constantly doted on by the all-female staff at the Hotel Kiraboshi -- all just to pursue some mad religious quest, Nodoka simply just couldn't understand. Still possessing model-perfect looks, the turquoise-eyed, raven-haired Mizuho would not be wanting for dates if she decided to get out there and find a potential stepfather for Kahori. That Mizuho often preferred to spend time with Nodoka, either in Nerima or whenever the older woman visited Onogawa for a couple days to take in the heated mineral waters at the Hotel Kiraboshi, had been one of the MANY mysteries surrounding this woman.

Still, in spite of all that, Nodoka REALLY needed a friend . . .

"I take it something's happened between you and your son."

Nodoka blinked as she interpreted Mizuho's comment, and then she nodded. Taking a moment to marshal her thoughts, she gazed on her guest. "Mizuho, could you tell me some things about Negako-san? Ranma told me yesterday that Jusenkyou had come to affect him a lot worse that was suspected. That he . . . " Here, Nodoka paused as a lance of pain warped through her mind as Ranma's harsh words at the old shrine over twenty-four hours before came back to her. "That my son is now mentally my daughter! But Father believes . . . "

Mizuho's tired sigh made her host go silent. While the manager of the Hotel Kiraboshi had never said any really nasty words to her friend about Asagaya Isao and the way he had treated Nodoka, Nodoka knew that Mizuho did not hold her father in high respect. "Your father thinks that Negako-sama must have done something to make Ranma-san believe that?" she wondered. At Nodoka's nod, Mizuho continued, "Nodoka, Negako-sama wouldn't EVER think of doing something like that. If there is one thing Negako-sama truly holds dear, it's the truth. The whole, unvarnished truth. If Ranma-san has come to discover that those pools in China did _that_ to her, believe me, it wouldn't have happened because of something Negako-sama did. In fact, I'm more than sure that Negako-sama must've done her best to help ease your daughter through that sort of change." Mizuho ignored the wince Nodoka made on the former's mentioning of Ranma, as the latter's "daughter" instead of "son." "Especially if Ranma-san has become friends with Ataru-san. If there's one group of people in the world Negako-sama loves dearly, it's Ataru-san and their sisters!"

Nodoka considered that as she sat up. "Yes, that's true, isn't it? Forgive me, Mizuho-chan. I don't want to get you into any sort of trouble with Negako-san, but Father is becoming pretty adamant on the idea of convincing Ranma-chan to be formally adopted into the clan."

"'Adamant' isn't the word I'd use in that case, Nodoka-chan. 'Fanatical' is more like it. Has he told you why he wants to do this?"

"Well, Genma's gone now . . . "

"But Ranma-san's Genma's son. That HAS to bother your father . . . "

A cell phone rang. Mizuho stopped, and then she breathed out. "Don't you just HATE that?!" she snarled before reaching over to yank the offending device from her skirt pocket. As Nodoka laughed, Mizuho flipped it open. "Moshi-moshi, Yamashina here!" she called into it.

As her friend heard the other end reply, Nodoka sat up, she reaching over to pick up a glass of water. She was about to lift it to her lips when Mizuho's shocked voice called out, "Ayano, if that's a joke, it's not the damned least bit funny!" Looking over at her friend, Nodoka tensed on seeing the pale skin and the look of shock on Mizuho's face. "Did Negako-sama confirm it?" the manager of the Hotel Kiraboshi asked. A pause as the other end -- it was Inaba Ayano, Nodoka knew, who was calling; the lovely sixteen year-old girl was one of the people who worked as full-time staff at the Kiraboshi -- answered, and then Mizuho nodded. "Yes, yes. I'm with her right now. Does Negako-sama think Kasumi-san and Nabiki-san could stand a visit from her?" Hearing the names of the elder Tendou daughters, Nodoka tensed further. Despite what had happened between Ranma and the Tendous, especially over the last couple of months, the former matriarch of the Saotome Clan of Nerima did care a lot for the daughters of the late Tendou Kimiko.

What had happened?

Finally, Mizuho nodded. "Hai, I'll bring her over. See you soon."

"What happened?" Nodoka asked as her friend closed the cell phone.

Mizuho sighed. "Tendou Souun is dead, Nodoka-chan. He was murdered."

Nodoka paled.

* * *

_**Lonely Souls  
**_By Fred Herriot  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**NOTE**: The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

* * *

**THE NINTH PART, "B" SIDE - NEW FRIENDS **

"I had the dream again last night, Mujanba."

Mujanba blinked, and then she gazed on Hinanba. Both hunters were in a pond about a kilometre from the grounds of the Crystal Palace, enjoying a pleasant mid-afternoon swim. Off in the distance, the other young hunters who had come with them to the Planet of Shadows to locate the Sceptre of Lecasur were also frolicking in the water, they enjoying the pleasant summer-like day. Varena was sunning herself on the shore nearby, though she was keeping a casual eye on the others to ensure nothing happened to them. Far overhead, large, non-reflective metal blocks, similar in proportions to the black monolith from _2001: A Space Odyssey_ -- but far, FAR larger in size -- were slowly circling around. They would soon move to form a solid wall between a good portion of the interior surface of the Dyson sphere and its captive sun, thus simulating night on worlds the Vosians were more familiar with. "What dream was that, Hinanba?" the brown-haired, hazel-eyed native of Colony Nine asked.

"The Voyager," Hinanba confessed, her hazel eyes turning down in shame.

Mujanba sighed. "Hinanba, you don't have to feel shame about dreaming of becoming one of the Maidens, you know. After all you've been through, you've got the right to dream things like that. Besides . . . " She nodded in the direction of the other hunters. "Your friends've had the same type of dream." She scowled. "And they were punished for it just like you were, I suspect."

Hinanba's jaw dropped as she ran a hand through her long caramel hair. "Really . . .?" she gasped.

"Yeah," Mujanba replied with a smile. "There are times I think the Mikado's ideas about the Special Hunter Corps aren't worth the antimatter needed to blow them up. Things would've been a lot easier if he had learned to relax the grip on society every once in a while." She paused as the smile slipped from her face. "If you ask me, I think things would've been a lot better if he had just done what was needed after the Ipraedies War, and then stepped aside and let civilian rule come back to the Confederation."

"He's not going to last long, is he?"

Mujanba breathed out. "Not really."

"Then why are we out here, Mujanba?"

"Well, when civilian rule DOES come back to Vos, someone is going to insist on having the Sceptre around to ensure that whoever sits in the President's chair won't have his or her legitimacy questioned," Mujanba mused as she sat on an underwater rock. Hinanba smiled as she glided through the water to sit beside her. "And if we do this right, we'll make sure that when the war is over, what survivors are there of the Hunter Corps will get justice for their sufferings." A pause. "War is the sum of all evils, Hinanba. The thing we always have to remember is that there'll be an 'after-war' phase. When that comes, it'll be too easy for people to slip through the cracks. And if you're associated with any of the atrocities that happen . . . "

"You're damned to Purgatory without hope of salvation," Hinanba finished.

"Right."

Hinanba sighed as she curled her legs closer to her. "That's why I want to be one of the Maidens." She gazed curiously on Mujanba. "Why did the Voyager stop finding new Maidens, Mujanba? I mean, all reports on it doing that stopped coming out some years before the rebellion began. Why . . .?"

The witch-hunter shrugged. "Maybe its primary mission is done. Maybe the Chosen One has already been found."

Hinanba considered that. "I still want to be one of the Maidens."

Mujanba stared at the younger hunter, and then she smiled as she reached over to draw a comforting arm around Hinanba's shoulder. Sensing that touch, Hinanba smiled as she leaned against the taller woman's shoulder. "You want to know something, Hinanba?" Mujanba then asked.

"Hmm? What is it, Mujanba?"

"There're times I wish I was a Maiden, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really!"

Both women laughed, and then Hinanba held up a finger. "I know! We'll go find the Voyager and become Maidens together, okay?!" she then proposed.

The laughter increased, and then Mujanba froze as her eyes began to glow. Hinanba noticed that, and then she tensed, her eyes sweeping around. "What is it?" she wondered as her tracking powers activated. "Is someone close by?"

"I'm not too sure," Mujanba whispered.

* * *

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI! THIS PLACE IS SO NEAT!"

"It is that, isn't it?!" Makoto stated as the energy comet bearing her, Hinako, Aria, Mie and Ayumu made a port turn after clearing the entrance into the Planet of Shadows, it levelling at thirty kilometres above mean interior ground level. She reached over to wrap an arm around her lover. "Ever imagine coming to a place where the horizon would go UP instead of DOWN, Mie-vayae?!"

"Not really!" Mie mused as she took her own look around. "The Rover reports on this place don't do it any justice!"

"Whoever created this place was NOT civilized!"

Everyone stared at Aria. "What do you mean, Aria-chan?!" Hinako asked.

Aria pointed. Everyone looked to see a familiar set of golden arches looming in the near distance. "There's a . . .?" Mie sputtered.

"McDonalds?!" Makoto finished.

Hinako looked, and then she sighed. "Aria-chan and hamburgers!"

"Aria does NOT like hamburgers," the Parisian, as proud of her native France's varied and deep culinary traditions as any Korean would be of kimch'i, pulgogi or naengmyoun, sharply declared. She then demurely smiled as she added, "Unless Shirayuki-chan makes them!"

"Hai!" Hinako agreed with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, it's a smart thing NOT to piss off the family chef," Makoto noted.

* * *

Back aboard the _Windrider_, inside the galley, the chef in question sneezed. "Are you alright, Shirayuki-chan?" Noa asked.

Shirayuki sniffed back the jarred mucus in her nose, and then she gave the Elder Mother and her bond-mate a reassuring smile. She had been working with Noa and Catty on preparing some snacks for everyone on the ship, in following the Sagussan weekend community tradition of Pang Manjok. "Hai desu no, Noa-chan," she said as she turned back to the bread rolls she had been making. "Someone must be talking about Hime right now."

"That's a weird belief," Catty mused as she put danishes into an oven.

"It's _their_ belief, Catty-vayae," Noa reminded the doctor.

"Hai, true."

Shirayuki giggled.

* * *

A worried look crossed Ayumu's face, one Hinako was quick to notice. "Ayumu-chan, are you okay?" the latter asked.

"Do you think Shirayuki-chan'll be mad if I don't eat her hamburgers?"

The youngest sister blinked. "Why?"

"Hamburgers give me an acid stomach."

"Well, it's not Shirayuki-sama's fault that you once tried to make hamburgers using ground nightlizard meat!" Makoto noted.

Hinako and Aria stared wide-eyed on the Sagussans. "You eat LIZARDS on Sagussa?!" the former demanded before her face screwed up. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!" She turned away from them. "That's almost as bad as someone eating dog meat!"

"Aria wouldn't even THINK of doing that!"

The Sagussans exchanged knowing looks. "Well, broiled nightlizard meat IS tasty," Mie fondly lamented as she gave Makoto and Ayumu a sly grin. "Then again, it HAS been a few years since I enjoyed it for supper . . . "

Hinako and Aria, in sync, tongues out: "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!"

"Mie, you're a meanie!" Ayumu scolded before she blinked. "Road sign!"

She pointed. Everyone looked to see another green road sign, this one as big as the "Hasei'cha," floating ahead. "What's that say, Bou-san?!" Hinako asked on seeing the Mandarin-like characters marking words in Vosian.

_**'Crystal Palace: 3000 kilometres,'**_ the Staff helpfully translated.

Everyone blink-blinked. "What sort of place is this, anyway?" Mie asked.

Makoto sighed. "It does make you wonder, doesn't it?"

* * *

"I got something."

"What is it, Kanba?" Mujanba asked as she moved to dry her hair.

Kanba, a grey-eyed blonde who was in the same class as Hinanba from the Mensohn School -- Nassur's alma mater -- shook her head. "Some sort of high-frequency energy reading. Signs of tachytron radiation, too. It's way off ALL the scales on this machine, Captain. And I'm picking up five humanoid life-forms. Two appear to be Terran. One Terran, although this one seems to possess some odd genetic modifications. One Yehisrite, also with odd genetic modifications. In fact, it's the same as her companion. And one . . . "

Kanba stopped, her face paling. "What?" Ryoonba, Kanba's pe'cha, asked.

Kanba stared on her crimson-haired, brown-eyed friend. "Yizibajohei."

The other hunters froze on hearing that word, they instantly starting to shiver. Even Mujanba and Varena were visibly perturbed. Despite the countless technological, social and cultural advantages their people had at their beck and call -- even after over three decades of devastating civil war! -- there was one planet in the whole galaxy people from Vos avoided visiting: Yiziba. That planet, chock-full of metahumans whose behaviour most often seemed a mad parody of what Terrans would consider "chivalrous," had consistently topped the Confederation's "avoid at all costs" first-contact lists since Unification two millennia before. If one of them was here on the Planet of Shadows, the whole mission to retrieve the Sceptre of Lecasur could be in jeopardy. Hopefully, Mujanba mused to herself, the Mikado would understand that; the four-century old Vosian dictator was, unfortunately, very well known for his considerable LACK of understanding when it came to things that had not succeeded.

"Three Terrans, a Yehisrite and a Yizibajohei?" Varena, a brown-haired, green-eyed azhis'f from Colony Nine, whose dusky skin was decorated with many rune-like tattoos, trilled as she closed her eyes. "Anything else?"

"Scanning." Kanba tapped controls on her machine. After a moment, she blinked as a particular reading came up. "All girls . . .?"

"Eh?" Pamanba, Hinanba's best friend, called out. "All girls?"

"Yes," Kanba replied. "The two pure-Terrans are very young. Before puberty, in fact. The altered Terran seems to be in her late teens. Ditto with the Y-yi-yiz-Yizibajohei," she stammered, and then she flashed an apologetic look at her companions. "The Yehisrite's in her early twenties." She shook her head. "Never seen readings like this before . . . "

"Wait!" Ryoonba called out, pointing to their east. "Is that them?!"

Everyone looked. Kanba nodded. "It's them. They seem . . . wait!"

"They're landing at the Palace?!" Mujanba demanded. "But why . . .?"

* * *

"Crystal Palace, dead ahead!" Ayumu pointed.

Everyone breathed out in relief as the enormous crystalline construct -- it instantly reminding Hinako and Aria of the many episodes of _Sailor Moon_ both had watched time and time again, especially the stories concerning Crystal Tokyo -- began to grow larger in their vision. "Staff, can you teleport us inside so we can get our hands on the Genesis Wand right away?" Mie asked. "The sooner we get this done, the better. Especially for you, Mako-vayae."

"Sorry," the flightmistress apologized.

_**I would strongly recommend against that, Mie,**_ the Staff responded. _**The composition of the Crystal Palace's walls is of a neutronium-like material that could haze some of my abilities. And given Ayumu's frequent bouts of narcolepsy, I don't believe you want me to risk doing that, and thus place Makoto in mortal danger. The best avenue of approach for us is to contact the lone sentient I now sense within the Crystal Palace and explain the situation to him. He might be willing to assist. If you ask him nicely.**_

The Sagussans exchanged looks. "There's someone living here?" Mie asked.

"Who could it be?" Ayumu wondered.

"Let's find out!" Hinako beckoned.

Everyone gazed on the youngest sister, and then they nodded. With that, the energy comet descended to the grassy lawn around the Palace. The whole of the property was surrounded by dense forest, with some lakes and small, tree-shrouded hills stretching out as far as the eye could see. Outside of the vast crystalline structure -- from Hinako's viewpoint, the Crystal Palace seemed to be large enough to swallow up all of Promised Island several times over! -- before them, there was no sign of any sort of habitation, save for what appeared to be an oversized, open-air car parking lot two kilometres off to their west. None of the people from the _Windrider_ could see the small Vosian starship sitting there at that time; the surrounding trees did a very good job of masking its presence, even from Makoto's sharp eyesight. Yes, the Staff DID sense the small group of Vosian women standing close to a lake between the parking lot and the Palace, but it wasn't concerned. Its controller and her companions were worried too much about Makoto's health to concern themselves about that. Besides, if things did get out of hand, the Staff certainly had enough power to deal with them if Hinako asked it to.

Five pairs of feet touched down on the lawn about fifty metres from the Palace's front doors. As everyone took a deep breath of the clean air, Aria walked forward to gaze on a more normal-sized road sign standing to the right of the path leading to the main entrance. "Hinako-chan, what does that say?" she wondered as she pointed to the sign. "Aria can't read that."

_**Just a minute . . .**_ the Staff called out in their minds.

Everyone blinked as the air before their eyes hazed over for a moment. The Staff then projected a hologram that transformed the Vosian characters into Japanese, again complete with furigana over the kanji. "'Welcome to the Crystal Palace,'" Hinako read. "'No campfires, littering, wild parties, feeding the animals or karaoke singing allowed.'"

"'Documentary film crews must phone ahead,'" Aria continued, blinking. "'By order of the Keeper.' Hinako-chan, who's the Keeper?"

Hinako scratched the back of her head. "Hina's not sure . . . "

"He's got to be the person the Staff sensed inside this thing," Mie said.

"First contact time, then," Makoto declared. "Let's go, people."

Hinako cheered. "Yay! We're gonna make a first contact!"

She then stopped, blinking. "Hinako-sama, what's wrong?" Makoto asked.

"Um, Makoto-san, what's a 'first contact?'"

Makoto face-faulted! "Haven't you ever seen _Star Trek_?" Mie wondered.

The youngest sister then nodded. "Oh, Hina understands now! Haaaaaai!"

And off they went to see the Wizard . . .! _Ahem!_ The Keeper.

* * *

"Strange," Varena mused, her eyes glowing as she focused her tracking powers on the crowd hundreds of metres away. "I can only pick up two brainwave patterns. The two little ones, I think. I can't sense any of the others."

Mujanba did her own sweep with her powers. "Neither can I. The Yehisrite I can understand, but the Terran and the Yizibajohei, too?" It had been long known that Vosian tracking powers couldn't lock in on the brainwave patterns of a Yehisrite. "This is too odd," she muttered to herself.

"Major?"

The older hunters relaxed themselves as they turned to watch Hinanba and Pamanba walk up. The younger hunters had dressed in their duty uniforms, the black cygnet insignia over their left breasts confirming to all who saw them which side in the Vosian civil war they were on. The other hunters in the group were still getting dressed from their swim in the pond.

"Ready?" Varena asked as the younger hunters gave her a salute.

"Willing and waiting," Pamanba replied.

"Okay, then," the major said with a nod as she pointed towards the Palace. "Go in, keep out of sight and observe. Don't make contact with these people. We don't know the situation about them. If they're of a different level of technology and culture as we -- especially if they might be more ADVANCED than we are -- any mistake you make could come back to hurt us badly. You were all drilled in these procedures at school. Remember them."

"Yes, ma'am!" both younger girls chanted.

"Get going!"

With salutes, Hinanba and Pamanba were off. Mujanba and Varena watched them before exchanging a look. "You think they're ready for something like that?" the former asked. "None of these girls are exploration specialists."

"True," the latter replied. "But they have to learn that sort of thing, Mujanba. Could you imagine what things'll be like for girls like them when this war's over and no one in power'll trust them with anything important?"

"Good point."

* * *

"Ah! There's a doorbell!"

The Sagussans blinked as Aria walked up to press the button beside the Palace's ten-metre high main doors. "This place has a doorbell?!" Makoto wondered as a beautiful chime echoed through the dark crystal doors.

"What type of person lives here, anyway?" Mie asked.

Aria stepped back as the bell's echo faded. Silence fell over the scene as everyone waited for someone to answer it. After a moment, Hinako turned to gaze on Aria. "Aria thinks Keeper-san might be ill . . . "

The doors then snapped open with a _WHOOSH!_ of nearly gale-force winds, they kicking up a storm of dust, dirt and shredded grass. The Staff raised a force-shield around Hinako and Aria as Ayumu grabbed Mie and Makoto to hold them fast against her sides. As the wind died, a thunderous voice then bellowed out, "_**LOOK! I TOLD YOU GIRLS TO COME BACK TOMORROW!**_"

Everyone looked to see a spry-looking Terran-like man, he appearing to be in his mid-sixties, standing at the doorway. Dressed in a flowing blue robe, he had sharp brown eyes and grey hair with beard and moustache. A gnarled cane, as tall as he, was in one hand. To the Sagussans, he seemed to remind them of their Daimon'cha. Why was that, none of them could truly understand.

The angry look on his face melted into confusion as his eyes focused on Hinako and Aria. "Who are you?!" he demanded as he gazed on them.

"Ah, gomen nasai, Ojii-san!" Hinako spoke up. "Hina and everyone else came here to get Tsue-san to help Makoto-san!"

"Please, Ojii-san?" Aria added, she giving him her patented, starry-eyed, **cute as a million kittens romping with toilet paper down the stairs** look.

The Keeper blinked in confusion. "'Mister Wand?!' What are you talking about, girl? There's no 'Mister Wand' here. The only thing that's here is the Sceptre of Lecasur." He then sighed. "Honestly, why can't the Vosians ever make up their damned minds about that old thing . . . "

"Um, with all due respect, Amon'cha," Makoto spoke up after she gave the Keeper a sincere bow. "If what I've heard of the Sceptre of Lecasur is true, it and our Genesis Wand of Parah -- 'Tsue-san' as Hinako-sama and Aria-sama prefer to call it -- are one and the same thing."

The Keeper's eyes widened, and then his eyes locked on the windrider-embossed jumpsuits Ayumu and Hinako were wearing. "Oh, you're from Sagussa!" he then declared before his eyes locked on the five wreaths-of-laurel rank insignia on Hinako's lower arms. "Wait a minute . . .!" he muttered before he turned to Makoto. "Is THIS your Daite'cha?!" he wondered, pointing at Hinako.

The Sagussans fell flat on their faces! _**Not exactly,**_ the Staff spoke into everyone's minds. _**It is Hinako's and Aria's brother, Moroboshi Ataru of Earth, whom the Daishi'cha of the Fifth Republic have elected as their Daite'cha and initial Daimon'cha. We have come here to retrieve the Genesis Wand so Aria may become its controller. May we proceed?**_

The Keeper blinked, and then he stared at the device in Hinako's hand. "You already have one of these things and you actually need ANOTHER one?!"

Hinako blinked, and then tears started to well in her eyes. "But if we don't get Tsue-san, Makoto-san will die, Ojii-san!" she burbled.

The elderly man jerked as the youngest of Ataru's sisters started to sniffle. Then a "Kusun!" escaped the other of Ataru's sisters as tears started to flow down her cheeks. As Hinako and Aria turned on the waterworks, a look of blood-chilling FEAR crossed the Keeper's face. Watching him from behind their Daimon'cha's sisters, the Sagussans could only give him sympathetic looks. Finally, when it seemed that Hinako and Aria were about to loose all control over themselves, the Keeper waved his hands. "_**ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT ALREADY! YOU WIN! YOU WIN! YOU WIN! CUT IT OUT WITH THE TEARS! YOU CAN COME IN! YOU CAN COME IN! CUT IT OUT! CUT IT OUT!**_"

Hinako and Aria cheered. "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

"I feel sorry for the man," Makoto whispered to Mie.

"Don't argue with success," the latter hissed back.

"Right."

* * *

Minutes later, Hinako and Aria stepped inside the Crystal Palace, they following its lone resident. At the Keeper's insistence, the Sagussans would remain on the lawn while their Daimon'cha's sisters went in to get the Genesis Wand. After the main doors had closed, Mie stretched herself before she turned to gaze on Makoto and Ayumu. "I don't think this is something Ataru-kun would want to have happen to Hinako-chan and Aria-chan," the pilot then noted.

"Don't worry about it, Mie," Ayumu assured her. "They'll get Tsue-san!"

"Yeah, they better!" Makoto ruefully mused.

"And who's fault was that?!" Mie wondered as she stared on her lover.

Makoto winced as she gazed remorsefully at her would-be bond-mate. "You're not going to leave me alone about that, are you?!"

"No, I'm not. As soon as Eluza gets finished busting you to the bilge tops and Patty tans you a new hide for wrecking her Gladiator, it's MY turn!" She thumbed to herself, and then an icy smile crossed her face. "And I have the perfect punishment," she added, she holding up a finger.

Makoto twitched, a sweat drop pouring down her hair. "Wh-wh-what . . .?"

"Handfasting," Mie declared.

Makoto jolted. "SAY WHAT?!"

"You heard me, Mako-vayae. Just like they do it in Canada now."

"AWK!"

"By an intergalactic justice of the peace."

"URK!"

"OR a Sensualist priest from Zeiwan or a Dowe'on priest from Ipraedos!"

"ACK!"

"Including a wedding dress. For YOU! I'M wearing the tux!"

"GCK!"

"Yay!" Ayumu cheered. "Mie and Makoto are getting married!"

Mie nodded in triumph. Makoto shuddered before she sank to her knees. "Lyna, take me now!" she moaned under her breath.

* * *

"Oh, Hina understands now! It's a funhouse maze!"

The Keeper sighed. It had taken him and Ataru's sisters a few minutes to get to the start of the maze that would lead Hinako and Aria to the Sceptre of Lecasur. "It's not your normal funhouse, girls!" he sagely warned with a raised finger. "I had to hire a few experts from all around the galaxy to make sure that not just ANYBODY can get at that old thing. Not that I don't mind visitors, but given how powerful the Genesis Wand really is . . . "

Hinako nodded understandingly. "If some baka-baka came along and woke Tsue-san up, it'd be really, really, really bad, right?"

"Right," the Keeper confirmed. "It's a damned thing that no one on Vos, not even Lecasur -- and he was the smartest man from that planet that I've EVER met! -- figured out what the Wand could do if Horan hadn't disabled the damned thing in the first place. Now, you girls be VERY careful! And watch out for traps; they're spread out all over the place."

Hinako and Aria nodded. "Hai!"

As both walked through the gateway into the maze, the Keeper's foot fell on something that made a sharp _crack!_

A second later, a tanuki statue brained him!

* * *

"There're only three!" Hinanba hissed. "What happened to the other two?"

Given the intensive physical training that had come hand-in-hand with the years of training in the psionic disciplines that made both Pamanba and Hinanba experts in the Dali'lama School of kari'fu, it hadn't taken the two hunters long to sprint the nine hundred metres from where they had been swimming to the edge of the forest surrounding the Crystal Palace grounds. Using macro-binoculars, the Vosians were able to get a good look at the three girls now standing by the Palace's front doors. It didn't take either of them more than a second's use of their tracking powers to note that the women yonder were the three that Varena and Mujanba couldn't sense. "I can't pick up the others," Pamanba mused as she did a sweep of the grounds. "Could they have gone in?"

"I don't know," Hinanba replied as she focused her attention on the women by the doors. "The Keeper was adamant on the idea of us returning tomorrow morning so Major Varena and Captain Mujanba could go in to get the Sceptre."

"Who do you suppose these people are, anyway?"

"Your guess is as good as mine . . . wait!"

Both tensed as the girl in the short-sleeved blue jumpsuit with the red trim and boots turned, she unintentionally presenting the two young Vosians with a clear view of her front. And of the red bird-like insignia that framed the deep "W" cut that showed off a considerable amount of teenage cleavage from the collar right down almost to the navel!

Seeing that phoenix-like sigil, Hinanba visibly paled as she remembered the pictures she had seen of a great starship from a planet unknown to Vosian authorities right to this very day -- and of a golden version of that very insignia that had been painted on the flanks of that great ship's main hull.

A starship she had constantly prayed would one day come and take her away from the living Purgatory that was the Mensohn School.

From the horror of her "graduation" exercise, where she had been made to kill a half-dozen street kids said to be rebel spies.

From the daily abuse from sadistic instructors and upperclassmen that eventually drove Hinanba to become addicted to kookyuu, a mental depressant that helped her forget -- even for a small time -- the blood that had drenched her soul for as long as she could remember.

From the degrading sex she had been forced to engage in when Bujosur, then the personal administrative assistant to the Corps' commander Furusur, had learned of her kookyuu addiction and seized it, transforming Hinanba, Kanba, Ryoonba and three others into his own personal hit squad/harem.

Even when Bujosur had been assigned to another group by Furusur -- when Hinanba and her friends had been taken under the wing of Mujanba and Varena, the Corps' elite hunters, thus increasing their survival chances considerably -- the dreams of that magical place beyond the stars still haunted her.

"The Maidens," Hinanba whispered. "They're the Maidens."

* * *

"Hello, Nodoka, Mizuho."

"Negako-sama!" Mizuho breathed out in relief as she bowed respectfully to the grandmaster of Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjutsu-ryuu. She then turned to accept Inaba Ayano's embrace. "Konban wa, Ayano-chan! Where's Nahoko-san?"

"Doojou," Ayano replied as she gave Nodoka a look. "Tread cautiously."

"What about Kasumi-chan and Nabiki-chan?" Nodoka asked as she looked around the grounds of the Tendou home. "What about Akane-chan?"

"Speak to Nahoko first."

Nodoka shuddered as the chill in Negako's voice warped through her. Staring at the ninjutsu grandmaster, Ranma's mother fought down the urge to visibly shake in the former's presence. At the same time, as Mizuho's words on the subject came back to her, Nodoka was struck by the resemblance between Negako and the woman Nodoka knew as Horikawa Nahoko, the owner of the Hotel Kiraboshi. She then blinked on feeling Mizuho's supportive hand fall on her shoulder. As a wave of calm then surged through her body, Nodoka gave her friend a nod before both headed into the Tendou grounds. Negako watched her, and then she blinked as Ayano's hands fell on her shoulders.

"Who's side will she take, Negako-sama?" the raven-haired, blue-eyed Avalonian who possessed the Niphentaxian name "Yua dai-Tythya" asked.

A light smile crossed Negako face as her hand reached up to gently grasp one of Ayano's. "That depends on what Naho tells her, Ayano," the grandmaster replied. While Negako didn't mind the suffix "-san" applied to her name, hearing "-sama" almost grated on her as much as being called "Sensei!" Then again, Ayano lived under considerable pressure by her sister Avalonians to treat Negako as one worthy of the most profound respect. The fact that Ayano was willing to bow to that peer pressure was one of the things Negako found quite annoying about her would-be lover. Still, there was something about Ayano's shows of doting affection that struck Negako in a way she didn't really comprehend. "Will Naho give Nodoka the benefit of the doubt concerning what just happened? Or will she condemn Nodoka to lose Ranma forever?"

Ayano hummed as she leaned her chin on Negako's shoulder.

* * *

"Hello, child. Do come in."

"Elder!" Nodoka hailed, bowing to Cologne. "Why are you here?"

Cologne nodded toward the kneeling Naho, who was relaxing by the doojou's shrine. Glancing around the structure she had last been in just before she had moved back to her own home, Nodoka was quick to note that it still required repairs. She then stared at Naho before she blinked on noting that the other woman's kimono -- Naho had changed into the more formal wear sometime after she had made her appearance at the Tendou home -- had been partially undone, although she was keeping the flaps of the dress wrapped close to her. Quickly sensing that the owner of the Hotel Kiraboshi was in fact a friend of the Nujiézú elder's, Nodoka nodded before she knelt in front of Naho. "It's good to see you again, Nahoko-san," Nodoka greeted her with a bow. "But . . .?"

"What on Earth am I doing here?" Naho finished.

Nodoka jolted before she covered her mouth to hide her smile. Naho's ability to sense out what other people were thinking seemed almost magical at times. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Ranma's mother nodded. "Hai."

Naho sighed. "Very well. Before I answer that, I should give you a very profound apology, Nodoka-san." She bowed her head before her hands moved to pull apart her kimono to expose what was underneath. "And show you this," she added on displaying the string-like bikini she wore.

Nodoka's breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell on Naho's lower abdomen -- and the criss-crossed lines of ugly scar tissue which extended all the way up from her crotch to past her navel, scars that the latter's bikini briefs barely hid. Taking a moment to absorb that awful sight, Nodoka then turned up to gaze into Naho's pain-filled eyes. "What happened to you?" she asked in a hoarse whisper, her hand rising towards her mouth.

Naho closed her kimono. "Again, I am sorry that I had to show you that, Nodoka-san. Were this situation not as dire as it can potentially become, I would've been less straightforward." A pause. "But this, I must tell you now, Nodoka-san: _You_ have a very stark choice to make this evening. It is this: You either side with your daughter -- and yes, I know what's happened to Ranma-chan because of Jusenkyou, so I WILL call her your daughter instead of your son -- or else you side with your father and forever lose a chance of any sort of reconciliation with Ranma-chan. And you better pray to whatever gods you worship that Ranma-chan doesn't decide to declare a blood-feud against the Asagaya Clan for what happened this evening." Seeing Nodoka pale, Naho grimly added, "Because if she DOES do that, Nodoka-san, I promise you that not only would your relatives AND YOU face her and her sisters, you will ALSO be facing the Moroboshi-Hana Clan, the Nujiézú and our many other allies overseas." A pause. "Do you understand me, Nodoka-san?"

Nodoka blinked several times as the full meat of Naho's words sank into her mind, and then she whispered, "Blood-feud . . .?"

"Yes," Naho replied with a stern nod, and then she sighed. "You know, Nodoka-san, you share many qualities with my late mother Jiko. The most profound of those, I'm afraid to say, is the fact that, like you with Saotome Genma, my mother was effectively forced into a shotgun wedding with her husband, my father Seinen, when her passions got the better of her and I was conceived. However, you were lucky. All Isao . . . " -- Nodoka was quick to sense the torrent of scorn Naho expressed on her saying that name -- " . . . did to you was banish you from your birth-family and, save for some financial support to ensure your silence, he tried to effectively cut you off from all your relatives, even your twin sister. What my maternal grandfather, Hoofuku Reiji, did to my family as a result of my birth was a lot worse." She paused before taking a deep breath. "You just saw what Reiji did to me in punishment for my very existence. You can guess what he did to my parents."

Nodoka's jaw dropped as the weight of THAT statement sank in. "Nahoko-san . . . " she gasped, her voice barely audible in the doojou.

"Naho."

"Eh?"

"That's my real name," Naho explained. "'Horikawa Nahoko' in an alias I've been forced to use over the years to keep me hidden from Reiji. My real name is Hana Naho." A pause. "If you've been watching television recently, you can probably guess what my relation to Moroboshi Ataru might be."

Nodoka blinked as stunned recognition dawned on her. "'Hana' is the maiden name of Ataru-kun's grandmother, isn't it?" she asked.

"Hai," Naho replied. "Nagaiwakai was my aunt, my father's older sister."

"I see," Nodoka breathed out. "Naho-san, what's this all about, anyway?"

Naho took a deep breath. "The answer to that ultimately leads back to the woman you know of as 'Moroboshi Negako,' Nodoka-san. I look on Negako-chan as the daughter I never had. Even though, in one sense of the term, she's FAR older than I am." A pause. "This all started shortly after the end of the Greater East Asian War, Nodoka-san. You probably know what things were like in Japan at that time. The country almost totally in ruins, under occupation by the Americans. The members of the Black Dragon Society who led us into that stupid war in the first place being hunted down and punished for their crimes. The very FUTURE of Japan being called into very strong question.

"To the many shinobi clans that were active during that time -- the Hoofuku being one -- it was a once-in-a-lifetime golden opportunity. Here was a chance to regain what the Meiji Restoration had taken away from them. Even more, in fact. There was such an underlying rage in the hearts of so many at the time. So many of the cultural beliefs we had taken for granted for so long had been shaken up so badly, people just didn't know what to believe, who to trust, where they could entrust their futures, their destiny. Add to that was the fact that for the first time in memory, Japan had actually SURRENDERED to a foreign power. A power that had humiliated the Emperor, forced him to reject his divine connection to the gods, and seemed to be working hard to bring down everything that had made our society what it was.

"So they began to disrupt and destroy everything they could get their hands on. Ferment a civil war that Japan had NEVER seen before. Take down everything that could have opposed them. The zaibatsu. The surviving militarists. The supporters of State Shinto. Traditionalists who were determined to maintain the pre-war social order at all costs in the face of the ideals the Constitution the Americans were forcing on us might ferment. Even more, the shinobi leaders knew that once the Americans came to see that their rebellion could create the nation MacArthur-gensui and Truman-daitooryou envisioned of post-war Japan, the chances were there the Americans would've told them, 'Go ahead.' And they would've turned their attention elsewhere.

"You know, thinking about it now, it might've actually done us all a lot of good had that sort of civil war happened," Naho then mused as she gazed at the doojou's ceiling. "After all, we live today in a society chock-full of complete hypocrites. Where we openly profess to believe in peace and harmony with the rest of the world, yet we wouldn't BEGIN to think of fully and properly apologizing to the Koreans, the Chinese and everyone else for the atrocities OUR soldiers unleashed on them during the war. Where we profess to believe in social equality and yet we punish three million of our citizens just because their ancestors were burakumin, to say ANYTHING of how close we've become to destroying all of Ainu society and our constant denial of basic rights to those of Korean ancestry living here in Japan."

Naho sighed, a shrug rolling her shoulders. "Unfortunately, it didn't happen. And it didn't happen for the simple reason that the Shoowa Emperor -- for whatever HIS reasons -- decided that the shinobi rebellion would've made him look like a liar in front of Truman-daitooryou and MacArthur-gensui. After all, in 1945, the Emperor gave his word that Japan would surrender and that the nation would be at peace. If the shinobi launched their civil war, well . . . " A chuckle escaped her. "We wouldn't be at peace then. Wouldn't we?"

"What happened?" Nodoka asked.

"Well, wasn't it fortunate at that time that the matriarch of the ONE clan whose loyalty to the Imperial House had remained solid and steadfast for well over thirteen centuries . . . " Here, Naho paused. "Had just made contact with an alien race known as the Zephyrites?"

Silence.

"Nagaiwakai-sama . . . " Nodoka whispered. "The Tenchiaiki Juukazoku."

"Exactly," Naho confirmed with a nod. "Here was the perfect opportunity to put the shinobi down once and for all. And do it in such a way that would ensure that there could be NO chance of a future rebellion. Well, it happened." A pause. "But some ultimately escaped."

"Your grandfather," Nodoka quickly concluded.

"Exactly. And because of that, my parents were murdered in bed and I wound up being unable to bear my own children. To say ANYTHING of the fact that I've been forced to hide under an alias all these years." A pause. "Fortunately for me, Reiji is a lunatic. And he wants to survive so he could gloat at all of those who had stood against him. That means that he could never contemplate launching an attack on my aunt in Rishiri-tou. After all, the Zephyrites had a missionary colony there. And Reiji learned very much how vicious the Holy Inquisition of Zephyrus could be when it comes to dealing with 'heretics' threatening the life of someone they anointed as a Righteous Gentile, the highest honour Zephyrites can bestow on outworlders. And since he was a lunatic, Reiji never came close to finding me even though I was practically hiding in plain sight up in Onogawa." A pause. "But then, one day, he decided to go after a different prize."

Nodoka considered that for a moment, and then she blinked. "Negako-san?"

"Negako-chan," Naho confirmed with another nod. "A thousand years of martial arts knowledge, collected together into a living non-corporeal database that could be accessed as easily as someone logging onto the Internet if they had the right equipment. The fact that Negako-chan was, in the end of it all, a sentient being who deserved of her own life . . . " She made a dismissive wave with her hand. "Well, to Reiji, that didn't matter. But with Negako-chan under their control, the Hoofuku would've succeeded in dealing with those who had tried to destroy them in the past. INCLUDING those stupid aliens who stuck their noses into something that wasn't their own business."

Nodoka breathed out, "Your grandfather's a monster!"

"Yes, he is. But he can be a very charming monster when he needs to be, Nodoka-san. And that's where your father got involved. Look at the situation. Your daughter, whom Isao wanted to force under his thumb all because he wanted to take away the last heir of Happoosai, the man who once seduced his wife, your mother Nana, long ago. And she was becoming very close friends with the last living host of the Saikoo Jinseijitsu. Moroboshi Ataru, Moroboshi Nagaiwakai's last living grandchild and potential heir.

"And because of that, Ranma-chan was able, once and for all, to free herself of EVERYTHING that had weighed her down because of her father, you and everything else that had mucked with her life for so long. And, as I'm sure Negako-chan told you, Isao didn't want that at all." Naho wagged her finger. "Oh, no! No! No! No! NO! That just wasn't right! After all, Saotome Ranma was NEVER given the right OR the ability to think for herself! It went against the laws of the Universe! It had to be STOPPED, after all!

"So Reiji offers Isao an interesting solution. Why not ferment mistrust between Ranma-chan and Ataru-chan? And how to do that? It was easy! Just turn Tendou Souun into a runaway killing machine so that he could kill off people Ranma-chan loved dearly. And if it was done right, Ranma-chan would have believed that she shouldn't ever trust the Moroboshis again. What might have happened afterward? Well . . . " Here, Naho shrugged. "Reiji isn't one for long-term thinking, but the conclusion seems quite obvious to me."

Staring at Naho, Nodoka felt a horrid chill warp through her as the implications of THAT began to sink in. Her gaze then lost its focus as her eyes turned down towards the doojou floor. Kneeling beside and behind her friend, Mizuho instantly tensed as her empathic powers quickly locked in on Nodoka's feelings. Sensing a growing pit of despair blossom deep within her friend's heart, Mizuho squeezed her eyes shut before she turned to give Naho a questioning glance. Noting that, Naho shook her head before she gave Mizuho a warning glare in return. Seeing that, Mizuho squeezed her eyes shut once more as she swung her head away, tears starting to glisten in her eyelashes.

Nodoka didn't take notice of that silent communication between Naho and Mizuho, but Cologne did. Peering intently at Mizuho, the elder's eyes then widened. _Another one?!_ she thought as she gave Naho a glance, and then she turned back to stare at the Avalonian calling herself "Yamashina Mizuho." _And she appears to love Nodoka. How interesting . . ._

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Nodoka took a deep breath. "Thank you for telling me this, Naho-san. Excuse me, please."

With that, she rose, bowed respectfully to Naho, and then she walked out of the doojou. Mizuho remained in place as Nodoka went, and then she surged to her feet to follow. "Stay here, Kaili," Naho then whispered, she raising her hand. "There's nothing you can do now to help her."

Mizuho, created ten years before as Kaili bedai-Tythya, spun around, her eyes flashing with murderous rage as a growl entered her voice. "Do you begin to realize what you just DID to her, Naho?!" she snarled a syllable at a time.

"I did," Naho replied. "If you're concerned about your would-be lover taking the suicide option because she can't choose between her daughter and her father, don't be. There are others involved. And besides, you should've been able to sense the bioroid factory hovering in orbit as we speak."

She pointed straight up. Mizuho stopped, and then she yelped as a hand landed on her shoulder. Spinning around, she then froze in place on staring into a tanned face pierced with burning crimson eyes, framed with brown hair and decorated with a musical note-and-dagger tattoo by the right eye. Taking that in, she then blanched, and then she paused as the other woman touched her lips with a fingertip. The newcomer then asked, "Do you love her?"

Mizuho blinked several times before answering, "More than my own life."

"Then let's go. We got some work to do." The newcomer then tapped her communicator. "Yomi, this is Priss. Two to beam up."

"Right," another voice called over the comm link.

Cologne blinked as she watched Mizuho and Priss disappear in a sparkle of what just HAD to be a transporter beam; the elder knew her _Star Trek_, too. "And what's THIS all about?!" she demanded as she turned to gaze on Naho.

Naho stood up, she moving to adjust her kimono. "I think Nabiki-chan can answer that. But let's let her cool off before we ask."

Cologne nodded. "Good point."

* * *

The doorbell pealed. "Hai! Just a moment!"

The door to the upscale apartment, located in Jinguumae, between Harajuku and Aoyama in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward, opened to reveal a smiling Asagaya Hisayo. "Hai?!" she called out before her eyes focused on her visitor. "Um . . . "

"Please forgive me for disturbing you, Hisayo-sama," Catty Ray greeted Nodoka's sister with a bow. She was dressed in a ruffled blouse, mid-thigh skirt and zip-up rider boots. The lack of a bra was quite evident to Hisayo.

Taking in the lovely lavender-haired woman with the odd gold eyes, Hisayo then said, "Um, forgive me for asking, but . . . "

"Am I an alien?" the android-turned-bioroid finished. "Hai, I am."

"You must know Moroboshi Ataru then."

"No, I've not yet had the privilege of meeting Ataru-sama, but my bond-mate Lufy and my sister Catty have met him," Catty Ray replied. "However, it is not because of Ataru-sama that I've come to see you, Hisayo-sama." She then paused as she considered something, and then she said, "Well, ironically, it actually IS because of Ataru-sama that I have to see you, Hisayo-sama! Specifically, it's because of Ataru-sama's growing relationship with your niece, Saotome Ranma -- and what might happen to Ranma-sama if your sister Nodoka succeeds in carrying out a VERY foolish and illogical act of atonement this evening -- which has forced me to come see you this evening."

Hisayo's eyes widened, and then a scowl crossed her face as the meat of her visitor's words sank in. While she had no proof about her sincerity, a voice deep in her mind told her Catty Ray was speaking the whole, unvarnished truth. And she had just called Ranma her "niece." That implied this strange yet very polite alien girl knew something that only Hisayo and Nodoka -- plus most likely Moroboshi Ataru and the other members of his family -- knew.

"Let me get my coat," she advised before walking to the closet where she kept her coats. "How long have we got before Nodoka-chan slits her throat?"

"She has just left the Tendou family grounds, walking back to her home," Catty Ray explained as Hisayo slipped on her jacket and a pair of shoes. "We believe that as soon as she returns to her home, she'll proceed at once to terminate her own life. We still have time."

Hisayo grimaced as she locked her apartment door. "It'll take too damn long to get there by the subway and a taxi," she muttered.

"Allow me, then," Catty Ray offered as she gently grasped Hisayo's hand, her other tapping her belt-mounted communicator. "Energize."

Seconds later, the hallway before Asagaya Hisayo's apartment was empty.

* * *

"Thanks for letting me use the shower, Karen-chan!"

"It's alright," Karen absently mused as she watched the star field whip past. The _Hasei'cha_ was keeping even pace with the _Windrider_ at a distance of two hundred metres; Karen knew the _Kiboo'cha_ was doing the same thing on the other side of the barque. Narrowing her eyes, she focused her attention on an observation gallery on the warpsloop's upper hull. Two people were standing there. Blinking, she reached over to her nightstand as Seiko walked out of the bathroom, totally naked save for the towel she was using to dry her hair. Opening the drawer, Karen smiled on seeing a pair of macro-binoculars, just like the pair Ataru had in his cabin, sitting there. "I guess Onii-chan thought of everything when he had this ship rebuilt for us," Karen stated.

"Here, let me show you how to use them," Seiko announced.

After a quick set of instructions, the pianist put the binoculars to her eyes so she could see who was in the gallery on the _Hasei'cha_. "Ah, it's Spea-san and Amy-san!" Karen then announced before her cheeks started to colour. "Oh, dear . . . " she breathed out.

"What?" Seiko asked as she returned to drying her hair.

Karen lowered the binoculars. "They weren't wearing any clothes."

"Well, that's to be expected," Seiko noted. "They've been an all-female society for over ten thousand years, Karen-chan. The idea of public nudity must be as totally irrelevant to the Sagussans as it would be to the Vosians."

"Vosi- . . .?" Karen then nodded. "Oh, Nassur-san's people!"

Seiko was quick to sense her host's understandable reaction to the expat Vosian hunter. "Handsome, isn't he?" she asked.

"Hai, he is that!" Karen admitted as she put the binoculars away. "But he's too rugged for my tastes. I'd prefer someone like Onii-chan."

"Which Onii-chan?"

Both laughed. "Hai, that's true, isn't it?" Karen mused as Seiko wrapped a towel around her, and then walked over to sit beside her host. "I mean, Onii-chan -- well, Ataru, I mean -- he's more like what I'd want. Much that I am happy that Kaeru-oniichan's alive and okay, but . . .! Well . . . "

"The idea of him being so logical turns you off, doesn't it?"

A nod. "Hai. I mean, it's not Onii-chan's fault, but still . . . "

"It's alright. Besides, it's not as bad as you might think. Some of the Great School actually made contact with the Nagussans not so long ago. They may act very logical on normal occasions, but when they're alone with someone they love . . .! Oh, my!" she breathed out. "It can get pretty hot and heavy at times! All we have to do now is find some way to convince all of Naromo-san's people about what they really are, de-sterilize them, and then lock Kaeru-san and Naromo-san in a room somewhere." She then raised her finger. "Preferably one with a king-sized waterbed in it. And no condoms in sight."

Karen giggled. "We'd all become aunts soon enough," she then said before a knock was heard at the door. "Hai!" she called out.

"It's Hime!" Shirayuki announced as she walked in, a tray full of warm buns in hand. "Hime brought some Pang Manjok barely rolls."

"Plain?" Seiko asked.

"Iie desu no!" the chef assured her as she put the tray down. "Hime put lots of cinnamon and cane sugar in them to make them really sweet."

"Arigatou, Shirayuki-chan," Karen thanked her sister.

As Karen and Seiko picked up a roll to nibble on them, Shirayuki quickly withdrew to give them time alone, closing the door behind her. Seiko watched her go before she moved to nibble on the roll. The sweet taste exploded in her mouth, she grinning with delight as Karen took her own bite. "These are great!" she muttered. "I wish I could cook as well as this."

"Yeah, it would've saved you a lot of trouble, especially after your lollipop helped turned Onii-chan into twins that one time."

"You girls would've loved that, I bet."

"Hai!" She then sighed. "Seiko-chan, I don't hate you. None of us do."

Seiko stopped, and then she sighed. "After what I did . . . "

"You made mistakes," Karen assured her as she reached over to give the Nendo-kata's shoulder a friendly squeeze. "And the biggest mistake of all was that you didn't try to _diagnose_ the problem with Onii-chan. You just charged forward and _punished_ him . . . "

"I had no right to do that!"

"But who was there to tell you otherwise?" Karen asked.

"These days, I wish SOMEONE had done that!" Seiko stated, and then she turned to gaze regretfully on Karen. "It's a pity that Negako-san didn't decide to come back earlier and set Darling's memories straight . . . oh, say right after Tag Race One instead of Tag Race Two. It would've saved us all a lot of trouble in the long term." She then looked down, she then adding, "And maybe it would've saved Ranma-san a lot of trouble, too."

Karen sighed, nodding. "Hai, that's true, isn't it?" She then took another bite of the roll in her hand. After swallowing it, she then gazed once more on her guest. "You still love Onii-chan, don't you? You'd marry him still if you got the chance, wouldn't you?"

"Hai," Seiko replied with a nod before one of her hands drifted to rub her tummy. "Even though I'd never be able to bear Darling's child in this body. I can only mate with other women, even after I've Crossed Over."

"That's pretty unfair, isn't it?"

"Damn right it is."

"Would you want a surrogate co-parent for your baby?"

Seiko shook her head. "No. We really don't believe in that sort of thing. Even with us, you need two to tango. And once you tangoed, you have to stay together to ensure the child grows up loved and cared for in a COMPLETE family. To do otherwise . . . " She shook her head again. "No, that's not our way at all. I couldn't think of doing that to my child."

Karen nodded as Seiko took another bite. "But you still love Onii-chan."

"I'll love him to the day I slip into the Black Ocean and become one with the Cosmic Chain of Life," Seiko vowed.

"Would you want to become my girlfriend?"

Seiko jolted, and then she spun around to stare at her host. "Karen!"

The pianist laughed. "Gomen nasai, Seiko-chan! I didn't mean to shock you like that!" She then took a deep breath before she gave the Nendo-kata a knowing look. "But that WAS you on Monday, wasn't it? When we were at the Tower pool swimming after shopping at Esmerelda's?"

"Chikage-san said you were pretty sensitive to empathic probes."

"Hai, Chikage-chan told me that a long time ago. I've always remembered that." A pause. "It didn't take me too long to suspect who it might have been that made me feel that when I was at the pool. Onee-chan confirmed it for me that night." Here, Karen took a deep breath before she reached over to gently grasp Seiko's hand. "I'm very flattered by your interest in me, Seiko-chan."

"You deserve it, Karen-chan. You are very beautiful."

"Really?" Karen's cheeks reddened further. "Arigatou."

The Nendo-kata then sighed. "Still, I don't think it would really work out between us. There're my feelings for Darling. And even after finding out what I have about Ranma-san and what Lufy did . . . " She shook her head. "I still love him, Karen-chan. I'd die for him if it had to come to that." She then turned once more to stare at her host, her eyebrow arching knowingly. "And there're your feelings for Darling, too."

Karen blinked, and then she nodded. "Hai, that's true."

They gazed at each other, and then Karen leaned up to give Seiko a chaste kiss on the lips. Seiko blinked as the sincerity of that contact surged through her, and then she reached over to draw Karen into her embrace. They remained together for a moment, and then Karen pulled back, she extending her pinkie to the Nendo-kata. "Friends?"

"Forever," Seiko vowed as she linked her pinkie with Karen's.

They kissed again, and then Karen stood. "Why don't you get some sleep, Sei-chan? We're still over an hour away from this place and I want to ask Lufy-san if we can find some way to contact Mie-san or Ayumu-san to see how Hinako-chan and Aria-chan are doing."

"Thanks," Seiko replied as Karen moved to leave. "Ka-chan?"

"Hai?"

"It's your bed, too."

Karen smirked. "Etchi!"

Both laughed as Karen stepped through the doorway. Seiko remained still for some time after the door closed behind the pianist, and then she sighed as she shifted over to gaze out the window at the "Hasei'cha." Sure enough, Spea and Amy were still in the observation gallery, they currently in each other's arms and sharing very wet kisses. Smiling enviously as she empathically took in the bloom of love emanating from the warpsloop's combat officer and coxswain, Seiko then moved to slip under the covers.

"Darling," she whispered as she closed her eyes.

* * *

"That could easily become a problem for us in the future."

Karen stopped, and then she looked over to see Chikage reclining on the bulkhead by the door leading to the pilotage. "Sei-chan, you mean," the pianist mused as she stood beside the sorceress, clasping her hands behind her back. "I don't think I could ever feel that for her, Chikage-chan."

"True," Chikage agreed. "I doubt any of us could feel that way to her, especially after we got a taste of how much hers and everyone else's actions against Ani-kun had come to hurt him in the long term, memory loss or no."

Karen scowled as THAT particular memory of the time immediately after Ataru's arrival on the Island flashed past her mind's eye. "Hai, that's true," she breathed out, and then she shrugged. "Still, we should try to do something for Sei-chan. But what CAN we do, Chikage-chan?"

Chikage considered that, and then she smirked. "There is a possibility."

She gazed on Karen. The latter blinked as she considered what her sister just said, and then her eyes widened as it hit her. "You mean . . .?" she began before her voice faltered as she considered that fact. Seeing Chikage nod, the pianist breathed out, "We can do that, can't we?"

"If Ani-kun'll go along with it," Chikage warned.

Karen nodded.

* * *

"Ah, Negako-san! Konban wa!"

Negako blinked before she gazed over her shoulder to see six girls from Tomobiki, all of them having dressed in casual clothes before they came to Nerima, standing close to the main gate to the Tendou property. "Shinobu," she returned Shinobu's greeting, and then her eyes sharply focused on Momoe before an icy smile crossed her face. "I see Ataru had to use extreme force to deal with one of your kidnappers, Momoe. I assume you have come here to consult with me about the emotional after-effects of that event."

Momoe jolted as the grandmaster's words washed through her, and then she gave Negako a look as her eyebrows twitched. "What on Earth are you anyway, Negako-san?" she demanded. "Sherlock Holmes? How can you tell all THAT?!"

"She's the Earth Angel," Ayano, who stood at Negako's side, replied, and then she gazed on her. "Ne, Tedai?"

Negako sighed. "Ayano . . . "

"You're an Avalonian, aren't you?"

Eyes spun around to gaze on Sawada Minako, who was standing beside Shinobu. "ANOTHER one?!" Sakiko demanded as she turned to gaze on Ayano, an ironic smile crossing her face. "Sweet Blessed Mother, how many of you actually got away from those devil-shark Niphentaxians?!"

"Hopefully soon, we'll ALL get away from them," Ayano asserted. "Right, sister?" She winked knowingly at Minako.

Seeing that, Shinobu began to fluster, her cheeks reddening. She then stopped as she thought about it. Why had she felt THAT way about Ayano winking at Minako? Minako wasn't her girlfriend, for Heaven's sake! Was she . . .? "Right," Minako replied before she gazed at Shinobu. "Shinobu-chan. All Avalonians call each other 'sister' on first meeting."

Shinobu jolted. "Eh?! Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized.

Embarrassed laughter then escaped her. "Well, I will say this, then," Ayano observed. "You have EXCELLENT taste in potential bond-mates."

Minako jerked before her cheeks reddened. "Um, th-thanks . . . "

Shinobu's own blush deepened as her classmates began to snicker. "You're trapped now, Shinobu!" Ryuunosuke then asserted.

"Ah, we have more guests!"

"Ah, Kasumi-san, konban wa!" Momoe hailed as Kasumi walked up to join them, and then she blinked on seeing the tense look on the elder Tendou daughter's face. Momoe had never met Kasumi before, but she had come to know a lot about the older woman thanks to her long association with Nabiki. To see Kasumi look like THAT in PUBLIC was almost unheard of. "Kasumi-san, what happened?!" she then asked. "Are you alright?!"

Kasumi blinked, and then she gave Momoe a weak smile. "No, I'm afraid I'm not really alright. We had an incident here . . . "

Sakiko tensed. "What sort of incident . . .?" she began before her empathic powers locked in on the people inside. Her eyes then glowed as she did a quick telepathic scan before she winced. "Oh, Mother . . . " she breathed out. "My sympathies, Tendou-san."

"What?!" Kumiko demanded.

"Kasumi's father is dead."

Eyes locked on Negako. Kasumi gave the ninjutsu grandmaster a grateful smile before she turned away, heading back towards the house. "What happened?" Momoe asked before her eyes scanned around the yard. "Where's Nabiki, anyway?! Did something happen to her?! What . . .?"

"She is well," Negako stated in a voice that quickly dampened Momoe's panic about her friend. "Nabiki is currently engaged in some necessary stress-relief, allowing all the frustrations and anger which have built up inside her since her mother's death vent themselves out finally. Given recent events, the target of Nabiki's anger may not surprise you in the long run, but it will most likely offend your sensibilities, Momoe."

Momoe blinked as she took in Negako's words, and then she broke away from the others, racing to the patio. "Momoe-chan, wait!" Kumiko cried out as she moved to follow, and then she yelped as Negako's hand caught her wrist. "Hey!" she cried out. "What're you . . .?"

"Momoe understands Nabiki in ways you do not, Kumiko. Do not interfere."

The others just stared at her. Meanwhile, Momoe had stopped herself just before turning to walk into the Tendou sitting room, a sense of trepidation arcing through her. She had never come to visit her friend at her home before; whenever Nabiki had wanted to see Momoe about business, the two always met either in Tomobiki itself or at the coffee shop on the border between Tomobiki and Nerima. Taking a deep breath, she then moved to step inside when her hearing detected a faint sparking noise. Pausing to consider what could be making that sound, she then squared her shoulders and marched in. She then stopped on seeing what was there, instantly wishing she had stayed put.

"Nabiki . . . "

Nabiki jolted before spinning around to see Momoe standing nearby. In her hand, the energy tip starting to burn a hole in the wooden floor of the sitting room, was Tomo's stun-baton. Seeing the electricity sparking around that device, Momoe was instantly convinced that it was powerful enough to even stun Rei in tiger-bull format. But it was what was lying beside Nabiki that caused a surge of bile to rise up in Momoe's throat.

She had never met Tendou Souun, but she had heard enough descriptions of the man to recognize him. Even if he was currently a corpse, a bullet hole of some sort in the chest, with deep burn marks scorched across his face. Burn marks that had to have come from the weapon in Nabiki's hand. Momoe then focused on Nabiki once more. Seeing the tears in the middle Tendou daughter's eyes, Momoe's revulsion vanished in an instant as she raced over to sweep her friend into a comforting embrace. Nabiki didn't resist her as the stun-baton fell away from her hands to clatter on the floor near Souun's leg. A second later, a hand scooped up the weapon and deactivated it.

Momoe blinked as Tomo straightened herself, the Sagussan calmly stowing her weapon on her utility belt. The latter sighed as she gave the former a knowing look, and then she tapped her left wrist-bracelet. "Tomo to Yomi."

"Yomi here," came the reply.

Tomo gazed on Nabiki. The latter nodded. "Set transporter on maximum particle dispersal. Beam this hunk of stormwalker dung outta here."

"Right. Energizing now."

A transporter beam carried away Souun's body. Momoe watched it vanish, and then she stared at Tomo. The internal security officer took a deep breath. "On our planet, Marubeya-san, child abandonment is a capital crime."

With that, she walked out of the sitting room. Momoe watched her go, and then she gazed into Nabiki's tear-streaked face. "Nabiki, what happened?" she gently prodded as she reached up to massage the other girl's cheeks.

Nabiki blinked several times. "Count yourselves very lucky, Momoe-chan."

"Eh?"

Nabiki then blinked before she breathed out. "It's a long story."

"We've got all night," Momoe advised her.

Nabiki considered that. "Yeah, we do, don't we. Let's get out of here."

With that, the two walked out of the room.

* * *

A pair of hands crossed Mizuho's face to cover her eyes. "Guess who?!"

The manager of the Hotel Kiraboshi gasped. She spun around to find herself gazing at what appeared to be a pointed-eared, teenage version of Sakurambou Sakura standing there. Blinking several times as she took in the other's measure, Mizuho then squeaked, "Otako . . .?"

"Been a long time, sister," the replica of the high priestess of the Hegane Sect, Otako odai-Meinyak, noted with a wagging finger.

Mizuho blinked several times as she took that in, and then with a delighted laugh, she rose from her chair to sweep Otako into her arms. Watching this from nearby, Priss could only smirk before she turned back to gaze on the two active gestation chambers in this part of the Avalon bioroid factory. "I take it you know this lovely lady, Kaili."

Mizuho chuckled as she wrapped an arm around Otako. "We were created at the same time, Priss-san," she explained. "The odai-Meinyak, in whose image Otako here was created, wanted an 'older sister' figure to play with while she was growing up." She then tensed on feeling a wave of intense sadness warp through her skin from Otako. Staring at the raven-haired woman, Mizuho then closed her eyes. It was easy to figure out. "When?" she asked.

"When the ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh seized control of the factory using the spirit-energy of many of those who were killed in Lumukyou," Otako replied. Since he was the founder of the Church of Lum, Oogi was accorded the highest name ranking among Niphentaxians, though both Priss and Mizuho were quick to sense that Otako really wouldn't care if Oogi either lived or finally died. "He was powerful enough to even overcome the influence of a controlling orb from the Milky Way 'Curses 'R' Us' Management Organization my other-self found in some rubbish heap near Uru sometime after I was first activated. With that, he seized control of the factory and blasted us off from Phentax Twelve . . . "

"And when that happened, the whole planet got turned into an asteroid field, killing everyone who was alive on it," Priss finished. Sensing Otako's surprise, the Sagussan smirked as she crossed her arms. "I originally came here with some friends of mine to obtain a bioroid body for a companion android who'd achieved full sentience and wanted to be fully organic. When we checked out the Phentax system, we saw what happened."

"It didn't matter, anyway," Otako observed. "By the time the ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh came to the factory, my other-self's orb had succeeded in completely subverting the living spirits of every Invader on Phentax Twelve."

"Where'd it exactly come from?" Mizuho asked.

"An friend of Lum's family, the Lady of the Oak Forest Asteroid," Otako answered. "When Lum was born, invitations were sent out to all of the Invaders' friends to attend the christening and baby shower. The invitation to the Lady of the Oak Forest was lost. She took it personally, and then she created a curse to ensure Lum would never know true love. For some reason, when my other-self found it, the curse's power grew out of control." She bowed her head. "What happened after the ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh came . . . "

"Was a mercy-killing," Mizuho finished. "I grieve for you, sister."

"Thank you," Otako replied, and then her eyes focused on Priss. "We've all noticed what one of your co-workers did for us when you last came here. You're lucky that the ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh is so obsessed with destroying the 'Great Evil,' he hasn't had time to devote himself into making sure that none of us can seriously rebel against him." Her eyes turned down. "Still, as long as Gloriana remains locked away in the main computer core by the ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh, we can't hope to free ourselves from his control."

Priss blinked as she took that in, and then she closed her eyes as she considered what options there were for the Avalonians. She knew "Gloriana" -- that was a slurred version of an ancient Kyre'sha phrase, _glorgh-anghya_ ("the Divine One who beholds all of Creation") -- was the name given to the central controlling conscience inserted into the factory by the people who launched Project: Avalon fourteen millennia ago. "Do you have any DNA samples left from the time the Project was started?" she then asked.

"All gone," Otako replied. "They were destroyed as soon as the Invaders were able to figure out how to keep Gloriana from reasserting full positive control over the factory. None of us dares try to do anything like that."

Priss hummed. "What about DNA samples from Lum?"

Otako blinked. "Lum?" She shook her head again. "They're gone, too. The ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh deleted them from memory."

"No doubt, to ensure his precious 'goddess'' memory remained as pure as possible," Mizuho added, and then she peered at Priss as the Pathfinder's ultimate idea finally came to her. "Priss-san, who could we use as a physical template for Gloriana's new body, then?"

"Ataru's out; he's the 'great evil' in Oogi's eyes and that's that. Izumo Seiko is out since her body's based off three of her friends from Tomobiki. We can't use Miyake Shinobu since she's considered a 'sinful doubter' . . . " Her voice then trailed off. "Hey, wait a minute . . . " she whispered before she snapped her fingers. "She's perfect!"

"Who?!" Otako and Mizuho demanded in sync.

The Pathfinder flashed them an icy smile before she tapped her communicator. "Priss to Yomi. I need Tomo for a job."

"Can I help?!" a high-pitched voice then demanded over the line.

Priss blinked. "Chiyo?!"

* * *

The Mizunokooji estate was well lit in the early evening as two people in kimonos walked through the beautiful gardens close to the main residence. It had thoroughly annoyed Mendou Shuutarou that, almost as soon as he had returned to his home from being rescued from Elle, he had been packaged off and delivered to the front gates of his fiancée's home just to spend some "quality time" (his father's words) with Mizunokooji Asuka.

But, in the end, it WAS family honour that forced him to agree to come here. And besides, Asuka was, despite her quirks, delightful company. Even if they WERE currently being shielded from potential outside problems by half of the Kurotenshi, the Mizunokooji Clan's in-house troop of young, gorgeous female bodyguards whose quite revealing uniforms -- polo shirts, leather ties, hot pants, leather knee-high boots and shooter's glasses -- were just as ubiquitous as the Kuromegane's three-piece suits and dark Ray-Bans.

"Onii-sama, are you alright?"

Mendou jerked on hearing Asuka's question, and then he flustered as he gave her an apologetic look. "Gomen ne, Asuka-chan," he said, he reaching to give her hand a squeeze. "I'm still bothered because of today's events."

"Okaa-sama told me about that Elle woman," Asuka said. "I was afraid she'd put you into her awful refrigerator, just like she tried to do when you first met her!" She then reached over to wrap her arm protectively around one of his. Fortunately for the young heiress of the Mizunokooji sports empire -- not to mention her fiancé -- Asuka had been given a lot of tips from her classmates at Keppeki Girl's Junior High School about how to deal with a man she cared for. "I'm just glad that you're safe again, Onii-sama."

"So am I," Mendou confessed before a blank look crossed his face.

Asuka did not notice as his eyes turned once more to the starry night. That was good, for the young scion of Japan's richest family had a lot on his mind. And the primary thing that was bothering Mendou Shuutarou was a man whom he dared not mention to his fiancée, even if, as it seemed these days, Moroboshi Ataru would not succumb to the disgustingly lecherous behaviour that had so frightened Asuka in the past. Of course, Mendou really couldn't bring himself to believe that his hated rival had truly changed, had evolved away from his idiotic past. But the evidence of the last two weeks, especially the events on the _Rose Emperor_ earlier, were strongly shouting otherwise.

To believe . . .

Moroboshi had KILLED!

What was worse, he had killed a WOMAN!

Worst of all, he had killed demonstrating the same general lack of emotion one might express when one squashed a cockroach!

And if he had done that . . .

What could happen next?

Indeed, what WOULD happen next?

And how could he, Mendou Shuutarou, react to it?

What indeed . . .?

"Eh?!"

Mendou jolted as Asuka's grip on his arm tightened considerably, he instantly coming to a stop. Looking at Asuka for a second, he then followed her line of vision to a point in the path five metres ahead. Seeing what was presently sitting there gazing at them with dark eyes, Mendou's jaw dropped to the ground in shocked disbelief. "What on Earth . . .?" he demanded as his mind tried to wrap around that image. "A tiger . . .?"

Saying that, the scion of Japan's richest family immediately dismissed that description of the odd-looking, beige-furred feline up ahead. While the beast was indeed about the same size as a Siberian tiger, it had the lanky leanness of a North American cougar. Atop that, there were snake-like muscular appendages sticking out from both sides of the beast's neck, just beyond the curve of its jaw. And that did NOT take into account the huge, furred, bat-like wings sticking out from behind its shoulder blades. Even folded against the creature's side, the wings could at LEAST span ten metres from tip to tip if they were extended. And the long tail that was currently curled against the beast's forepaws ended in a diamond-shaped flat pad of flesh similar to a beaver's tail. Realizing instantly that this creature could simply NOT be from Earth, Mendou tensed himself as he drew his katana from under his kimono. "Asuka-chan, stay behind me . . . " he warned his fiancée.

"Don't worry," a female voice called out. "Tadakichi won't hurt you."

Everyone blink-blinked several times as a slender woman dressed in the light green-and-gold of a Sagussan civilian medical officer moved out from behind the feline. Seeing her, Asuka's jaw dropped as she instantly recalled a certain manga series a classmate of hers had shown her -- and of its lead star. "Chiyo-chan . . .?" she gasped as she pulled away from Mendou.

Mendou blinked. He knew a little bit about _Azumanga Daioh_ -- while he didn't partake in reading that form of common entertainment, he had heard a lot about various popular series at school -- so he understood the reference. But attaching the name "Chiyo" to this strange woman was pushing it. In Azuma-sensei's manga, Mihama Chiyo was a child genius that had been promoted straight into first-year high school from fourth-year elementary school, which made her ten years old at the start of the series. The woman Asuka just called "Chiyo" had to be eighteen, if not twenty! And she certainly had the body to back up such an assertion, given the very nice pair of breasts that seemed almost ready to burst free from her oddly-cut jumpsuit top, to say AHYTHING of a body that rivalled Sakura-sensei's in general shape, plus she standing as tall as Asuka! Further, while the woman WAS wearing her dark caramel hair in the ponytails the manga character had, Mendou knew Mihama Chiyo did NOT have tapered ears!

"Close enough," the newcomer asserted as she pulled her hand away from the alien beast beside her, and then she bowed, clasping her hands together in a splayed-finger prayer-like gesture. "I sincerely apologize for disturbing your time together, but I've come here to speak to you about something of great import." Her eyes fell on Asuka. "Asuka-san, how'd you like to be a . . .?"

"WHO IS THIS?!"

Everyone screamed out in shocked surprise as Chiyo and her companion spun around to stare into a matronly woman's face frozen in a perennial smile. As usual, she was draped in a flower-embossed kimono. "Okaa-sama!" Asuka gasped.

Mizunokooji Saeko quickly focused her starry eyes -- a feature she shared with both Asuka and her son, Tobimaro -- on the intruder. "WHO IS THIS?!" she hotly demanded before blinking wildly as Chiyo drew out a scanner from her first aid bag -- no Sagussan doctor or nurse ever left home without one! -- to pass it over her face, the device chirping. "Eh . . .? What are you doing?! Why are you waving that thing in my face?!" she demanded.

Chiyo hummed as she drew her scanner back to examine the readout on her medical tricorder. "Oh, my!" she breathed out. "I never thought I'd ever see a case of facial palsy quite like yours, Saeko-san. Have you ever had a chance to see a neurologist to be treated?"

The iron-willed matriarch of the Mizunokooji family shuddered as outrage billowed from every point on her body, and then she screamed out, "_**I AM NOT DISEASED! NOW, WHY ARE YOU HARRASSING MY DAUGHTER AND HER FIANCÉ . . .?!**_"

"_**DOUBLE CHOP!**_"

A pair of clasped hands came down HARD on Saeko's head, driving her into the walkway. Seeing that, Mendou dodged in front of Asuka, partially drawing his katana at the same time. Multiple hands then gripped his arms and legs. A glance over his shoulder revealed that ALL of the Kurotenshi were hiding behind him, they fearfully gazing on the black-and-blue dressed woman who just knocked down their employer with ONE BLOW! "Young Master! Protect us, please!" Makige Kinko, the Kurotenshi's wavy-haired leader, wailed.

"Tomo!" Chiyo screamed out. "You didn't have to hit her THAT hard!"

"Hey, it ain't MY fault this perp was threatening you!" Tomo yelled back.

Staring at her, Mendou blinked, his jaw dropping. "It's you!" he gasped as he pointed at the Sagussan internal security officer. "You're the one who was on the _Rose Emperor_ when Seiko-san and Sakiko-san came to rescue us!"

The scion of the Mendou fortune found himself staring at a monster with blazing eyes and a battle aura that would scare the bejeezus out of Saotome Ranma! "_**WHO GAVE A MORON LIKE **_**YOU**_** THE RIGHT TO CREDIT **_**THOSE**_** TWERPS WITH SAVING YOUR SORRY ASS FROM ELLE?! IT WAS ATARU-SAMA AND HINAKO-SAMA WHO SAVED YOU, NOT ANYONE ELSE! AND DON'T YOU EVER FORGET THAT! GOT ME?!**_"

Mendou and Asuka screamed as both leaped behind the massed Kurotenshi to get away from that horrid vision. "TOMO!" Chiyo yelled. "JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE FROM A TOGHMOGHBIKI DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO GIVE THEM HEART ATTACKS!"

Tomo reverted to normal as she glared at her friend. "It ain't MY fault THIS kimei'aidoei acts like such a fool when it comes to Ataru-sama, Chiyo!"

The doctor paused as she considered the internal security officer's words. After a moment, she nodded in agreement. "Yes, I suppose that's true!" A disapproving glare was then sent Mendou's way. "His behaviour when it came to Ataru-sama DID leave a lot to be desired!"

"WHAT?!" Mendou cried out. In a flash, he lunged over to grasp Chiyo's hands. "Miss, you MUST reject Moroboshi . . .!"

An ear-splitting roar then sent Mendou scrambling away from Chiyo as the animal she called "Tadakichi" leapt to his feet to stand between them, spreading his wings out in a threatening posture. The doctor sighed before she drew out a handkerchief to wipe her hand down. Seeing her do THAT, Mendou froze in paralysed shock as Chiyo turned to Tomo. "Honestly! The man simply can't respect any choice a woman makes, can he?!" she muttered.

"Yeesh! Tell me about it!" Tomo replied before she thumbed the still-dazed Saeko, the derision she felt for Asuka's mother flowing in torrents from her voice. "And to believe this dipwit actually wants to force her own daughter into marrying the stupid twit!"

Chiyo sighed. "Well, what did you expect from a woman who raised her daughter in total isolation from all men for FIFTEEN years?!"

Hearing that, Tomo started, and then she turned to peer intently at Asuka. "Yeah, that would explain why is it she's so darned afraid of guys these days, huh?!" The internal security officer then snapped her fingers as she gazed on the doctor. "Sounds like child abuse to me!"

Chiyo blinked, and then she sighed, a sweat drop pouring down her hair. Even if she WAS a doctor, she had no skill when it came to trying to curb Tomo's mood-swings. Only Koyomi seemed to have any luck doing THAT! Besides, given what she knew of Mizunokooji Asuka's history, it was easy to conclude her mother WAS ultimately responsible for the girl's androphobia, regardless of what or who finally triggered it and then forced it into such an acute state. And Saeko and her husband honestly that Asuka was fit to marry Mendou Shuutarou when she obviously had next to no real control over her physical strength?

Terrans were SURE strange people, weren't they?!

Oh, well . . .!

"Hai, it's child abuse!" the doctor then muttered as she waved Tomo off, the tiredness in her voice quite apparent. "Have fun!"

Tomo jolted. "Really?! You mean it, Chiyo?!"

"I said it, didn't I?"

"YA-HOO!"

The internal security officer whipped out her stun-baton, flicked it on, and then went to work. Seeing what Tomo was doing to their employer, the Kurotenshi remained frozen in place. Mendou was also frozen stiff, his eyes spiralling from Chiyo's sharp show of rejection. As Saeko's pained screams echoed across the property, Chiyo tiredly turned to Asuka. "Gomen nasai, Asuka-san!" she apologized with a bow to the young heiress. "I only wanted to ask you to be a hero, but my friends insisted that Tomo come along with me!"

Asuka blinked. "A hero . . .?" She pointed at herself, her eyes widening. "You want me to be a hero, Chiyo-chan?"

"Hai."

Asuka blinked again, and then she nodded. "Okay!"

Hearing that, Chiyo beamed.

* * *

"Just what do you think you're doing, Nodoka?"

Nodoka gasped as that question echoed in her ears, and then she spun around to see someone standing in the entranceway of her home. She blinked several times as her mind tried to interpret who it was. As realization dawned, Ranma's mother shakily turned away from Hisayo, her eyes focusing on the tantou before her. A sheet of expensive paper, a calligraphy brush and ink well were off to one side, ready to be used when Nodoka would compose her farewell poem. She was draped in her most formal kimono, the flaps around her collars pulled a bit away to expose her neck; for the wives of samurai, it wasn't the abdomen that was ripped open when one committed suicide. Blinking as it dawned on her why Hisayo had come to see her, she then sniffed back tears. "Don't stop me, Onee-chan. Please . . . "

"Oh, I'm going to stop you, alright!" Hisayo growled as she kicked off her shoes and stepped into the living room to drop herself down in front of Nodoka. Though it was possible for the latter to snare the tantou before the former could grab it and toss it aside, Hisayo did nothing of the sort. Nodoka's sense of manners wouldn't allow her to act that way, even in a situation like this. "I'm damn hell gonna stop you from making the most stupid mistake of your life, Nodoka-chan!" She blinked as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "You're my sister, damn it! And there's no way that I'm going to allow my sister to kill herself, especially for something idiotic li- . . .!"

"'IDIOTIC?!'" Nodoka shrieked. "Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane are ORPHANS now! And they were killed by Naho-san's GRANDFATHER . . .!"

"I KNOW THAT!" Hisayo roared back. "I just got told the whole damned story!" She waved to the doorway. Catty Ray was standing outside waiting for Hisayo to call her in; Nodoka's sister had a communicator on her shirt collar.

"Then you know why I have to do this!"

"Tell ME, then!"

Nodoka shuddered as Hisayo's glare bored into her. "Onee-chan, when she finds out what happened to Souun tonight, Ranma-chan could possibly go all the way into declaring a BLOOD-FEUD against Father and our whole family!"

"And what's so damned wrong about that?!"

"Onee-chan!"

Hisayo frowned. "Nodoka, what has our having that name done for us?!"

"It's the name we were born by!"

"Is it really?"

"Onee-chan!"

Hisayo crossed her arms. "Nodoka, you know how I feel about our so-called 'father' and our brothers! You know how I feel about what they did to you in response to you making a simple mistake when it came to Saotome Genma!"

"Father had a right to do that . . .!"

"NO, HE DID NOT!" Hisayo barked. "AFTER ALL THE SHIT HE PULLED ON MOM, THAT BASTARD HAD NO RIGHT TO JUDGE YOU AT ALL!"

Nodoka's eyes flashed before her hand lashed out at Hisayo's cheek. Before it could strike, a hand snared Nodoka's arm, yanking it back hard enough to cause Ranma's mother to scream out. She nearly collapsed before her eyes turned up to see who had intercepted her slap. They then widened as the newcomer's many features came to her. "Wh-who . . .?"

"Thanks," Hisayo breathed out. "You must be Priss."

"That I am. Guess I was just in time," Priss replied before she gazed at the entranceway. "Ray, get in here!" she yelled.

The door opened, revealing Catty Ray. "Update from Chiyo, Priss," the android-turned-bioroid reported. "Another twenty minutes or so."

"Any sign of detection from Ataru's playmate?" the Pathfinder asked.

Catty Ray shook her head. "No." She then perked. "Oh, Koyomi called. She has the other prisoner in mid-transport suspension."

"I'm sure Naho would love to hear that," Priss noted, and then she stared down at Nodoka. "You gonna behave yourself?" she wondered.

Nodoka blinked several times, and then she hesitantly nodded. Even though she really did not have anything close to the ki-sensing abilities her daughter could call on when needed, some deep voice in her head was loudly warning her that any, ANY show of defiance toward this strange woman would be a VERY stupid thing to do. Priss then let go of her hand before she dropped unceremoniously to the floor beside her. "Okay, then! It's time to play a little game here. It's called 'Revelations.' You, Nodoka, are going to be told a rather complex and long story that concerns your daughter in a most intimate way. And, if we go along with the mating rituals of your race, that story also deeply concerns the man you would look on as your future son-in-law." Seeing Nodoka's eyes go wide, Priss added, "Moroboshi Ataru."

Silence.

"Have they gone all the way yet?" Hisayo asked, she trying not to smirk at Nodoka's imitation of a guppy on hearing THAT statement.

"No, not yet," Priss responded. "But you really can't blame Ataru, though. After he got a VERY up close and personal look at three billion people getting turned into instant air pollution back on Phentax Two, his libido took a nose-dive." She then raised an objecting finger. "But that's another story we can talk about later. First, we have to explain to Nodoka about this!"

She pulled out a picture from her vest top, flipping it around to show to Ranma's mother. It was a two-dimensional photograph, which had been printed from a hologram Lufy created from bioscans her equipment had made of herself, Ataru and Ranma that fateful day in Sendai thirteen years before. Priss knew that if she had pulled out a portable holographic projector or something else that would be "flashy" for Nodoka, the latter could easily try to deny the visual evidence as the whole, unvarnished truth. A 2-D image, what Nodoka would see as "normal," worked better in this case.

"That's Ranma . . . " Nodoka whispered as her finger felt the picture. "And this must be Ataru-kun . . .!" She pointed to the other boy, and then the blonde girl with the same skin colour as Priss. "Who's this?!"

"My oldest, dearest friend -- and Catty Ray's lover -- Lufy," Priss replied with a wave of her hand to Lufy's bond-mate. "As you'll probably remember, thirteen years ago, your late husband took your son on a little training trip that ended with him winding up in intensive care at the city hospital in Sendai for a month, recovering from a whole slew of broken bones and deep slash marks over most of his body."

Seeing Nodoka's eyes widen in realization, Priss continued, "That was Lufy and a large feline companion of hers, Starleaf. We hail from a planet named Sagussa, located thirty thousand light-years from Earth just outside the limits of the galaxy. The reason Lufy came to Sendai that day was . . . "

* * *

"Naho-san, I don't even know what to begin to say . . . "

The crowd from the Tendou doojou -- minus Cologne, who had gone over to the Moroboshi home to retrieve Shampoo and Mousse -- had shifted themselves to Okonomiyaki U-chan's to enjoy a late dinner. Hana Naho had just finished explaining about the tortured history of her part of the Moroboshi-Hana Clan and how that had come to so badly affect the surviving members of the Tendou family earlier that evening. "Don't bother, Shinobu-chan," Naho replied before she gave Konatsu a nod as he placed a fresh okonomiyaki in front of her. "Just be thankful my grandfather's obsession with obtaining Negako-chan's knowledge didn't lead him to do something to anyone in Tomobiki. Even if Lum had many advantages, it would've been child's play to chop off her horns and render her powerless enough to turn her into a very impressive hostage to force Kinshou to come open about a few things concerning what happened to Ataru-chan. After all, since that fat ignoramus Lum called a father was willing to do ANYTHING to protect his child, the Men in Black would've responded immediately by calling in the Zephyrites. And given the suspicions in the Holy Republic concerning Urusian involvement in my aunt's murder, they would've most likely turned around and punished Lum in the place of those people who were truly responsible for what happened." Her eyes focused on Izumo Sakiko. "Seq Yethis, Rei's uncle, being the primary suspect on that list, of course."

The crowd from Tomobiki took a moment to absorb that information. "It woulda been one hell of a friggin' fight," Ryuunosuke mused.

"That it would be," Sakiko agreed with a grimace before her eyes fell on Negako. "And if Darling was hurt in any way . . . "

"I would have willingly killed everyone who was involved, regardless of their affiliation," the ninjutsu grandmaster finished.

"Which could've started an intergalactic war," Naho finished.

"Damn!" Momoe exhaled, and then she gazed on Negako. "You know, maybe it was a smart thing you never did come to Tomobiki before the Second Tag Race, Negako-san. Given how possessive Lum was with Ataru-kun all the time . . . "

"Even after living for three years with Naho, Mizuho, Ayano and the others in Onogawa, I still required more time to fully adjust myself to being free and living my own life under my control, Momoe," Negako said. "If I came to Tomobiki to fully deal with all of Ataru's problems before I was truthfully sure of myself, the possibility was there that I might do something which would have ultimately made Ataru's position worse."

"It's ironic, isn't it, Tedai?" Inaba Ayano mused.

"Yes, it is."

"What is, Negako-san?" Kasumi asked.

"The situation concerning the First Tag Race," Negako replied. "As you are all now aware, the Urusians learned about Nagaiwakai's connection with the Zephyrites prior to the First Tag Race, which prompted Pochik Ando's attack on Rishiri-tou while Ataru was attempting to tag Lum's horns. What the Urusians never learned -- as Ataru and I discovered when we were training together and we finally captured Ando and the members of his strike force -- was what Nagaiwakai asked ME to do in case Lum won the race."

"Don't tell us! Let us guess!" Nabiki declared with a raised finger. "You were ordered to kill her."

"Correct," Negako confirmed. She ignored the shocked looks from Lum's former classmates as she continued, "Once that happened, I would have then employed a lava blast, using Fuji-san as the firing point, to destroy the _Kashin_ and ensure that whatever fragments from Invader's flagship would have splash-landed in the Pacific Ocean." Negako then took a deep breath. "If I had done THAT, the Urusians would have suffered a fatal disruption in their overall plans to seize control of Earth. By the time occupation forces could have deployed here from Toshitto, a Zephyrite fleet would have arrived in the system from Jiyuu and be in a position to intercept." She lightly smiled. "In essence, Nagaiwakai's murder would have given the Urusians no advantage."

"Poor Ando-kun," Sakiko crooned as she tilted her head to and fro. "All that work and it was ultimately for naught."

"You knew this jerk, Sakiko-chan?" Ryuunosuke asked.

"Please, Ryuu-chan!" Sakiko groaned. "DON'T ask!"

"Right . . . " the tomboy drawled.

"What happens now, Kasumi-san?" Gekasawa Kumiko asked.

Kasumi sighed, she giving Horikawa Mutsumi -- they were holding hands -- a grateful smile before she turned back to Momoe's friend. "Well, with Father now gone, I see no real reason for us to remain in Nerima, Kumiko-san. I had him stricken from the family register this afternoon, while everyone was busy with Ataru-kun's 'fiancée,' so his death need not concern the authorities."

"That's good," Nabiki snarled.

"Further, come Friday morning, the real estate people will take possession of the property," Kasumi then added. "Hopefully by then, we'll all be able to move in with Ataru-kun and his family on Promised Island . . . "

"'Promised Island?!' Where's that?!" Momoe asked.

"Oomure-jima, off the coast of Odawara in the Sagami Sea," Nabiki provided. "'Promised Island's' the nickname of the place."

"That's right!" Ryuunosuke said, she snapping her fingers. "That's the island near our island, Sakiko-chan!"

"I doubt Darling'll like the idea of any of us visiting him there," Sakiko warned as she considered that point.

"And I KNOW that Ataru-kun and the sisters certainly WON'T like the idea of Mendou finding out where they live now," Nabiki added as she gave Momoe and Kumiko knowing looks. "Right, girls?" she asked, an eyebrow arching.

Momoe sighed, a content smile crossing her face. "Nabiki, the man just killed to save my life. I've made up with him and I've accepted his apology for what he did to me in the past." A pause. "If he wants me as a friend, I'll gladly call him my friend. Hell, I'll even date him if he wants. No matter what, though, he's got nothing to fear from me."

"Nor from me, either," Kumiko added. "But I'll pass on the dates."

Shinobu, Ryuunosuke and Sakiko laughed. "What about the Rosebuds?" Nabiki asked as she crossed her arms.

"Who're the Rosebuds?" Sawada Minako wondered.

"Mendou's town-wide fan club," Ryuunosuke answered.

"At times, they were just as obsessed with Mendou as Megane and his fools were with Lum," Nabiki added with a raised finger and a wink.

The rose-haired Avalonian nodded. "Aaaah! Gotcha!"

"Hey! We weren't THAT bad!" Kumiko cried out defensively.

"Then why on Earth did you all try to lynch Ataru-chan when he simply wanted to retire from being class representative?" Naho asked.

Kumiko flustered. "It was a mistake, Naho-san! We all thought Ataru-kun was dumping Lum once and for all!"

"And that was a problem?" Naho wondered.

Kumiko balked. "Well . . . "

"They were afraid that if Ataru succeeded in ending his relationship with Lum, she would turn around and seek Shuutarou out romantically. That, of course, would have effectively destroyed any hopes Momoe, Kumiko and their friends -- even Shinobu -- might have possessed in winning Shuutarou for themselves," Negako explained to her "mother." "Of course, given how immature and irresponsible Lum's behaviour was at the time, the chances were better than good that she would have most likely permanently maimed Ataru in retaliation for his 'betrayal.' And once that happened, the Kuromoroboshi and the Sunin would have come down to permanently maim -- if not KILL -- Lum in turn."

Everyone from Tomobiki blinked. "Who're they?!" Ryuunosuke asked.

"The Kuromoroboshi were my aunt's kunoichi bodyguards," Naho explained. "The Sunin were my grant-aunt's sumotori bodyguards."

"You know about them, Konatsu?" Ukyou asked from behind the grill.

"Only the Kuromoroboshi, Ukyou-sama," the male shinobi replied. "They're some of the finest shadow warriors in Japan, if not all of Asia. Of course . . . " -- he flashed Negako a smile -- "They're nothing compared to Negako-sama."

Negako's eyebrow twitched. "Konatsu . . . "

"Tedai, that's enough," Ayano gently scolded as she playfully batted Negako's arm. "He has every right to admire you, because you're so admirable!"

An incredulous look responded. "Oh?"

"Negako-chan, take it easy for once," Naho added.

The grandmaster shook her head as muted laughter echoed from the others around her. "Um, can I ask a question?" Gekasawa Kumiko then asked.

"What is it, Kumiko?" Negako wondered.

"What does Ayano-san mean when she calls you 'Tedai?'"

"Easily explained," the raven-haired Avalonian replied. "'Te' comes from 'Terra,' the Latin name for your home planet, Kumiko-san." Ayano then sighed. "And my home planet now, I must confess. And 'dai' is Niphentaxian for 'blessed one.' A more proper translation for that would be 'Earth Angel.' It's what we all sometimes call her." She gazed fondly at Negako as she added, "After all, the Earth speaks and she listens."

"You mean you can actually 'hear' the chi and mana flows of everything on Earth, Negako-san?" Kasumi wondered. "Even sense the Dragon Lines?"

"Yes," Negako confirmed with a nod.

"Negako-san, that must overwhelm you at times," Sakiko noted.

"It initially did," Negako replied. "In the more than three years after I was freed from Ataru's subconscious mind, Sakiko, I was bombarded CONSTANTLY with what seemed an endless storm of thoughts, images, feelings and the like from every point on the planet. As Naho, Ayano and their friends may confirm, in the first thousand days of my freedom, I was fully cognizant for, at most, THIRTY of them." She then took a deep breath. "Because of that, I was unable to see what real harm I had unleashed on Ataru."

"Wiping out his memory, you mean," Ryuunosuke mused.

"That and one other matter, Ryuunosuke." Negako closed her eyes. "And I confess it was that second matter which, in part, caused Ataru to attempt to molest you as often as he did from the time he passed into puberty until I restored his memories and removed him from Tomobiki." Another pause, and then the ninjutsu grandmaster added, "Something that I, had I then been in a much more stable frame of mind, would have eliminated from him as soon as possible after I was freed from his subconscious."

Everyone gazed curiously at Negako. "If you don't mind our asking, Negako-san, how exactly did you do that?" Saotome Kumiko asked.

A smile turned the grandmaster's lips. "Before I explain that, Kumiko, I wish you all to consider what my exact situation was at the time I was first inserted into Ataru's subconscious mind." Her eyebrow then arched. "Well?"

She paused to allow the others to think about it. "According to the biography Yumoa-san presented on you on TV Tokyo after the school was wrecked, you became self-conscious in 1808, right?" Shinobu began. At Negako's nod, Ataru's former girlfriend breathed out, "And until you were freed, you worked constantly to try to seize control of your host's body so you could be free."

"As any slave would react when she fully becomes aware of the nature of her slavery," Yusa Rinko added.

"Ataru-kun WASN'T prepared to be your host, right?" Momoe asked.

"Exactly."

"You must've felt like you'd hit the jackpot," Sakiko noted.

"Indeed I did, Sakiko," Negako replied. "Everyone, you must understand that at the time I was inserted into Ataru's subconscious, I had never, NEVER truthfully enjoyed any positive experiences with normal humans." Her eyes then focused on the Tendou sisters. "My three encounters with Happy during Emperor Mutsuhito's reign were very brief ones. And in the third encounter, Happy was punished by elements of the Moroboshi Clan ALL BECAUSE he wanted to help me live my own life." She turned back to gaze on the girls from Tomobiki. "In spite of those -- NO, even BECAUSE of those encounters with Happy -- to me, every human I encountered would always potentially contribute, in one way or another, to my continued enslavement." The people around her began to quake on seeing the look of sheer, pure RAGE crossing the grandmaster's face as she continued, "I was a monster that had to be caged at all costs. A beast that should never see the light of day. The ultimate expression of the darkness in human hearts and souls. Anything I did, anything I said . . . " A deep breath. "It was to be ignored. I was a nightmare best forgotten."

"Jesu Cristo!" Shinobu whispered, sympathetic tears welling in her eyes.

Everyone remained silent for a moment, and then Minako said, "And then you got downloaded into Ataru-kun's head."

"Indeed," Negako said. "A five year-old boy. Not prepared in the LEAST to be my host. No one even SUSPECTED where I was at the time it happened. To me, being placed into Ataru was akin to Shinobu here finding the Garden of Eden. I could finally do what I waited YEARS to do. And given the fractious relations between Kinshou and Muchi on one side, Komeru on another, Nagaiwakai on yet another and with Naho in hiding . . . " She shrugged as a sly smile crossed her face. "What could I NOT do in a situation like that?"

Negako then raised an objecting finger. "However, there were problems. Number one: The psionic bond with Saotome Ranma. Number two: The empathic bonds Ataru shared with Priscilla, Tomo and all of their kind. Number three: Ataru's body, if it was to be of ultimate long-term use to me, had to be gradually upgraded so that I could employ all my knowledge and skills when the day came that I would finally free myself. So I had to go forth and seek a way to built up the necessary heavy ki energy -- 'dark' ki if you will -- so that when the day came, I could destroy Ataru's soul and seize his body for myself with as minimal amount of problems as possible. To do that . . . " A pause. "I decided to use Ataru's empathic bonds with Priscilla's people . . . "

"The Sagussans," Nabiki helpfully cut in.

"Thank you, Nabiki," Negako carried on. "Using those empathic bonds and Ataru's inner desire to reunite with the Sagussans, I slowly, gradually transformed him into a receptacle of heavy ki, which was then transmitted into the large mana node that exists under Tomobiki to this very day." She gazed directly at Sakiko and Shinobu. "You encountered one sentient expression of that mana node sometime ago, prior to the second Tag Race."

"The Pseudo-War?" Momoe asked. "That thing under the Tarouzakura hill where Lum disappeared to just before the fighting started?!"

"Exactly, Momoe. The 'Memory of Tomobiki' as it addressed itself."

Nabiki then snapped her fingers. "Oh, I get it now!" She then gazed on Negako. "You made Ataru act like a letch and an idiot to gather up all that dark ki, and then you used this thing under the Tarouzakura as a huge storage battery. And when you finally had enough heavy ki, that would've eventually helped you wipe out Ataru's mind and seize control of his body for your use."

Negako nodded. "Yes."

"Damn!" Ryuunosuke whistled. "So every time Moroboshi went crazy . . . "

"People struck back," Negako finished. "Physical blows, verbal rejections, the growing estrangement between Ataru and his parents, the inability of Ataru to forge any friendships, to say ANYTHING of forging a relationship with Shinobu. And then, after the First Tag Race, energy attacks like Lum's bio-electricity, Oyuki's ice-manipulation powers, Jariten's flame-breath, the threats from Ran to absorb Ataru's youth and other events. ALL that produced heavy ki that his body transmitted to the node under the Tarouzakura for my later use. And as that carried on, his body was slowly but surely altered to Sagussan levels of physical ability. His superhuman speed, his ability to absorb blows that would have killed a normal person, his stamina." A tired smile crossed her face. "All that came originally from me."

"And all you had to do then was sit back and wait," Kasumi added.

"Exactly," Negako replied with nod. "And that was the state of affairs until five years ago, when a woman named Sunhair Windrider . . . "

"The captain of the Zephyrite battlecruiser we locked alongside with after the business with Elle," Nabiki augmented.

Negako nodded. "When Sunhair, the daughter of a friend of Nagaiwakai's from the Zephyrite colony of Magairu, mind-probed Ataru one day when he was visiting Nagaiwakai at Rishiri-tou . . . " She then closed her eyes as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Her mind made contact with my spirit within Ataru's subconscious. Once she understood what I was, she informed Ataru. He was, despite my attempts at making him ignore whatever had been told to him about me, aware of what I was, how I came into being. And then . . . "

Here, the grandmaster stopped, her eyes turning to the table before her. The others stared at her, all of them anxious to hear what happened next, yet afraid to come out and ask Negako to continue. Finally, Nabiki breathed out as she reached over to squeeze her hand. "Then what, Negako?"

Negako blinked before she reached up to wipe her eyes. "And then, Ataru did something I never believed ANY human being outside possibly Happy would ever have done for me. He asked Nagaiwakai a very simple question." A pause. "'Why can't she have her own life?'"

* * *

"Oh, by the Lady Pizalna! It just CAN'T be . . . "

The hunters gazed on Varena. After identifying the Maidens by the jumpsuit the Yizibajohei-born one was wearing, Hinanba and Pamanba had psi-flashed their friends. As soon as the other junior hunters had gotten dressed and prepped their kit, everyone raced over to join their friends in the hedge bordering the manicured lawn surrounding the Crystal Palace. As the younger ones took turns looking through their binoculars to take in all the details, Varena and Mujanba walked off to one side to put their heads together and decide what to do next. Still, even the witch hunters from Colony Nine were excited. This after all, to any Vosian, was the ultimate first contact:

To actually MEET the Maidens of the Eternal Voyager!

"Major, you recognize the Pirpirsiw'r?" Kanba asked.

Varena nodded as she lowered her binoculars. A smile crossed her face as she gazed on her friends. "As a matter of fact, Kanba, I do. She's Izripra of Varakos, a court sage. One of the wisest people ever to live."

"I thought no one was to know any of their real names," Ryoonba said.

"The common folk on Yehisril, yes," Varena confirmed. "My great-grandfather on my mother's side, however, was a wandering mystic from the northern hills of Kyotos who was willing to teach his craft to anyone who wanted to learn and had the aptitude to learn. Lady Izripra, when she was on her honour-quest before she was formally welcomed into the Sisterhood of Steel, trained under him." The "Sisterhood of Steel" was the most common name applied to the Most Dangerous Ones as a group. "He grieved when Lady Izripra was killed, but later became overjoyed when he later sensed that the Eternal Voyager had come and taken her off to its home planet."

"Yeah, wherever that is," Hinanba mused.

"So what's the plan, Major?" Ikura, a grey-eyed, platinum-haired azhis'f and another of Bujosur's former personal harem, wondered.

"We stay here for the time being, Ikura," Mujanba answered for the other Colony Nine native. Instantly sensing the disappointed looks appearing on the younger hunters' faces, the captain chuckled. "Girls, I know you all want to meet them. Believe me, I'm as excited about this as you are. But we have to keep this in mind: Lecasur's original contact with the Voyager really didn't produce a lot of hard data on the Maidens. And much of that was later lost when Lecasur disappeared with the _Unification_. We can't base our opinions on the legends, wild theories and what-have-you when it comes to the Voyager and the Maidens. Now's the time for hard facts. Understood?"

Nods from the others. "Don't forget, the Maidens might have detailed intelligence on events on Vos," Varena added with a warning finger. "After all, it WAS the Voyager that destroyed that Ultimate Weapon those rogue Kamahanites might have used against the Mikado."

The others nodded. Forty years ago, relations between the military dictatorship running the Confederation of Vos and all its immediate galactic neighbours -- including the Royal Kingdoms of Yehisril, Vos' oldest ally and economic trading partner -- began to plummet into the sub-strata when elements of the Mikado's cabinet began to make ominous noises about territorial expansion into sectors of space already claimed by those other powers. It got to the point where radical militarist elements from Kamahana, a planet near Zephyrite space which was the home of a highly-advanced race of reptilian humanoids, seized control of an Ultimate Weapon (a six kilometre-long flying antimatter gun that could easily blast apart a small star) and moved to use it against Vos itself to force the Mikado to abdicate. The Voyager intercepted the Ultimate Weapon near Tokkaebos (an independent world which shared the same solar system as Vos Colony Forty), and destroyed it with its anti-proton shock cannons. Despite the resulting propaganda that loudly declared the Eternal Voyager clearly supported the Mikado's "benevolent dictatorship," cooler heads later concluded the Voyager had intervened simply to prevent some idiot from turning Vos into an asteroid field and slaughtering billions of its citizens.

"That's true," Kanba mused.

"What do you suppose they're doing here, anyway?" Ryoonba asked.

"Yeah, why ARE they here?" Ikura parroted her friend.

"Could they be after the Sceptre?" Pamanba wondered.

A chorus of confused and concerned looks was exchanged by everyone. "It might be a possibility," Varena mused. "The Keeper didn't mention anything about anything else being stored in the Palace outside the Sceptre."

"But why would the Maidens want the Sceptre?" Sanba, a green-haired, purple-eyed girl who was yet another of Bujosur's harem, asked.

"We can ask them," Kanba proposed.

"Can we do that?" Hinanba wondered.

* * *

As whispered chatter picked up between the hunters, the young girl kneeling beside Sanba slowly stood, she silently turning to head deeper into the forest surrounding the Crystal Palace, and then she started arcing toward the Palace itself. This was Tsuna, the last of Bujosur's harem. An azhis'f like Varena and Ikura, Tsuna was a petite girl with hazel eyes and black hair. She was only three years past the Wild Time, when Yehisrites and a fair proportion of azhis'f hybrids underwent a frightening month-long series of hormonal surges and depressions prior to the onslaught of puberty (and for azhis'f hybrids, the coming of Stop Time, when the growth and aging process of Vosians was slowed to one-fifth the rate of Terrans). Like all azhis'f females who had accepted Yehisrite cultural influences over Vosian influences, Tsuna cut her hair VERY short; for pureblood Vosian women, hair was NEVER cut until she recognized someone -- or when (as in Mujanba's case) one discovered one was a lesbian. For Tsuna, the coming of Stop Time had nearly destroyed her; she had been addicted to kookyuu for two years when the coming of the Wild Time added to the damage the drug had done to her effectively wrecked twenty percent of her brain tissue. It didn't affect her combat effectiveness; in fact, the teachers at Mensohn soon learned that Tsuna could take on injuries that could normally incapacitate other hunters. But to ensure Tsuna could be used in the field, she needed a handler. Sanba had been specially trained to do just that.

But there came times . . .

* * *

"_Hasei'cha_ to landing team. Can you hear me? Mie? Makoto? Ayumu?"

Mie tapped her communicator. "Hey, Spea! How far out are you guys?!"

"Our ETA your position is about eighty minutes, Mie," Eluza's voice cut in. "Status report, Makoto?" she then asked.

"Hinako-sama and Aria-sama are inside the Palace now, Eluza," Makoto spoke up. "The Keeper -- he's the only person who seems to live at this place -- insisted that they go in alone to get the Genesis Wand. They went in about thirty minutes ago. So far, we haven't seen them come out."

"Can you keep track of them?" Eluza asked.

Makoto shook her head. "Negative. The Palace is built out of carbonized neutronium. Our scanners can't penetrate inside."

"Hinako-chan has the Staff with her, so they should be okay," Mie added.

A sigh echoed over the communication lines. "You better hope so, girls."

"We hear you, Eluza," Mie replied.

"What's your status, Ayumu?" Eluza then asked.

"I'm okay," the Navy master chief petty officer replied. "Oh, and there're nine Vosian hunters in the forest near the Palace."

Silence.

"WHAT?!" Eluza screamed.

Makoto's eyes snapped around to scan the forest around the Palace. She then locked in on some odd shapes barely hidden in the hedge bush that framed the lawn. Peering intently at those shapes, the flightmistress growled, "Oh, wonderful! Hate to say this, Eluza, but I think that intelligence report about the Mikado going after the Sceptre of Lecasur turned out not to be so bogus!"

"Ah! Hi, there!"

Makoto and Mie snapped around to see a black-haired azhis'f girl with strangely dull hazel eyes standing in front of Ayumu, dressed in the field uniform of enlisted members of the Special Hunter Corps. Given her youth, the girl's chichi-fur kill-belt was knotted in only a couple of places. To Makoto's and Ayumu's surprise, the girl was staring directly at Seikou Mie.

* * *

"Oh, damn!" Varena gasped on seeing what was happening some metres away.

"I'm sorry, Major!" Sanba sobbed as her hands yanked on her hair. She just HATED it whenever Tsuna pulled stunts like this!

"What's she doing?!" Pamanba demanded.

* * *

"Mama . . . "

Mie jolted as that very timid voice warped past her, and then she focused her eyes on the girl staring at her. There seemed a hopeful yet lost look on her face as those sorrowful hazel eyes seemed to glare right into the Terran-turned-Sagussan's soul. Mie shuddered as her heart started to do very hard flip-flops as the unspoken plea literally SCREAMING from the younger girl's face registered deep within her heart. Then again, given Seikou Mie's personal situation, her reaction was understandable.

As one of the oldest of the Daishi'cha, Mie had waited a VERY long time -- over nine thousand years! -- to do her part for the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Then tack onto that her unique experience of actually living for over a decade as an adopted member of an honest-to-Eternity FAMILY. A family that had welcomed her with open arms. Helped her deal with her amnesia. Helped her build a new life. Gave her the chance to care for her adopted sister and brother, Seikou Tamiko and Seikou Suzume.

And she also knew the story of Daishi'cha #100000, Tenba.

A former Special Hunter Corps trainee like the girl standing before Mie.

Most likely, she came from Tenba and Nassur's school at Mensohn.

And if the dull look on the girl's face spoke the tale, she might be a kookyuu addict like Tenba herself had been in her first life.

The onslaught of maternal instincts is often very high in a Sagussan.

Especially in situations like this.

Mie blinked back her own tears as she walked up to sweep Tsuna into her arms. Feeling that warm embrace, the azhis'f shuddered as sobs began to burst from her lungs, she quickly wrapping her arms around Mie's waist. "Mama . . .! Mama . . . " she moaned in Vosian as she buried her face in Mie's cleavage.

Automatically, Mie's hands came up to gently rub the younger girl's hair as she made gentle cooing noises to keep Tsuna calm. Hands then fell on her shoulders. Mie jerked, and then she smiled at Makoto.

* * *

"Captain . . . "

"It's alright, Sanba. I see it."

"What do we do?" Hinanba asked.

"By the looks of it, contact's been made," Pamanba mused.

Mujanba and Varena exchanged looks. "Good point," the major then mused.

* * *

"Ya know, Negako, it ain't really your fault."

Negako blinked as Ryuunosuke's comment echoed in her ears, and then she sighed. "Perhaps. Still, because I never took the chance to see what my failure to shut off that particular modification inside Ataru's body would eventually do to him, I presently have no choice but to consider it my ultimate responsibility, Ryuunosuke. If I chose to behave otherwise . . . " She paused at this point before shaking her head. "No."

"So what's the overall plan now, Naho-san?" Nabiki asked.

Negako's "mother" took a deep breath. "If there are those in Tomobiki who would desire some restitution because of those incidents which involved Ataru-chan's libido going out of control, such will be granted." She raised a finger. "Within reason, of course. This is the condition the sisters have insisted on. As far as they're concerned, this pathetic attitude that's developed over the last two years concerning Ataru-chan being responsible for EVERYTHING strange or unusual that happened there . . . "

"That's gotta go once and for all," Ryuunosuke finished.

"Exactly," Naho replied, nodding. "That is part of the reason that the sisters have decided that never again will Ataru-chan live in Tomobiki. The other part . . .?" She then waved to Negako. "Well, Negako-chan just told you about the heavy ki she had stored in that mana node under the Tarouzakura hill. If Ataru-chan returned to live in Tomobiki while that was still there . . . "

"Are you going to get rid of it, Negako-san?" Gekasawa Kumiko asked.

"Eventually." Negako nodded. "It will have to be done with delicacy. I have a plan as to how to accomplish that. It will be executed after Oogi has been finally dealt with and the Avalonians are freed."

"When does Darling plan to move against that sub-creature?" Sakiko asked.

"Most likely Saturday."

"Saturday?!" Shinobu echoed the grandmaster's statement, and then her eyes widened as it hit her. "Mendou-san's wedding?!"

"Quite correct," Negako stated with an icy smile. "Given the sheer gutting-out of the Church of Lum on Phentax Two thanks to the Staff of Gihan -- to say anything of how the survivors there must presently view the 'martyrdom' of Satoshi, Hiroyuki, Akira and Koosuke . . . "

"And Lum's 'death,' too," Ryuunosuke added.

"Plus Ran's and Jariten's 'disappearances,'" Minako noted.

"Indeed," Negako acknowledged with a nod. "The leaders of the Church's observers here on Earth will likely see Shuutarou's marriage to Asuka as yet another 'heinous act' by the 'Great Evil' against the Church, done in hopes destroying the 'holy company.' Thus . . . "

"It's gotta get stopped no matter what," Ryuunosuke finished.

"Exactly."

"Are you making plans towards doing that?" Sakiko asked.

"But of course. I assume you wished to be involved."

"Damn right we do!" Shinobu spat, her whole body quaking. "After reading that 'holy book' of theirs . . .!"

She squeezed her eyes shut as angry tears began to spill down her cheeks. Hands then fell on her shoulders. Shinobu started, and then she looked over to see Minako gazing concernedly at her. The former then gave the latter a thankful smile before she reached up to wipe her cheeks clean. "Arigatou, Minako-chan," she said before leaning over to kiss the rose-haired Avalonian's cheek. Shinobu then turned back to Negako. "I have to be involved, Negako-san. After reading that 'Book of Lum,' I HAVE to be involved. They spied on my most intimate words! They then copied them so that everyone on their planet could read them. And worst of all, instead of showing my words unedited, they turned around and TWISTED my words to make it seem as if _I_ believed that Ataru, a man I still love with all my heart and soul, was the most evil creature in all of Creation!" Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I can guess that Ataru took the chance to read that book after he went to Phentax Two to try to deal with Oogi." Hearing the shocked gasps from Ryuunosuke and Sakiko, Shinobu turned to look at the latter. "It was easy for me to figure out what happened, Sakiko-chan. You were the one who told us what happened on that planet, remember? Once I took that in and thought about what Ataru said to us in Mendou-san's study on Saturday, it was easy to draw conclusions."

The Nendo-kata considered that, and then she sighed. "That I did."

"We still should'a told you," Ryuunosuke stated apologetically.

"It's alright," Shinobu assured her.

Negako took a breath. "Very well, then. If you wish to be involved, you may. But exact plans will have to wait until Ataru and the others return from their trip." She gazed on Sakiko, a smile crossing her face. "Shinobu, Momoe and Kumiko have stated their response to what I have just said, Sakiko. Do you wish anything from us in response to what happened between you and Ataru?"

Sakiko shook her head. "Iie. As Ran, I actually tried to kill Darling several times in my own quest to seek vengeance against Lum-chan. As far as I'm personally concerned, things are even between us." She then smirked as she added, "Besides, while I was undergoing the Crossing Over, Darling came and boosted my bio-energy levels to the point where I could fully endure the Crossing Over without slipping into the Black Ocean."

"What?!" Ryuunosuke gaped. "Why didn't ya tell ME about that?!"

The Nendo-kata returned her lover's look. "Ryuu-chan, you were already angry enough at Darling for what his words on Saturday did to Shinobu-chan."

The tomboy blinked, and then she sighed. "Yeah, that's true . . . "

"What about you, Ryuunosuke-chan?" Naho asked as people moved to stare at the tomboy. "Is there something you might want from us now?"

Silence fell as everyone gazed on Sakiko's lover. Ryuunosuke's eyes turned inward for a moment before she breathed out. "Well . . . "

"You wish to know what ultimately happened to your mother, do you not?"

The tomboy jerked as her eyes snapped up to stare on Negako. Naho's hand rose to her mouth to mask her smile. Ayano rolled her eyes in exasperation. Most of the others in the room stared in shock at the ninjutsu grandmaster. Nabiki breathed out before she gave Negako an annoyed glare. "I was right all along! You really NEED to learn a little something called 'tact,' Negako!"

Negako ignored her. Ryuunosuke blinked as she considered what Ataru's adopted sister just said, and then she took a breath before she asked, "Can you do it?" People looked at her. "Can you tell me about what happened to Mom?"

"Yes, I can," Negako replied. "But I believe that Yotsuba might desire the opportunity to inform you of Masako's fate."

Everyone blinked. "Why Yotsuba-chan, Negako-san?" Kasumi asked.

"As you all must be aware, Yotsuba wishes to be a private investigator after she graduates from university," Negako replied. "When she came to Japan after I informed her of her relationship to Ataru, she took it on herself to further what investigations the corporate intelligence wing of Toranoseishin Finances had carried out on everyone on Earth who associated with Ataru."

"Who ordered them?" Shinobu asked.

"Yumoa Reigi," Negako replied as she gave Ataru's former girlfriend a knowing look. "I believe you understand why, Shinobu."

Shinobu blinked as she remembered hers and Ryuunosuke's encounter with Toranoseishin's chief of operations a fortnight after the bombing of Tomobiki High by Ibrahim Alhamzi. "Hai, that's true, I guess," she then mused.

"Could ya tell me what happened, Negako-san?" Ryuunosuke then pleaded. "Please? I don't wanna wait for Yotsuba to do it."

The grandmaster stared at her, and then she sighed. "Would you prefer to be informed in private?" Seeing Ryuunosuke glance briefly at Shinobu, and then at Sakiko, Negako smiled. "With Shinobu and Sakiko in attendance, of course."

"Maybe you better head over to her place to do that," Ukyou then proposed. "You want some take-out just in case, Negako-san?"

"Please," Naho responded on her "daughter's" behalf.

"Ensure you create several 'Noa-chan Specials,' Ukyou," Negako added.

The okonomiyaki chef jolted before she gave the ninjutsu grandmaster a knowing look. "You're scary when you do that, Negako-san!"

"As I said, Ukyou-sama," Konatsu said. "Negako-sama is simply the best."

"That she is!" Saotome Kumiko added with a nod.

Laughter filled the room as people stood. "Kasumi, Nabiki, I assume you do not desire to spend the night in your home," Negako declared as she gazed on them. "Would you require arrangements to spend the night elsewhere?"

"It's okay, Negako-san," Nabiki assured her. "Pri-chan told me that once she got done doing whatever job she had to go off to do, she'd come back and bring Onee-chan and I to her friend's ship so we could spend the night there."

Kasumi blinked several times before she turned to gaze on her sister. "Nabiki-chan, I didn't see you and Priss-san talk about . . . "

"We talked with our minds and fingertips, Onee-chan," Nabiki cut in as she raised her right hand in emphasis. "Not our mouths."

The Tendou matriarch took that in, and then she looked down. "Nabiki?"

"What is it, Onee-chan?"

"Can I become an Avalonian, too?"

Hearing that, Ayano, Mutsumi and Rinko beamed with delight. Nabiki hummed as she reached over to give Kasumi's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Onee-chan, you can't become an Avalonian." Before Kasumi's face fell, Nabiki then grinned. "Because, with all the gods and goddesses here and on Sagussa as my witnesses, you WILL become an Avalonian! There's no way in HELL that I'm going to watch you grow old and die at a time when I'm physically not even past the equivalent of twenty-five here on Earth! Got me?!"

Kasumi's eyes went wide, and then she nodded. "Hai!"

"Is this something we all can do?!" Ukyou asked.

Nabiki laughed. "Trust me on this one, Ukyou: With our connections to Ranma-chan and Ataru-kun, that's not just merely a _possibility!_" She winked knowingly at the okonomiyaki chef. "It's as much of a _guarantee_ as owning a whole stack of American Treasury bills!"

Everyone laughed.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the Tendou sisters and Horikawa Mutsumi stepped out of Okonomiyaki U-chan's. The bespectacled Avalonian had some take-out in hand for herself, her companions, Nabiki's would-be bond-mate and extras for any Sagussan who might desire to sample a Noa-chan Special fresh from the grill of Kuonji Ukyou. Marubeya Momoe and Gekasawa Kumiko had gone back to Tomobiki ten minutes before. Five minutes after that, Fujinami Ryuunosuke -- plus her lover, her best friend and her best friend's would-be bond-mate -- had headed off with Negako, Naho, Ayano and Rinko to the Moroboshi home.

"Mutsumi-chan, your don't have to come along with us if you happen to have business elsewhere," Kasumi gently protested as the three women headed in the general direction of the Tendou home as the lights in U-chan's dimmed.

"I choose to stay with you for the time being, Kasumi-chan," Mutsumi asserted as she gave Kasumi a knowing look. "Even if you would not desire me in an intimate way, you do need someone to help you deal with all your feelings stemming from what just happened to your father."

Kasumi shuddered, and then she whispered, "But you used to be a . . . "

"A prostitute."

The older woman jolted, and then she nodded. "Hai."

"Kasumi-chan, much that I understand you revulsion at what I used to do, there are some positive benefits from my time at the brothel." As Kasumi and Nabiki gazed at her, Mutsumi continued, "Not all my tricks were the atypical slobbering letch that only wanted to stab his stick up between my legs to get his rocks off. I've had to deal with husbands and wives who came to me seeking emotional support to make their marriages better, someone to tell them that the dark times wouldn't last forever. I've had to deal with boys and girls who saw me as a safe way to enjoy their first true sexual experience. Divorcees who had gone through an emotional hell when they had their marriages ended and they just didn't know what to do with themselves at the time . . . "

"In other words, as well as being the perfect sex-toy, you were also the perfect shoulder to cry on," Nabiki cut in.

"Pretty much so."

"Don't you hate them, Mutsumi-chan?" Kasumi asked. "The Niphentaxians?"

"Hate them?" She shook her head. "No, I don't hate them, Kasumi-chan. I pity them. As much as Sagussan genetics rules my life, the Niphentaxians' genetics rules theirs. And no matter how hard some of them have tried to find some way to break them free out of this 'find something and worship it to death' conditioning they all have, others have risen up to smash them down time and time again. I want to live my life as a free person. Thanks to Mizuho (who brought me here), Naho-sama (who helped me establish my life as 'Horikawa Mutsumi') and Negako-sama (who severed the link I once had with the factory, plus undid my sterilization), I AM living my life as a free person. And to ensure that what happened to my people won't happen again, what better thing to wish for then to ensure the Niphentaxians can live their lives as truly free people!" She then stared at Kasumi. "Isn't that the right thing to do?"

Kasumi considered that, and then she nodded. "Hai, it is."

"Hey, there you are!"

They stopped, spinning around as someone in a black-and-blue jumpsuit ran up. "Yo, Tomo!" Nabiki hailed with a wave.

"Konban wa, Tomo-san!" Kasumi called out as she bowed.

Tomo noted the package in Mutsumi's hand. "Oh, great!" she declared with a grin as she took in the succulent scent of heated red pepper powder. "I always wanted to try one of those! Well, ready to head on up?!"

"Damn straight, Master Chief," Nabiki declared.

Tomo tapped her bracelet. "Tomo to Yomi. Four to beam up, with supper!"

"You got it!" her bond-mate responded.

A transporter beam then seized them. "Oh, my!" Kasumi gasped.

* * *

They materialized on the pilotage of the _Haengge'cha_. Immediately, Koyomi stood from the main control station. "Welcome aboard," the chief engineer artificer declared with a smile as she walked up to the newcomers.

Kasumi blinked as the strange feeling of having her atoms scrambled around while she had been shifted over 150,000 kilometres from Nerima faded, and then she breathed out, "Oh, MY! That was such a strange feeling . . .!"

Koyomi nodded. "First time in a transporter?" she asked. After Kasumi nodded, she laughed. "Don't worry, Kasumi-san. Everyone reacts that way."

"No matter what system you use," Mutsumi added before she handed the package of okonomiyaki over. "From U-chan's, Koyomi-san!"

"Thank you," Koyomi said as she took the package, and then she placed it on a nearby table. "In the meantime . . . "

A communicator chime sounded off. "Chiyo to Yomi," a voice then declared over the speakers. "Please respond."

"Yomi here. Go, Chiyo," the artificer hailed.

"The two Avalonians Priss required are ready to be sent down to Onogawa."

"Right." Koyomi walked over to tap buttons on her control console, and then she nodded. "Okay, got the trace. Energizing in thirty seconds."

Hearing that, Nabiki and Mutsumi quickly got off the transporter pad, they pulling Kasumi with them. Right at the moment Koyomi had marked, two columns of human-shaped light briefly appeared before they vanished once more. Watching that, Kasumi was quick to notice some familiar details on one of them. She then gazed on Koyomi. "Priss-san had a replica of Auntie Nodoka made?"

"Hopefully, that'll convince Ranma-sama's mother not to kill herself," the artificer said with a confirming nod.

The Tendou matriarch took that in, and then she gasped, "Oh, MY!"

"Yomi?" Chiyo's voice called over from the bioroid factory.

"Yeah, Chiyo, what is it?" Koyomi replied.

"We'll need a place to store Gloriana's new body. Otako doesn't want to risk that kide'ne Oogi finding out about that."

"Right! How soon will it be done?"

"A lot longer than expected, Koyomi," a new voice spoke. "Asuka-sama's DNA is unique. It's like dealing with a damned Yizibajohei, I think. The gestation buffers are having a hard time getting everything set up correctly."

"Okay, understood. Is there any danger, Otako?"

"No." Everyone sensed the derision in Otako's voice as she explained, "The ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh is currently in a meditative trance. He insisted he not be woken until Ataru-sama returned so that he could personally order the final and complete destruction of the 'great evil.'"

"Yeah, RIGHT! Like we'd EVER let that happen!" Tomo snarled.

"Damned straight about that," Koyomi added with a nod.

"Hearing about your interest in him, dear cousins, I don't blame you for feeling that way," Otako said. "Any further business?"

"Yes!" Nabiki then called out. "We need one new body for my sister!"

"Who's that?!" Chiyo asked.

"Priss' would-be marei'cha, Tendou Nabiki," Koyomi declared.

The doctor then hummed. "Oh, I see . . . "

"An honour to meet you, sister," Otako then spoke up. "Hopefully soon, I will have the pleasure to meet you in person."

Nabiki blinked, and then she breathed out. "I look forward to that day, sister. Now, how about Kasumi-oneechan . . . "

"We've got one ready," Otako said. "But we need a DNA scan first."

"We'll get it done and send it over right away," Koyomi promised.

* * *

"You are wondering why I am doing this, are you not?"

Mecha-Rinrin rotated its head to gaze on Kaeru. Both were in Rinrin's private laboratory, located between hers and Yotsuba's room on the third floor of Welcome House's rotunda. The sounds of construction echoed through the walls as the Nagussan engineer's robots continued work on expanding the rotunda. Not to mention put in a covered starship dock that extended from the seashore beside Welcome House out a hundred metres; that was being built for the _Windrider_, plus Kaeru's own probe ship and whatever other vessel might come to Oomure-jima to visit. In the glass tube before Kaeru, a distinctly female shape floated in an opaque soup saturated with millions of nanites. The tube Rinrin set up for final work on Mecha-Rinrin II was conspicuously empty.

Considering Kaeru's question, the robot slowly tilted its head in a nod. "The answer is quite simple," the engineer declared as his lips twitched into a smile. "My return to this planet was necessitated by certain social needs my parents and friends on Nagussa could not provide. It is fortunate that atop my twin, there are my female relatives to call upon to assist me in this matter."

Before he could explain further, Kaeru was distracted by a beeping noise from his data-computer. "Ah . . . " he breathed out as he stared at the readout, and then he gazed on what was being constructed in the tube before him. "More than sufficient. Rinrin's replica should be complete in 16.35 minutes. Behavioural programming could then be initiated via Rinrin's primary computer." A pause as he considered something, and then he gazed on Mecha-Rinrin. "Would you like to have your systems upgraded?"

The robot remained still, though the rotating antenna atop its head had suddenly halted as the Nagussan's surprising offer registered deep in its main processors. After a minute's consideration, Mecha-Rinrin inclined its head in a nod. "After I commence programming Rinrin's replica, we will determine the best type of modification for you. I believe Rinrin will be most pleased with the results I presently am considering."

Mecha-Rinrin's antenna began to rotate once more.

* * *

"Koosei, is Noa-sama angry at us?"

Ryooki Koosei blinked as that question echoed in his mind for a moment, and then he turned to gaze on the Oni woman lying on the diagnostic bed in the _Konggh'cha_'s medical station. "What makes you think that Noa-san would be angry at you, Jon?" he gently asked.

Redet Jon -- born as Seq Jon, younger sister to Seq Chim (who, on her marriage, became known as "Mrs. Invader") and third cousin to Rei's mother Yedris -- closed her eyes. "Because Noa-sama and the Maidens gave the Noukiites their fast ships to attack us with. They gave them the new planets the Noukiites could use to resettle all their people." Shamed tears trailed down her cheeks. "Noa-sama, Honii-sama and Syl-sama hate us, Koosei! They hate us! We've offended them somehow and they hate us!"

Koosei walked over to place hands on Jon's cheeks as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "No, Jon! No!" he whispered as he stroked his nose across her forehead. "They're not angry at your people, Jon. They're not. Okay?"

Jon's lips twitched into a content smile as Koosei held his head against hers, her hands shakily rising up to cover his and keep them close to her. While some people might consider such an act quite provocative in the very least -- especially when the one doing it was the potential fiancé to the heiress of the throne of Neptune and the one it was being done to had just lost her husband -- Koosei knew that Jon desperately needed this contact to help keep her spirits up. Being unable to walk in Oni-Urusian society was seen as bad enough. But to be unable to FLY . . .?! That was worse. INFINITELY worse. Ruefully remembering how much Japanese society often looked at those with physical disabilities, Koosei tried not to frown. People in wheelchairs in Tokyo had it easy compared to Onis with jet packs in Onishuto.

"Can you be sure . . .?"

Koosei blinked as he pulled his head back so he could stare clearly into Jon's eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure." He took a deep breath. "Jon, Yethis and his gang deliberately attacked and murdered the Chosen One's grandmother when the First Tag Race was going down." While Jon had learned everything about Sagussa over the last week or so, Koosei kept to the "traditional legendary" titles used by the races inside the Galactic Barrier when it came to the Daishi'cha and their Daimon'cha. "As far as the Maidens are concerned, any attack -- ANY attack! -- on any of the Chosen One's family is an attack on the Chosen One himself. And if someone attacked the Chosen One like that, the Maidens would consider it an attack on themselves. How should have they reacted, then?"

"They why did they allow Lum to be with the Chosen One, Koosei?"

"Because they believed that Lum-chan was the Chosen One's Other, Jon," Koosei replied. "I told you this already. When the Maidens first brought him to Sagussa, they discovered that the Chosen One had a subconscious psi-bond with somebody out there. And when Lum-chan elected to remain on Earth after the Tag Race, the Maidens began to believe that she was the 'Other.' That made her very special in the Maidens' eyes."

"But Lum wasn't his 'Other,' was she . . .?"

Koosei shook his head. "No, Jon. It was someone else from Earth." _And ironies of ironies, given how bad Ataru's rep's became after he got 'engaged' to Lum-chan, that he was bonded to another __**man**__ by Lufy . . .!_ he mused as he leaned up to give Jon a tender kiss on her forehead. "But from what I've learned from Nassur and Dakejinzou, he still cares for Lum-chan very much."

"Even after all the things she did to him?"

He nodded. "Yeah, even after all of that . . . "

A knock. Koosei looked over to the doorway leading into sickbay, his eyes widening. "What are YOU doing here?!"

The green-eyed, crimson-haired Seishin-born woman in the jumpsuit marking her as a physical education and health officer -- light green top, red pants, gold trim -- gave him a smile as she stepped inside. "I came to see what I could do about helping another innocent victim."

Jon tilted her head down so she could stare at the newcomer, and then her eyes went wide as the Sagussan's features became as clear as crystal to the crippled Oni. To ANY native of Uru, Oni or Seishin, this woman was one of the most important heroes in the tortured history of that world, second only to her very own sister. Noa and Honii. Both born bioroids nine hundred years before, created by a scientist who had used stolen Seifukusu technology to create the perfect pair of Amazon-like warriors -- much like the Pirpirsiw'r had later become on Yehisril -- who later gave up their lives to help liberate Uru from under the heavy boot of the Imperial Houses of the Seifukusu Dominion.

These days, to Jon's people as a whole, the Maidens of Aruka were nothing short of demigods to a people who, thanks very much to what the Seifukusu had done to them over a span of three centuries, had never really developed their own native theology. The place tradition had long stated where Noa and Honii had finally fallen fighting the hordes of the Dominion -- it was on Shingetsu, Ran's home colony world -- was the site of a shrine that was one of the most frequently visited destinations for Urusians. The descendants of the House of Aruka, which Ran herself had been a part of, looked on the Maidens as their most sacred ancestors. And thanks to that fame -- later augmented when Ran's kinswoman Aruka Syl had died at the start of the Union Revolution two centuries before, she having been personally retrieved by Noa and the Eternal Voyager on the day that changed Urusian history -- a cult had formed around the legends of the Maidens of Aruka. A cult that had, over the years, transmitted a prophecy that foretold of the Chosen One, with Noa and Honii at his side, to rescue Uru from its darkest hour. A prophecy that also contained a dire warning:

Harm the Chosen One in ANY way and a disaster worse than even the Seifukusu Conquest would befall Uru.

"Honii-sama . . .!"

The woman, who actually spelled her name in Roman script as "Honey" (in reflection of her resemblance to the "battle" form of Kisaragi Honey, the android hero of Nagai Goh's manga series), bowed her eyes as she walked over to stand beside the diagnostic bed. Koosei straightened himself as he gave Honey a sympathetic look. Staring on Ten's mother, Honey took a breath before she reached over to caress Jon's face. "Don't call me that, please," she whispered as a thumb reached up to wipe away the tears. "Regardless of how much your leaders hurt us when they ordered the death of our Daimon'cha's grandmother . . . " She nearly choked as her own tears began to flow. "With Lyna as my witness, I swear that we never, NEVER wanted all that to happen to you."

Jon blinked before she closed her eyes. "Forgive us, please."

"If you'll forgive us."

The firefighter nodded. With that, Honey leaned down to embrace her.

* * *

"Okay, Koyomi, we just got the DNA scan. Commencing work now."

"Thanks, Otako."

Otako tapped her communicator to sever the link with the _Haengge'cha_, and then she turned to gaze on the gestation units before her. Beside her, Chiyo was monitoring progress via her personal tricorder. "Okay, time to get this one done," the raven-haired Avalonian declared as she tapped controls under the chamber still holding a non-templated bioroid. "This should be a lot easier than Gloriana's new body," she then added.

"A plain Terran instead of one with non-Terran ancestry," Chiyo mused.

Otako stared at her. "Is that what you think Asuka-sama actually is?"

"It's a possibility," Chiyo confessed. "I need to spend some time in my laboratory splicing Asuka-san's blood samples apart to see what makes them tick. With all the reports we have on her and her mother, I'd swear Saeko-san must've been rocketed from Yiziba when she was a baby, just like that Superman character that appears in American comics."

"Yeah, it could actually be that!" Otako agreed.

Both women laughed. "It's ironic," the replica of the high priestess of the Hegane Sect continued as she turned her eyes onto the bioroid that would soon hold the living soul of the spiritual mother of all Avalonians. "Back when the Church of Hollywood was in its primacy, there were cults that were formed around the various 'superheroes' that appeared in American serial films. Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and the like . . . " A pause. "From what my other-self learned when the Great Awakening happened and people began to convert to the Church of Lum, many of the descendants of those cults were later willing to convert over and create a single 'Cult of the Fifth Holy Apostle's Beloved' in Asuka-sama's honour. I wonder how Asuka-sama would look on that."

"I doubt she even knows about what Ataru-sama told his former associates about the Church sometime ago," Chiyo noted. "Then again, from what I know of Asuka-san, she's been deliberately kept naive about a lot of things. Any attempts to make her fully understand the true facts of life have gone up like so much antimatter. Actually thinking she can have sex with her own brother, mistaking Fujinami Ryuunosuke as yet another 'onii-sama' . . .! Lyna, she was once even convinced by Mendou Ryooko that her own fiancé was a monster from outer space!" She shook her head. "To believe I went up to her and said, 'Do you want to be a hero?' And she went along with it, just like that!"

The doctor snapped her fingers in emphasis. Otako nodded, and then a smirk crossed her face. "To believe . . . " she breathed out.

"What?"

"Moroboshi Ataru, the Chosen One of the Eternal Voyager," the Avalonian stated. "Daimon'cha and Daite'cha of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. If the ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh ever learned about that prior to when his precious 'goddess' was expelled from Earth once and for all . . . "

"True," the Sagussan mused with a grim nod. "Fortunately, the Elder Mother was able to spot all the Church's observers in Tomobiki in her recent visits to look in on Ataru-sama. She was able to avoid them as easily as she was able to avoid Tendou Nabiki's spies in Nerima."

"Was Nabiki really that bad?"

"And then some, but it was for an understandable cause in the end."

"What'll you do with her when she moves to Sagussa?"

"Put her in Resource Management, most likely," Chiyo replied. "She'd have loads of fun trying to figure out how the local interstellar economy works. All the different monetary scales, the uncertainties when it comes to dealing with different planets with different needs, what planets have what resources, what are actually considered precious metals on other worlds . . . "

"So you're saying that Priss chose quite well."

Chiyo gave her a look, her lips turned up in a grin. "Otako, as you're well aware, when the 'time of month' hits us, it's not always a conscious choice." She then gazed on her tricorder. "Lyna, I swear that sometimes, people on Sagussa are just as bad as people on Vos!"

Otako smirked. "Yeah, our version of recognition!"

* * *

On the _Haengge'cha_, Nabiki sneezed.

* * *

Otako then gave Chiyo an appraising look. "So, Sensei, do you have one?"

Chiyo returned her look, and then she grinned as she gave Gloriana's body a detailed look-over with her tricorder. "A bond-mate? No, not yet. I have a lover, though. She's Sylia, Priss' commander in Troop Six. We want to press it all the way to a bond-mating, but . . . "

"Since she's a Pathfinder and you're a doctor, you're possibly looking for another girl to make it a three-way," Otako quickly concluded.

"Unfortunately." Chiyo gave the Avalonian a curious look. "Interested?"

"I could be tempted," Otako mused. "My other-self kept me isolated from outside society. I never got the chance to interact with other Avalonians from the day I emerged from gestation until the day the ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh ordered all our recall to the factory before the Cataclysm."

The doctor flashed her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry to hear that." She perked, raising a finger to emphasize her point. "Why don't you consider becoming Gloriana's bond-mate? She'll have the same needs as everyone else."

Otako hummed as she considered that point. "If the Elder Mother would desire me for those purposes, I would be an idiot to refuse her." She gave Chiyo a wink. "So we BEST make sure that Gloriana has all the mental controls necessary to deal with her body's many remarkable strengths. Ne?"

"Hai!" Chiyo chimed in Japanese, and then she blinked as a beacon began to flash. "Ah, there were are . . . "

Eyes locked on the chamber gestating Tendou Kasumi's replacement body. As they watched, the bioroid's albino skin began to darken to the pinkish-bronze shade common to natives of Japan. The body itself grew a little taller to match Kasumi's height as the bust and hips adjusted themselves to what was proper for the Tendou matriarch. The facial tissue then moulded itself as the stubble of hair on the bioroid's head morphed from white to chocolate brown, it growing out into a wavy mass to the middle of the bioroid's back.

Seeing what was soon to emerge from gestation, Otako whistled in admiration. "She's a lovely one! I can't wait to meet her sister!"

Chiyo could only gape in shocked awe as her eyes drank in those beautiful features. That face, those lips, those breasts, those legs, that body . . .!

Oh, Lyna preserve her, that BODY!

To hold it, touch it, kiss it, do all sorts of naughty things to it!

Oh, yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! YES!

Sylia would approve instantly of this!

Oh, dear, this was just PERFECT!

_I want! I want! I want! I want! I want! I want! I want! I want! I WANT!_ Chiyo chanted in her mind at warp speed as she tried not to look like a slobbering idiot in front of Otako. _As Lyna is my witness, I WANT HER!_

* * *

"AH-CHOO!"

"Bless you, Kasumi-chan! Are you alright?!"

Kasumi blinked as she looked up from her okonomiyaki, and then she sniffed. "Oh, my! Someone must be talking about me!"

Everyone else gazed at her; they were relaxing in the _Haengge'cha_'s recreation lounge. "They better be good thoughts, though," Tomo then declared. "If they're not, I'll track down the rude kimei'ne and beat them into him!"

"Calm yourself, Master Chief," Koyomi gently scolded.

"And what's wrong with your bond-mate defending my sister's honour, Chief?" Nabiki asked as she stared at the artificer.

"Nabiki, you've never seen Tomo in action, have you?"

Nabiki blinked. "Uh, no."

Koyomi then raised a warning finger. "Then don't wish for something you'll DEFINITELY regret later!" She then winked. "Okay?!"

A few more blinks. "Um, if you say so, Yomi."

* * *

"AH-CHOO!"

"Bless you, Sylia! Are you coming down with a cold?!"

Sylia blinked as she stared at her hand, and then she gazed curiously at Reinoevan. "I'm not even sure WHAT brought that on, Rei!"

"Maybe that silly belief from Ataru's home country's infectious," Linna mused from the _Kiboo'cha_'s helm station.

"Lyna, I HOPE not!" Sylia muttered.

As Linna laughed, Rei pulled out her medical tricorder to make sure.

* * *

"I have to do this, Priss-san."

Priss blinked as she took that in, and then she breathed out, "Why?"

Nodoka shuddered. The first officer of Pathfinder Troop Six had just completed a detailed explanation of the Grand Design and how exactly both Moroboshi Ataru and Saotome Ranma had come to affect its outcome. While Priss had been opening Nodoka's eyes to a whole new world, Hisayo had reached over to grab her sister's tantou and shift it out of Nodoka's reach. "Priss-san, much that I appreciate how much you all care for Ataru-kun and my so- . . . " -- here, Nodoka stuttered -- " . . . my child, I . . . "

"You feel your loyalty to your father matters just as much, right?"

"Yes!"

Priss' eyebrows arched. "Even after you found out about Isao's involvement in Monma'cha's murder?"

"I . . .!"

Nodoka choked on her voice before she averted her eyes from Priss' gaze. The Sagussan took a deep breath, and then she reached over to give her host's shoulder a friendly squeeze. Nodoka blinked as a wave of calm washed through her, and then her own hand drifted up to rest on Priss' in thanks. The latter then turned to Hisayo, a smile crossing her face. "You seem to be of a quite different opinion when it comes to your late mother's husband than your sister here, Hisayo," she stated. "Why is that?"

Hisayo smirked on hearing Priss refer to Asagaya Isao as _that_. As Nodoka turned to gaze on her, the elder twin took a deep breath. "Nodoka-chan, do you really think deep down that Isao loved Mom? Do you REALLY think that?"

"Of course he cared for her, Onee-chan . . .!" Nodoka replied.

"No!" Hisayo snapped. "Isao was MARRIED to Mom! He never loved her!"

"That's not true!"

An incredulous look crossed Hisayo's face. "Oh, really?" A pause. "Nodoka-chan, I've told you this many times before. When Mom was dying, she pleaded with Isao to let you come visit! It was Mom's final wish, for Heaven's sake! Just to see her baby girl one more time! And what did that son-of-a-bitch do?! He refused her! He REFUSED her!" The look on the elder sister's face shifted to one of mock irony. "And WHY is it that Isao refused Mom's last request? Why, it was because he decided that because stupid little Nodoka allowed herself to become 'damaged goods' by getting pregnant! And worst of all, stupid little Nodoka got herself pregnant with one of the students of the man who proved himself to have cared for Mom more than Isao EVER did!"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Nodoka shrieked. "THAT MONSTER RAPED MOTHER!"

Hisayo shuddered before she snapped, "THAT 'MONSTER' IS OUR REAL FATHER!"

Silence.

Nodoka blinked, her jaw dropping in disbelief. "What . . .?"

Hisayo took several breaths to calm herself. "It's true, Nodoka-chan. Asagaya Isao isn't our father. Happoosai is."

More silence.

Priss watched as Nodoka's skin started to sallow, a tidal wave of denial surging through her as she slowly shook her head. "No . . . " Ranma's mother hoarsely gasped as she squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming through her lashes. "It's a lie . . . " she hissed out.

"It's not a lie, Nodoka-chan," Hisayo said. "I don't have proof positive of this, but it's easy to obtain. Mom told me this on her deathbed. It sure as hell surprises me that Isao hasn't sat back and figured it out . . . "

"Figured out what?!"

Hisayo smirked as she crossed her arms. "That our father made love to Mom exactly NINE MONTHS before we were born!"

Yet more silence.

"Nine months . . .?" Nodoka gasped.

"That can't possibly be true, Hisayo-chan."

Everyone turned to see the diminutive man currently standing at the entranceway. "Thoughtmaster-prime," Priss declared.

"You . . .!" Nodoka hissed on seeing Happoosai.

"Please."

That demure voice caused everyone to turn and gaze quizzically at Catty Ray. The lavender-haired android-turned-bioroid reached into her purse to draw out a tricorder. "With your permission, I can confirm whether or not Hisayo-sama is right," she then offered, holding up the device in emphasis.

"She can't be right," Happoosai asserted. "Thanks to those damned priests who hurt me after I tried to free Negako-chan . . . "

"You believed you wound up nearly sterile," Hisayo finished.

"Yes!" the aged grandmaster spat out.

"Ray, check it out," Priss ordered. "Let's settle it now."

"Hai!" Catty Ray replied as she drew out a portable scanner.

The tension mounted as she passed the device over Happoosai, and then Hisayo, and then Nodoka. Pressing a button on the scanner, Catty Ray waited for the information to download into the tricorder. Once that was done, she did a comparison scan. It took one minute.

Seeing the result, Catty Ray then breathed out. "I do believe congratulations are in order, Thoughtmaster-prime."

Happoosai jolted. "EH?!"

"You mean . . . " Nodoka squeaked.

"YES!" Hisayo screamed out.

"It's true," Catty Ray declared. "Say 'hello' to your daughters, sir."

Happoosai and Nodoka blinked as they took than in.

They then did what could be expected of them on hearing that.

They fainted!

_**To be continued . . .**_


	21. Writer's Notes

**_Lonely Souls  
_**By Fred Herriot  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

**

* * *

****WRITER'S NOTES:**

1) Since no one has EVER openly discussed a possible romantic paring between the male leads of two of Takahashi-sensei's well-known manga series (especially when one can become a girl with cold water!), I decided it was worth exploring. Naturally, many warned me away from it. To be honest, the only effect THOSE warnings had was to allow my imagination to go wild on this idea. So there!

2) I began writing this story the day before the world was shaken by the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon (the news of it was broken to me Tuesday night (Korea time) on 11 September 2001). Like so many, I was shaken by what happened. However, the sheer tragedy got me to thinking about how Islamic extremists might have viewed the "oil theft" depicted in the second "UY" television episode. One possible result of that is depicted here.

**NOTE**: PLEASE understand that this is NOT meant as an induction against Islam, its worshippers or its beliefs as written in the Qur'an.

**NOTE II**: In this story, the events of 11 September 2001 DID NOT HAPPEN.

3) This story can be seen as an "alternate" outcome of events depicted in the _UY-TSY_ story _Noa_, where Noa bonded Ataru to someone in a Sagussan marei'cha and surei'cha bonding.

4) Names are written in "family name-first" order if the family name is Oriental, which will include Imperial Urusian names, i.e. Moroboshi Ataru, Saotome Ranma, Redet Lum. Names are written in "family name-last" order if the family name is Occidental, which will include Zephyrite and Ellsian names, i.e. Yotsuba Dunn, Sunhair Windrider, Amora de Rosenbach. Noukiite names are written in the order "cast rank-family name gender/birth rank-given name."

5) Some of the side characters and situations that pop up in this story are inspired by Ranma fics I've taken greatly to over the last few years. Among them (too many to list) are those of Hung Nyugen, Robert Haynie (from _Girl Days_), Eric Hallstrom (from _Ranma and Akane - A Love Story_), Neil Reynolds (from _To Tell A Hawk From A Handsaw_) and Rippen Drakuzz. Two stories I should mention as plot influences for this are J.P. Buckner's _Saotome's Choice_ and The Deadly Nightshade's _The Truth #1: Ranma the Girl_. To them and to all the others out there that I didn't mention, my profound thanks.

6) Thanks also to the following who sent messages which both encouraged and helped me improve this story ever since the first draft got out on the FFML, and (if your name isn't here, I apologize):

"Adyen" - Alex Mewett - Amy Lee - "Archr" - "Arete" - Benjamin Goldberg - "Bira" - Bjorn Christianson - "Blacked Out" - Christopher Gilbert - "Cobalt" - Craig Helfgott - Dan Inverse - Danyella Skyler Silverfire - "Dave" - David Glass - "Destiny Nova" - "Do U Know Me?" - Edward Becerra - "Ertle2" - "Fundide Frost Phoniex" - "Gabriel Blessing" - Gerald Graham - Gerald Jordan - "GEVFUAN" - "Ginrai" - "Heh" - Helmut Steeg - "Holy Knight" - "Howard, the Grum" - Jacen Nettles - James Merritt - Jason Ashe - Jason Calhoun - J.C. Hoeving - "Jim" - Joe Chaos - Joerg Janshen-Jaeger - John Reisbeck - John Surber - Jonathan Rosebaugh - Kenneth Dohl - "Kinotama" - "Lady Cosmos" - "Lectrix" - "Lord Void" (AKA The Dragonbard) - Mark W. Shurtleff - "Megane 6.7" - "Mchambli" - Michael Foerster - Mike Koos - "Newfie Spaceman" - "Nightwings" - "Osiris" - Oystein Rambol - Peter Schell - "Quick Silver Knight" - "Redv0630" - Richard Robinson - Richard Speidel - Robert Masters - "Rogue1615" - Rui Costa - Ryoko "Jaywild1" Inua - "Schobronics" - Scott Jamison - Shea "Sunhawk" McIntee - "Shinigami" - "Slacker 99" - S. Mark Gunther - "Starfury" - Steffan Scrivener - Stephen J. Scalaro - Steven Musgrave - "Super-Teru Youma" - "Tannim" - Ted Hsu - "Tenchan1982" - "The Eternal Lost Lurker" - Thiemo Guenther - Thomas Dye - Tim Brazeau - "Tim TAW" - Toby Kilbreath - Tsukino Kage - "Ty9396" - "XStylus" - "Youma Therapy" - "Zoan"

7) Naturally, thanks to Steven Cornett and Robert Geiger for their words and support. Given the death of my mother, Eleanor B. Kushnir (who also served as editor for my past works) in 2001, whatever C&C I can get from everyone is welcome (though I have NO use for flames). Along those lines, thanks to Michael A. Chase, Vladimyr Hreskowsky and David Chamberlain for their reviews.

8) Some have complained about the use of Japanese phrases and words here. I apologize for that - it's a habit I caught when I was writing _Illusions_ - but I am trying to tone it down. Not to the bare bones, of course; this story IS set in Japan, so, IMHO, it's just only fair to toss some words in. Hopefully, you'll be able to understand what's being said by the context of the specific plotline. If not, translations are provided at the end of this file.

9) Related to that, of course, is the personalized way the sisters refer to Ataru, Negako and later Ranma, not to mention the habit some of them have of speaking in third-person. For those who wish to know, that is part of the charm of the _Sister Princess_ characters. So, FYI, here's a list of who speaks in what way (plus how it would be written in Japanese):

**Karen** . . . _Onii-chan_/_Onee-chan_ (hiragana, "nii"/"nee" in kanji)  
**Kaho** . . . _Onii-chama_/_Onee-chama_ (hiragana, "nii"/"nee" in kanji)  
**Mamoru** . . . _Anii_/_Anee_ (hiragana, the final "i"/"e" in small form)  
**Sakuya** . . . _Onii-sama_/_Onee-sama_ (kanji, "o" in hiragana)  
**Hinako** . . . _Onii-tama_/_Onee-tama_ (hiragana)  
**Marie** . . . _Aniue-sama_/_Aneue-sama_ (kanji)  
**Shirayuki** . . . _Nii-sama_/_Nee-sama_ (hiragana)  
**Rinrin** . . . _Aniki_/_Aneki_ (katakana)  
**Chikage** . . . _Ani-kun_/_Ane-kun_ (kanji, "kun" in hiragana)  
**Haruka** . . . _Anigimi-sama_/_Anegimi-sama_ (kanji, "sama" in hiragana)  
**Yotsuba** . . . _Ani-chama_/_Ane-chama_ (kanji, "chama" in katakana)  
**Aria** . . . _Nii-ya_/_Nee-ya_ (kanji, "ya" in hiragana)

As you will note, Kaho, Yotsuba and Aria speak in third person (using their names in lieu of "I"). Hinako uses "Hina" when referring to herself. Shirayuki calls herself "Hime." This form of speech and how they talk was used in the _Sister Princess_ anime and the novels Tenhiro-sensei and Kimino-sensei wrote about them. Other special expressions the girls use are as follows:

**desu no** - Ending to most of Shirayuki's sentences, like the appearance of the "-tcha" at the end of Lum's sentences.

**Poh!** - Haruka's personal exclamation, substitute for "Oh!", "Oh, my!", "Oh, dear!" - well, you get the hint, ne?

**Check**/**Checky!** - Yotsuba's favourite words. Often subs this for other words, i.e. "It's not checky!" for "That's not okay."

**Kusun!** - The sound Aria makes when she becomes upset about something. When you hear her make this noise, watch out!

I did make one change: Karen. In the anime and the novellas, Karen speaks in third-person. I decided that because she has spent a lot of time traveling abroad, she would be evolving from that habit when she meets her Onii-chan.

10) Information on the Tarot is based on information at the _Learn the Tarot_ site by Joan Bunning.

11) Alphabet soup time! Translations of intelligence agencies' initials:

**KCC**: _Kooan Choosa Chou_ (Japan) - Public Security Intelligence Agency  
**SVR**: _Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki_ (Russia) - Foreign Intelligence Service  
**KGB**: _Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti_ (USSR) - Committee for State Security  
**CIA**: _Central Intelligence Agency_ (USA)  
**SIS**: _Secret Intelligence Service_ (UK)  
**GAB**: _Guojia Anquan Bu_ (China) - Ministry for State Security  
**DGSE**: _Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure_ (France) - General Directorate of External Security  
**Mossad**: _Ha-Mossad le-Modi'in u-le-Tafkidim Meyuchadim_ (Israel) - Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations  
**CSIS**: _Canadian Security Intelligence Service_ (Canada)  
**KCW**: _Kukka Choungbo Won_ (South Korea) - National Intelligence Service

12) The Men in Black are based on characters from the movie of the same name.

13) Translation of _Misoch'ounsa_ (Angel's Smile), thanks to Lee Kyounghwa:

_Tchajungnaego hwareul naedo tto nouoe misoman pomyoun pabo kat'eun na_.  
(When you're angry and irritated at me, I see you smiling once, I'm very happy.)

_Noun nuga pwado aju yeppeugo t'amseurou'un sagwa kat'a kkaemurou chugo ship'ou anajugo ship'ou noueui p'ingk'eu pit hwasare kkojoussou_.  
(You're very beautiful, like a red apple. I want to give you a hug. I'm falling in love with you.)

_Noun moduege neul ch'injourae keuraesou ch'akkakdeul haji namaneui aeinin'goul ijji an'atdamyoun naege tou isang changnanch'ijineun ma_.  
(You're very kind to everybody, so you make them believe they can love you.)

_Yokshimi chinach'in koulkka chashini oumneun koulkka puran'an ma'eum ppunya_.  
(I wonder if I'm very greedy or if I'm not confident. I'm very nervous).

**NOTE**: Korean terms and phrases are transliterated from han'geul using my modified version of the McCune-Reischauer system. The short "o" sound (close to the "o" in "hOw") is Romanized as "ou." The short "u" sound (close to "ou" in "cOUld") is Romanized as "eu." The "a" in Korean is pronounced like the "a" in "fAther." The "ae" sound is pronounced similar to the "a" in "mAn." All other vowels are the same as Japanese.

Apostrophes splitting vowels such as "e" and "u" or "a" and "e" indicate two different sounds. The same also applies if an apostrophe splits "n" and "g;" in Korean, "ng" is similar to the English sound. If an apostrophe follows "k," "t," "p," or "ch," the sound is pronounced with a burst of breath. The normal "k," "t," "p," or "ch" are soft, slurring almost to "g," "d," "b," and "j" respectively. Double consonant sounds such as "kk," "tt," "pp" and "tch" (jj) are pronounced in the reverse order as their singular counterparts.

14) Mitsuhito, given the posthumous name "Shijou," was the 88th emperor of Japan, ruling from 1233-42 in the time of the Kamakura Shoogunate. Tomohito, given the posthumous name "Kookaku," was the 119th emperor of Japan, ruling from 1780-1816. The 29th year of his reign corresponds to 1808. Mutsuhito is known by his posthumous title "Meiji." The 30th year of his reign was 1896.

15) The mirror twins of Ranma appeared in Volume 35, parts 1-4 of the _Ranma 1/2_ manga. The names are based on equestrian motifs. Toshiko is composed of the kanji for "fleet steed" (TOSHI) and "child" (KO). Kumiko is composed of the kanji for "horse" (KU; more elegant form of "MA"), "beautiful" (MI) and "child" (KO). Kumiko's male name, Komakichi, takes the kun reading of the kanji for "horse" (KOMA) and combines it with the kanji for "lucky" (KICHI).

16) The Noroi no Ningyou appeared in Volume 31, parts 9-10 of the manga. Thanks to the people at the Ranmascan Project for providing translated pages of that story. The name later given to her, Kimiko, is a name often used by fan-fiction writers for Akane's mother.

17) The "wedding dress" party in Part 4 is a reference to episode 7 of the first _Sister Princess_ TV series, where the sisters hold a mock-mass wedding, with their Big Brother (Minakami Wataru in the TV series) serving as the groom.

18) The translation of **Tenchiaiki Juukazoku**: TEN - "Heaven"; CHI - "Earth"; AI - "Harmony"; KI - "Spirit"; JUU - "Ten"; KAZOKU - "Clan." In essence, "The Ten Spiritually Harmonious Houses of Heaven and Earth."

19) Niphentaxians do have family names, but with the advance of the Church of Lum, those names are not commonly used. In addition, a ranking system was used as a prefix to the family name, depending on the person's standing:

**ot'ndai** - founder/supreme leader of a church  
**t'ndai** - senior layperson (i.e. the President)  
**odai** - senior priest/priestess  
**edai** - very important layperson (i.e. head of family)  
**bedai** - important layperson  
**sudai** - junior priest/priestess  
**dai** - basic honorific

20) Tendou Shinshi's given name can be translated two ways. One (according to my Japanese-English dictionary) could read "gentleman." The one I prefer is the combination of the kanji for "lion" and "heart."

21) The Daishi'cha were introduced in _The Senior Year_. The characters appearing in this story are named in honour of characters appearing in many anime, manga and game series that I've become familiar with over the years. **AUTOMATIC DISCLAIMER**: those characters were created and are copyrighted by their creators and are only used in this story for non-profit purposes. **NOTE**: The situation concerning several Daishi'cha as they appear in _Lonely Souls_ will be different than what was shown in _The Senior Year_.

22) Sumo wrestlers are properly referred to as "rikishi." It seemed right to me to use the term "rikibuta" when speaking of Akari's pigs. Many thanks to the creators of the English website for the Japan Sumo Association for providing a very thorough index of sumotori terms.

23) Nassur was created by Mike Smith for his own UY fan-fiction series before his work was united with mine to eventually produce _The Senior Year_. Nassur's first appearance was in _Return of Memory_. Mike was also responsible for Seikou Mie's creation, though I was the one who established her past history with as Daishi'cha #337. She first appeared in _Alternate Lum-san_. Pamanba first made her appearance in _Shinobu's Best Friend_, one of Mike's final stories for TSY. Shogai Dakejinzou first appeared in _Arrive Reiko-chan_ while Ryooki Koosei made his debut in _The Return of Koosei Ryooki_. Moroboshi Nokoko and Mujanba first appeared in _Together The Outland_. Varena appeared in _Marcia's Story_. Hinanba and her companions showed up in _The Last Child of the Outland_.

24) The Kiss of the Butterfly was created by Eric Hallstrom in _Ranma and Akane: A Love Story_. In reading his story, I came to appreciate Eric's concept of something powerful being given such a soft name; that idea also influenced the history behind Noukiios' eunuch's swords and the names chosen for them. I used the Kiss concept in my _Illusions_ story _A Child's Valentine_. In a salute to that work, I chose to keep Latin terms in lieu of using Japanese.

25) Modoki Mako appeared in the story _The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre_, which later appeared in the _Trouble Times Ten_ graphic novel released by Viz. She ALSO appeared in the following story, _The Ant Trap of Love_. The Red Cloak appeared in the story of the same name, which appeared in the anthology _Lum in the Sun_. His real name was selected by myself. Virility appeared in the story _The Devil's Run_, which was the first story in the _Lum in the Sun_ anthology. The encounter with Amaterasu et al was in _Here Comes The Sun_, which was reprinted in the _Ran Attacks!_ anthology, the last produced by Viz.

26) **UNODIR** - _Unless Otherwise Directed_. The creed taken by the "Rogue Warrior," Richard Marcinko (Commander, US Navy, retired), when it came to dealing with senior commanders who didn't appreciate the need for specialized warfare tactics to be employed in a timely fashion.

27) The translation of _Coinleach Glas an Fhómhair_, done by Larry Keith Ogle:

_Ar chonnlaigh ghlais an Fhoghmhair_  
(On the green stubble-fields of Autumn)  
_A stóirin gur dhearc mé uaim_  
(I saw you, my sweetheart)  
_Ba deas do chos i mbróig_  
(Nice were your feet in shoes)  
_'Sba ró-dheas do leagan siubhail_  
(And wonderful your nimble gait)  
_Do ghruaidh ar dhath na rósai_  
(Your hair the colour of roses)  
_'Sdo chúirnini bhi fighte dlúith_  
(And your ringlets tightly plaited)  
_Monuar gan sinn 'ár bpósadh_  
(Alas that we're not married)  
_Nó'r bórd luinge 'triall 'un siubhail_  
(Or on board ship sailing away)

* * *

**TRANSLATIONS**:

**NOTE**: All terms are from Japanese unless noted otherwise.

**konban wa** – _good evening  
_**irasshaimase** – _be welcome_ (greeting when one enters a restaurant)  
**gomen**/**gomen ne**/**gomen nasai** - _I'm sorry  
_**kimch'i** – _fermented vegetables spiced with red pepper powder_ (Korean)  
**komt'ang** – _beef-bone stew_ (Korean)  
**soulloungt'ang** – _beef and noodles stew_ (Korean)  
**kalbit'ang** – _beef rib stew_ (Korean)  
**samgyet'ang** – _chicken and rice stew with ginseng_ (Korean)  
**hanko** – _personal stamp used to notarize official documents  
_**roonin** – _master-less samurai_ (also a euphemism for failed college exam takers)  
**burakumin** – _village people_ (euphemism for Japan's "untouchables")  
**Ip'ihu** – _Tribe of the Ravenous Wolves_ (Noukiite)  
**Tok-do** – _Korean name for the Liancourt Rocks_ (Japanese name **Take-shima**)  
**shinobigatana** – _ninja's version of a katana  
_**kunoichi** – _female ninja  
_**kuromoroboshi** – _black shooting stars  
_**Toranoseishin** – _Spirit of the Tiger  
_**odango** – _meat or vegetable dumplings, similar to won ton  
_**seifuku** – _"sailor suit" style girl's school uniform  
_**kuma** – _bear  
_**soo desu no** – _that's true_/_it's okay_ (Shirayuki-speak)  
**umi** – _sea  
_**hakama** – _wide-legged pleated pants  
_**naginata** – _a weapon similar to a pike, traditionally welded by women  
_**NHK** – _initials for _**Nippon Hoosou Kyookai**_, or "Japan Broadcasting Corporation"_

**gaijin** – _outside person_ (euphemism for a foreigner)  
**bokken** – _hardwood practice sword  
_**kendou-ka** – _practitioner of kendou  
_**bentou** – _box lunch  
_**koi** – _carp  
_**iinazuke** – _fiancé_/_fiancée  
_**chou** – _name suffix for a city district  
_**doori** – _name suffix for a road  
_**Roomaji** – _Roman alphabet  
_**kaffeeklatsch** – _private meeting where coffee is served_ (German)  
**soba** – _thin buckwheat noodles  
_**shiatsu** – _pressure-point healing  
_**giri** – _duty and obligation  
_**tadaima** – _I'm home_/_I'm back  
_**yatai** – _mobile "restaurant on wheels"  
_**okaeri nasai**/**okaeri ne** – _welcome home/welcome back  
_**seppuku** – _ritual suicide by self-disembowelment _

**Tonghae** – _East Sea_ (Korean)  
**Nihon-kai** – _Sea of Japan  
_**kamsahamnida** – _thank you_ (Korean (formal))  
**noren** – _restaurant banner  
_**Koshin** – _Tiger Cub  
_**ja!** – _good-bye!_ (informal)  
**nikuman** – _steamed buns with meat, vegetable or fruit paste filling  
_**Shin-oosaka** – _New Osaka  
_**Shinkan-sen** – _New Trunk Line_ (euphemism for Japan's bullet train service)  
**gunsen** – _hand-held metal war fan  
_**Inshin** – _Tiger Spirit_ (**in** is another way of reading the kanji for **tora**)  
**yeo** – _woman_ (Korean; also Romanised as **you** or **yu**)  
**lanja** – _wild child_ (Korean reading of the kanji for "Ranko")  
**nam** – _man_ (Korean)  
**lanma** – _wild horse_ (Korean reading of the kanji for "Ranma")  
**gaidou** – _name suffix for a city street  
_**kyuudou** – _Zen archery  
_**hai desu no** – _yes_/_okay_ (Shirayuki-speak)  
**itadakimasu** – _I am about to partake_ (said before the start of a meal)  
**Zhongnáhai** – _Central and Southern Seas_ (Mandarin)  
**gambatte** – _do your best  
_**ryokan** – _traditional inn  
_**minshuku** – _budget version of a ryokan, like a bed-and-breakfast _

**miso** – _soybean paste, normally used in breakfast soup  
_**torii** – _archway placed at the entrance of a Shinto shrine  
_**oodachi** – _large sword_ (an evolutionary earlier version of the modern katana)  
**sayonara** – _good-bye  
_**ondol** – _floor-pipe heating system using hot water and gas_ (Korean)  
**kuromegane** – _black glasses  
_**gi** – _martial arts uniform  
_**boosoozoku** – _violent-running tribe_ (euphemism for motorcycle gang riders)  
**gakuran** – _variation of school uniforms normally worn by boosoozoku  
_**Ojou-sama** – _Lady_ (formal way of addressing an unmarried woman)

**okonomiyaki-ka** – _person who makes okonomiyaki  
_**man-en** – _10,000 yen_ ("yen" is pronounced **en** in Japan)  
**moshi-moshi** – _hello_ (used only over the telephone)  
**Kita-Hiroshima** – _North Hiroshima  
_**rokkyuu** – _sixth-level initiate_ (martial arts rank)  
**hajime** – _begin_ (said at the start of a contest)  
**dobu salada** – _sewage salad  
_**Hajj** – _the annual pilgrimage to Makkah al-Mukarramah_ (Mecca)_, one of Islam__'s Five Pillars_ (the five main duties incumbent on all Muslims)  
**meishi** – _business card _

**Jii-ya** – _Grandpa_ (Aria-speak)  
**uzura-dango** – _quail dumplings  
_**ohayou**/**ohayou gozaimasu** – _good morning  
_**Ryokan Ningyou-yakata** – _Inn of the Antique Doll  
_**onsen** – _hot springs _

**shuuban** – _weekly duty  
_**ohayou gozaimasu desu no** – _good morning_ (Shirayuki-speak)  
**Ryuunosuke-shima** – _Ryuunosuke'__s Island  
_**sarashi** – _wide chest-wrapping traditionally worn by samurai while in armour  
_**Toodai** – _Tokyo University_ (Japan's top-ranked post-secondary school)  
**Laozi** – _Also known as Lao Tsu_ (the founder of Taoism)  
**shoogun** – _supreme general_ (the military dictator of Japan in feudal times)  
**ji** – _place name ending for a Buddhist temple  
_**Jinfuku Hensenkaze** – _Combat Clothing Transform Whirlwind  
_**Kitei** – _Modification/Alternate  
_**Takishiido Fuku** – _Tuxedo Uniform_

**Tookaidou Shinkan-sen** – _Main train line between Tokyo and Osaka  
_**eki** – _name suffix for a train station  
_**genin** – _beginner-level ninja  
_**chuunin** – _mid-level ninja  
_**joonin** – _senior ninja  
_**chi** – _Earth  
_**hime** – _princess_ (title also used for a lady head of the household)  
**fatwa** – _religious decree made by a mufti_ (Arabic)  
**arigatou desu no** – _thank you_ (Shirayuki-speak)  
**sokomade** – _stop/cease_ (said to end a match)  
**chikan** – _one who commits an obscene act, such as copping a feel  
_**Haku Dato Shinshou** – _White Snake Reliable Venom-Fist  
_**Kijin Raishuu Dan** – _Demon God Assault Shot  
_**dono** – _title suffix for the head of household  
_**Goshin Buufu** – _Body Defence Air Cloth  
_**doogi** – _fighting uniform  
_**qu'f-piaqu'r** – _fire stick_ (Yehisrite)  
**parthenogenetic** (_adjective_)/**parthenogenesis** (_noun_) – _virgin creation_ (Greek)

**Tensei-ryuu** – _Heaven__s Star School  
_**ttouk-manduguk** – _rice cake and dumpling stew_ (Korean)  
**Goshin Eifu** – _Body Defence Cloak of Eternity  
_**Goshin Kaze-fu** – _Body Defence Wind-Cloak  
_**Fuusen-ken** – _Thousand Fists of the Wind  
_**Eisen-ken** – _Thousand Fists of Eternity  
_**Yekhu** – _Tribe of the Heavenly Dragons_ (Noukiite)  
**K'et'hu** – _Tribe of the Wandering Tigers_ (Noukiite)  
**Ch'uoeuk** – _King of Kings_ (Noukiite)  
**Naihu** – _Tribe of the Quiet Mice_ (Noukiite)  
**musume** – _daughter  
_**uo-t'ich** – _race of dogs_ (Noukiite)  
**noukik'eng** – _Noukiite traditional clothing  
_**Eien Mooko Taifun-ke** – _Hand of the Eternal Righteous Typhoon  
_**kamidana** – _Shinto shrine for a house or doojou  
_**mizu** – _water  
_**seiza** – _formal kneeling position_

**imam** – _leader of a mosque_ (Arabic)  
**Do vanan'cha** – _Contraction of_ **Igh do vanan'cha**_, or "My heart is yours"_ (Sagussan)  
**Ciao ciao** – _Goodbye_ (Italian)  
**ku** – _name suffix for a city ward  
_**Bishoojo Kaitou** – _Beautiful Lady Thief  
_**ken** – _name suffix for a prefecture  
_**Happou Go-en Satsu** – _Happoosai Five Yen Drain  
_**Happou Gojuu-en Satsu** – _Happoosai Fifty Yen Drain  
_**Happou Tsurisen Gaeshi** – _Happoosai No Coin Return _

**nattou** – _dish made from fermented soybeans, known for its strong smell  
_**Sugoi desu no!** – _Wow!_ (Shirayuki-speak)  
**Kiraboshi** – _Bright Star  
_**otaku** – _fanatic  
_**keibuho** – _police detective  
_**aloha kakahiaka** – _good morning_ (Hawai'ian)  
**poi** – _fermented taro root paste_ (Hawai'ian)  
**koochou** – _school principal/headmaster  
_**Banzai!** – _May you live ten thousand years!  
_**wahine** – _woman_ (Hawai'ian)  
**daimyou** – _great name_ (term for the feudal lords of medieval Japan)  
**to** – _metropolis_ (name suffix for the government controlling Tokyo)  
**Heian-jidai** – _The Heian period of classical Japanese history_ (794-1185)  
**butsudan** – _Buddhist house memorial for the dead _

**T'ui Shou** – _pushing hands  
_**uwabaki** – _indoor shoes  
_**genki** – _bright, cheerful, always positive  
_**shinai** – _bamboo practice sword used by kendou-ka  
_**Yoroshiku onegaishimashita** – _I ask you for a favour  
_**Pirpirsiw'r** – _Most Dangerous Soldier_ (Yehisrite)  
**RSS/C** – _Republic of Sagussa Starcraft  
_**RSS** – _Republic of Sagussa Starship  
_**Daishi'cha** – _Great First Mother_ (Sagussan)  
**marei'cha** – _the one with whom you raise a child_ (Sagussan)  
**ersatz** – _substitute/replacement_ (German)

**Anata** – _Dear_ (what a wife addresses her husband as)  
**Nouki-e** – _Noukiite language  
_**han'geul** – _Korean alphabet  
_**MIT** – _Massachusetts Institute of Technology  
_**Caltech** – _California Institute of Technology  
_**Daimon'cha** – _Great First Father_ (Sagussan)  
**rikibuta** – _pig of strength  
_**beya** – _sumo stable _

**shinobi** – _another name applied to ninja  
_**Shoowa Emperor** – _Posthumous name for Emperor Hirohito_ (1901-1989)  
**sumotori** – _practitioner of sumo  
_**kesho-mawashi** – _formal loincloth worn by a sumotori  
_**dohyo** – _sumo fighting ring  
_**RENS** – _Royal Ellsian Naval Ship  
_**Ainu** – _Japan's original inhabitants, now living in Hokkaido _

**thermospheric** (_adjective_), **thermosphere** (_noun_) – _Part of Earth__s atmosphere between 80-500 kilometres above sea level  
_**yokozuna** – _sumo grand champion  
_**vayae** – _My darling/My dearest_ (Sagussan)  
**eiuoiiaoii** – _Phonetic reading of Lufy's sequential number as if the values were individual numbers and not a whole value (2-7-3-6-3)_ (Sagussan)  
**ashoi'cha** – _elder sister_ (Sagussan)  
**oioai-oi'iiui** – _Phonetic reading of Catty's sequential number, incorporating the actual multiple of ten where the "0" would be (4-10,000-4-3-5)_ (Sagussan)  
**Thoughtmaster-prime** (_male_), **Thoughtmistress-prime** (_female_) – _Sagussan title for a senior teacher or principal  
_**haijo-ju** – _will of the people_ (Sagussan)  
**surei'cha** – _the one with whom you have a child_ (Sagussan)  
**mawashi** – _sumotori's standard loincloth  
_**rikishi** – _men of strength; another term for a sumotori  
_**jou** – _short quarterstaff _

**ISS** – _Independent Starship  
_**sencha** – _green tea  
_**mi-ke** – _three fur; preferred colouring of a Japanese bobtail cat  
_**Osculum Papilionis** – _Kiss of the Butterfly_ (Latin)  
**k'uk'e** – _fool/idiot_ (Noukiite)  
**ISS/C** – _Independent Solar Sail Craft  
_**ki** – _common Sagussan profane expletive  
_**pe'cha** – _blood sibling_ (Vosian)  
**himitsu desu no** – _it's a secret_ (Shirayuki-speak)  
**PRCZ** – _Protestant Reformist Church of Zephyrus _

**larboard** – _another way of mentioning a ship's port side  
_**ryi'** – _child of . . ._ (Nagussan)  
**Dowe'on** – _Guardians of the Stars_ (Ipraedies-speak)  
**Asan'on** – _Guardians of the Home_ (Ipraedies-speak)  
**Kitatookyou** – _North Tokyo  
_**daijoubu desu no** – _Are you okay?_ (Shirayuki-speak)  
**nom de guerre** – _name of war_ (French)  
**Ashi'cha** – _Elder Mother_ (Sagussan)  
**Bon appétit** – _Enjoy your meal_ (French)  
**aoaiuiui'io** – _Phonetic reading of Makoto's sequential number, read in the same manner as Lufy's would be read (6-1-5-5-8)_ (Sagussan)  
**de'ne** – _idiot_ (Sagussan)

**Euk Hisehek** – _King of the World of Holy Reincarnation_ (Noukiite)  
**Setsubun** – _End of Winter festival_ (celebrated on 3 February)  
**ii'iieo** – _Phonetic reading of Mie's sequential number (3-3-7)_ (Sagussan)  
**ioiouieoao** – _Phonetic reading of Nene's sequential number (8-8-5-7-6)_ (Sagussan)  
**eiei'ioao-o** – _Phonetic reading of Priss' sequential number, the last syllable marking the multiple of ten (2-2-8-6-10)_ (Sagussan)  
**eoao'oe-eoii** – _Phonetic reading of Sylia's sequential number, the third syllable marking the multiple of ten (7-6-1000-7-3)_ (Sagussan)  
**aioai-eieoei** – _Phonetic reading of Reinoevan's sequential number, the second syllable marking the multiple of ten (1-10,000-2-7-2)_ (Sagussan)  
**ui'iioe-uoai** – _Phonetic reading of Linna's sequential number, the third syllable marking the multiple of ten (5-3-1000-9-1)_ (Sagussan)  
**uouiaioi'ii** – _Phonetic reading of Asukanoevan's sequential number (9-5-1-3-2)_ (Sagussan)  
**eiei'ioaoai** – _Phonetic reading of Sylvie's original sequential number (2-2-8-6-1)_ (Sagussan)_. With her return to Sagussa in the wake of Ataru's first visit, Sylvie would get the letter "A" added after her number (22861-A).  
_**mei'aidoei** – _half-life, the standard euphemism for a clone_ (Sagussan)  
**tamgh va ragh** – _lover's dance_ (Sagussan)  
**omiai** – _meeting between prospective marriage partners  
_**uisen'a** – _Fifth Republic/fifth civilisation_ (Sagussan)  
**mei'ne** – _mindless_ (Sagussan)  
**taisa** – _Navy captain, Army colonel, Air Force group captain (NATO rank code OF-5, U.S. pay grade code O-6)  
_**furigana** – _hiragana or katakana placed over a kanji to facilitate reading _

**pulgogi** – _marinated beef _(Korean)  
**naengmyoun** – _cold buckwheat noodles in broth_ (Korean)  
**Pang Manjok** – _Kneading Bread_ (Sagussan)  
**azhis'f** – _Vosian-Yehisrite hybrid_ (Yehisrite)  
**Amon'cha** – _Elder Father_ (Sagussan)  
**tanuki** – _raccoon dog  
_**kari'fu** – _Vosian version of ninjutsu  
_**zaibatsu** – _property_ (euphemism for the large business conglomerates that existed in Japan prior to World War Two)  
**gensui** – _Navy admiral of the fleet, Army field marshal, Air Force marshal of the air force (NATO rank code OF-10, U.S. pay grade code O-11)  
_**daitooryou** – _president  
_**iie desu no** – _of course not_ (Shirayuki-speak)  
**etchi** – _pervert  
_**kurotenshi** – _black angels  
_**tantou** – _short sword  
_**chichi** – _native Vosian ursine  
_**monma'cha** – _bond-mate's father_ (Sagussan)


	22. Dramatis Personae

_**Lonely Souls**_** Dramatis Personæ  
**By Fred Herriot  
Based on _Urusei Yatsura_ and _Ranma 1/2_, created by Takahashi Rumiko; and _Sister Princess_, created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.  
Set in the universe of the fan-fiction series _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_, created by Mike Smith and Fred Herriot

* * *

**NOTE**: This list is created due to frequent complaints from readers considering the necessity of having a "scorecard" around to keep track of all the characters I use in my stories. And, given that this is a crossover story between THREE separate series, with elements of other series being tossed into it to spice things up even more, the need for something like this is clearly necessary. All entries here are listed in Western alphabetical order, family name-first (unless the character has no applicable family name known). A guide as to the origins of the character will be provided at the end of the list (abbreviations of same being put in each entry). Anyhow . . .

* * *

**AISURU, Rui** (FT)  
Aisuru Satoshi's mother. 

**AISURU, Satoshi "Megane"** (U)  
Leader of "Lum's Stormtroopers," Redet Lum's unofficial fan club at Tomobiki High School. Lum's most fanatic defender bar none on Earth. (_given name appearing in several Japanese websites, family name created by myself_)

**ALHAMZI, Ibrahim** (FL)  
A native of Qatar who is a member of the Tomobiki Sanitation Service. In truth, he is a would-be suicide bomber working for a fundamental Islamic organization.

**AMY (Master Chief Petty Officer)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #83572 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Coxswain of RSS _Hasei__'cha_. (_named in tribute to Amy, the Solnoid intelligence officer from the second and third _Gall Force_ OVAs_)

**ANRI (Leading Servicewoman)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #22862A of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. The communications and computer expert of Pathfinder Troop Six's First Section. Sylvie's bond-mate. (_named in tribute to Anri, the 33-S Sexaroid boomer befriended by Asagiri Priss in the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis)

**ARASHI, Mika** (FT/FL)  
The alias taken by Aruka Damasu when she settles full-time on Earth.

**ARIMA, Fumiko (dai-HAINYO, Feiya)** (FL)  
A Niphentaxian-form Avalonian, once an observer for the Church of Lum in Tomobiki, now working for the Hotel Kiraboshi in Onogawa.

**ARUKA, Damasu** (FT)  
A Seishin-form Avalonian, a replica of Aruka Ran created by the Niphentaxians at Nassur's request. See **ARASHI, Mika**

**ARUKA, Ran** (U)  
Redet Lum's childhood playmate and rival for the love of Seq Rei. (_family name created by myself_) See **IZUMO, Sakiko**

**ASAGAYA, Hisayo** (FL)  
Saotome Nodoka's older twin sister, who emotionally supported Nodoka when she was separated from the remainder of her family, especially their late mother Nana.

**ASAGAYA, Ichihara** (FL)  
Eldest son of Asagaya Isao.

**ASAGAYA, Isao** (FL)  
Saotome Nodoka's father.

**ASAGAYA, Ryuuzuke** (FL)  
Second eldest son of Asagaya Isao.

**ASANO, Sayuri** (R)  
One of Tendou Akane's friends at Fuurinkan High School. (_family name created by myself_)

**ASUKANOEVAN "Asuka" (Chief Petty Officer)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #95143 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Chief of Pathfinder Troop Six's Second Section. Reinoevan's bond-mate. In her first life, she was Redet Lum's paternal great grand-aunt, Aruka Asuka. (_named in tribute to Asuka Soryuu Langley, the mecha pilot from the anime series _Shin Seiki Evangelion)

**AYUMU (Master Chief Petty Officer)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #70108 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Originally from Yiziba, Ayumu was an incarnation of "Infinity," the most powerful Yizibajohei ever to live. Serves as the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Sagussan Navy, the senior non-commissioned member of the service. (_named in tribute to Kasuga "Osaka" Ayumu, the high school student from the manga and anime series _Azumanga Daioh)

**des BEAUCHAMPS, Aria Claudia Jeanne Michelle** (S)  
Second youngest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters, future mistress of the Genesis Wand of Parah. Addresses Ataru as "Nii-ya" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Nee-ya." (_family and all middle names created by myself_)

**The BISHOOJO KAITOU CLOVER** (S)  
An alias used by Yotsuba Dunn whenever she wants to do anything and not have herself blamed on it. It was inspired by the Errol Flynn version of _Robin Hood_.

**dai-BOHGAR, Jonna** (FL)  
Daughter of Miree ot'ndai-Bohgar, member of the Niphentaxian Church of Hollywood. She was freed with her mother and her sister by Moroboshi Ataru when he visited Lumukyou to deal with Oogi ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh.

**ot'ndai-BOHGAR, Miree** (FL)  
Senior priestess of the Niphentaxian Church of Hollywood, who was imprisoned by the Church of Lum at the time Moroboshi Ataru visited Lumukyou to deal with Oogi ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh.

**dai-BOHGAR, Orin** (FL)  
Daughter of Miree ot'ndai-Bohgar, member of the Niphentaxian Church of Hollywood. She was freed with her mother and her sister by Moroboshi Ataru when he visited Lumukyou to deal with Oogi ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh.

**BOSABOSA, Daisuke** (R)  
One of Saotome Ranma's acquaintances at Fuurinkan High School.

**CATTY (Healer Watchmistress)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #40435 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Senior doctor aboard the special mission warpsloop RSS _Hasei'cha_. Current bond-mate to the Elder Mother of All Sagussa. (_named in tribute to Catty, the android character from the anime series_ Gall Force, Rhea Gall Force_ and _Gall Force: Earth Chapter)

**CATTY RAY (Petty Officer)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #S40435 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. A companion android replica of Daishi'cha #40435 (Catty), she evolved into full-sentience at the prompting of her long-time lover, Lufy. (_named in tribute to the alias taken by the android Catty, Catty Ray Caroway, as she appeared in the anime series _Rhea Gall Force _and _Gall Force: Earth Chapter)

**CHANPATSU, Hiroshi** (R)  
One of Saotome Ranma's acquaintances at Fuurinkan High School.

**CHIYO (Healer)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #39171 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. The youngest Daishi'cha to be brought to Sagussa (as rated by the age of her body after regeneration). Currently a doctor assigned to the Tere'na Province medical group. (_named in tribute to Mihama Chiyo, the high school student from the manga and anime series _Azumanga Daioh)

**DAREMO, Hiroyuki "Kakugari"** (U)  
Member of "Lum's Stormtroopers," Redet Lum's unofficial fan club at Tomobiki High School. (_given name appearing in several Japanese websites, family name created by myself_)

**The DENSETSU no DOOGI** (R)  
A sentient battlesuit which is capable of giving its wearer the ability to access all his/her fighting capabilities and potential. As it is sentient, it is rather picky concerning whom it chooses to bond with. Tendou Akane once used this to battle Saotome Ranma.

**DUNN, Yotsuba Nemain** (S)  
Sixth youngest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters. An amateur detective. Addresses Ataru as "Ani-chama" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Ane-chama." (_family and middle names created by myself_) See **The BISHOOJO KAITOU CLOVER**

**EIGO, Kaho** (S)  
Third youngest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters. An amateur cheerleader, though quite clumsy. Addresses Ataru as "Onii-chama" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Onee-chama." (_family name created by myself_)

**Queen ELLE LXIV** (U)  
Present monarch of the Ellsian Kingdom and Redet Lum's primary rival for the hand of Moroboshi Ataru, whom she calls "Honey." (_nominal suffix created by myself_)

**ELUZA (Shipmistress)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #32306 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Commanding officer of the special missions warpsloop RSS _Hasei__'cha_, which was Lufy's old command before she transferred to Pathfinder Troop Six. (_named in tribute to Eluza, the acting commander of the _Starleaf_ in the first _Gall Force _movie_)

**de ESTERCHILD, Babara** (U)  
Queen Elle's nanny. (_family name created by myself_)

**FALQUES, Rene** (FL)  
Agent of the French General Department of External Security.

**FEIYA**  
See **ARIMA, Fumiko**

**FIREWIND, Lightstar** (FL)  
Priest of the Abbey of the Holy Gatherer.

**The FRANKEN Twins** (U)  
Senior members of Soban's gang. (_In the episode where they appear, they were called "Franken One" and "Franken Two." I changed the numbers to "Hitori" and "Futari" respectively_)

**FUJII, Chieko** (FL)  
One of Tendou Nabiki's assistants, a classmate of Tendou Akane.

**FUJIKAZE, Nobuko** (FT/FL)  
The alias taken by Shigaten Kamen when she settles full-time on Earth.

**FUJINAMI, Fujimi** (U)  
Fujinami Ryuunosuke's misogynistic father. A man who refuses to accept his child as anything but a boy and works very hard to keep it that way. (_given name created by myself, based on an old pre-AnimEigo fan-subbed copy of the OVA _Nagisa's Fiancé)

**FUJINAMI, Ryuunosuke** (U)  
Classmate of Miyake Shinobu. A girl raised as a boy by her widowed father, seen as the heir of the family business, the Fujinami Hamachaya Teashop. A very skilled martial artist.

**FUNGI  
**See **dai-JAEDEEN, Fungi**

**FUSEGU, Jinseiko** (FT)  
Combat leader of the Kuromoroboshi.

**GEKASAWA, Kumiko** (U)  
One of Mendou Shuutarou's more ardent fans in Tomobiki High School. (_family name created by myself_)

**GOSUNKUGI, Hikaru** (R)  
A member of Tendou Akane's class who dabbles in voodoo sorcery. Were he not so physically weak, he could be considered a member of the Horde o'Hentai.

**HANA, Naho** (FL)  
Moroboshi Nagaiwakai's niece, who has had to live under the alias "Horikawa Nahoko" since her parents were murdered. Owner of the Hotel Kiraboshi in Onogawa, she was also the person who donated her DNA and RNA to allow a bioroid body to be built for Moroboshi Negako.

**HANAWA, Mitsu** (U)  
Former homeroom teacher for Moroboshi Ataru's class at Tomobiki High School. (_given name created by myself_)

**HAPPOOSAI** (R)  
Grandmaster of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu, teacher of Tendou Souun and Saotome Genma. Also the one person who can readily call himself Moroboshi Negako's friend.

**HATOYAMA, Rinrin** (S)  
Sixth oldest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters. A mad scientist in the making. Addresses Ataru as "Aniki" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Aneki." (_family name created by myself_)

**de HAUSENBACH, Rose "Seven Bake Rose"** (U)  
Professional mercenary from the planet Elle, who often does jobs for the Rose Queen. (_birth name created by myself_)

**HIBIKI, Ryouga** (R)  
Saotome Ranma's rival from junior high school, once-rival for the hand of Tendou Akane until he met Unryuu Akari. Victim of the Heitoweniichuan curse of Jusenkyou, which he used to pretend to be Akane's pet pig "P-chan."

**HINANBA** (FT)  
Field operative of the Vosian Special Hunter Corps assigned to the Planet of Shadows mission.

**HIROSAKI, Chikage** (S)  
Second oldest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters. A sorceress and expert of the Tarot. Addresses Ataru as "Ani-kun" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Ane-kun." (_family name created by myself_)

**HIROSAKI, Ryuuji** (FL)  
Hirosaki Chikage's maternal grandfather, an elemental archmage and expert in the occult.

**HITOMARU, Ichinou** (FL)  
Captain of the Fuurinkan High School sumo club and member of the Horde o'Hentai.

**HONEY** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #19283 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Noa's sister, who serves as a physical education officer. (_named in tribute to Kisaragi Honey, the android heroine of the manga and anime series _Cutey Honey)

**HOOFUKU, Akiko** (FT)  
Hoofuku Reiji's daughter and Hana Naha's aunt, a chuunin in the Hoofuku Ninjutsu-ryuu.

**HOOFUKU, Reiji** (FT)  
Hana Naha's maternal grandfather, joonin of his in-clan school of ninjutsu and sworn enemy of the Moroboshi Clan. Reiji was ultimately responsible for the deaths of Naha's parents, Hana Seinen and Hana (nee Hoofuku) Jiko.

**HORIKAWA, Mutsumi (dai-TYTHYA, Mutzi)** (FL)  
Niphentaxian-form Avalonian, a former brothel house worker who fled to Earth under the guidance of Kaili bedai-Tythya to eventually come to work at the Hotel Kiraboshi in Onogawa. Mutsumi was directly adopted by Hana Naho in her guise as "Horikawa Nahoko." (_name and looks taken from the character Horikawa Mutsumi, from the game _Hookago Renai Club)

**HORIKAWA, Nahoko**  
See **HANA, Naho**

**HORIKAWA, Nanase (dai-TYTHYA, Nana)** (FL)  
Niphentaxian-form Avalonian, a former brothel house worker who fled to Earth under the guidance of Kaili bedai-Tythya to eventually come to work at the Hotel Kiraboshi in Onogawa. Nanase was directly adopted by Hana Naho in her guise as "Horikawa Nahoko." (_name and looks taken from the character Horikawa Nanase, from the game _Hookago Renai Club)

**HOSAN, Hirosuke (Master)** (W)  
Deannette Raeburn's teacher, the late grandmaster of the Tensei-ryuu and lifelong servant of the Japanese Imperial Family for centuries. It was his martial art that, in part, influenced the creation of Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjutsu-ryuu.

**HOTARU (Nursing Chief Petty Officer)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #338 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Seikou Mie's twin sister, who carried Mie's memories while the she was on Earth. Currently seconded to the RSS _Hasei'__cha_. (_named in tribute to Tomoe Hotaru, also known as Sailor Saturn, the magical girl warrior from the anime series _Bishoojo Senshi Sailor Moon)

**HOZUMI, Ayane** (FL)  
Chairwoman of the Tomobiki Parent-Teacher's Association.

**IKURA** (FT)  
Field operative of the Vosian Special Hunter Corps assigned to the Planet of Shadows mission. (_was not named when she appeared in the TSY side story _The Last Child of the Outland)

**IKUSAWA, Kyooko** (FL)  
Terran/Terran-form Avalonian hybrid teenage woman, born of one of a group of Avalonians who came to Earth to gain Zephyrite help to emancipate their people from Niphentaxian slavery. (_name and looks taken from the character from the game _Zenkoku Seifuku Bishoojo Grand Prix)

**INABA, Ayano (bedai-TYTHYA, Yua)** (FL)  
Niphentaxian-form Avalonian, a former brothel house worker who fled to Earth under the guidance of Kaili bedai-Tythya to eventually come to work at the Hotel Kiraboshi in Onogawa. (_family name and looks taken from the character Inaba Ayumu, from the game _Hookago Renai Club)

**INU, Chigaiko** (FT)  
Classmate of Moroboshi Ataru from Tomobiki High School. Unlike her female peers, Chigaiko has no interest whatsoever in Mendou Shuutarou.

**INU, Fuchiko** (FT)  
Inu Chigaiko's elder sister, a student of Butsumetsu High School in Tomobiki.

**INU, Kindan** (FT)  
Inu Chigaiko's and Inu Fuchiko's mother.

**IRENE (Petty Officer)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #22918A of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. The chief engineer of RSS _Kiboo__'cha_, Lufy's primary subordinate. (_named in tribute to Chang Irene, Chang Reika__'s younger sister and Yamazaki Linna's friend from __the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis)

**ISHI**  
See **bedai-TYTHYA, Ishi**

**ITOH, Mamoru** (S)  
Fourth youngest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters, a tomboy and lover of most sports. Addresses Ataru as "Anii" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Anee." (_family name created by myself_)

**IZUMO, Sakiko** (U/FL)  
The identity of the being created from the merger of the living spirit of a Nendo-kata and Aruka Ran. Unlike Izumo Seiko, Sakiko kept use of her old body.

**IZUMO, Seiko** (U/FL)  
The identity of the being created from the merger from a Nendo-kata and Redet Lum. Her body was cloned from a combined DNA sample from Mendou Shuutarou, Miyake Shinobu and Fujinami Ryuunosuke.

**dai-JAEDEEN, Fungi** (FT)  
An observer for the Niphentaxian Church of Lum in Tomobiki, someone who (unlike most of his peers) really doesn't care too much about the "One True Faith."

**"JAY"** (M)  
Agent of the United Nations Special Committee on Alien Activities. His real name is James Edwards, which is what Moroboshi Negako would address him by.

**"JII-SAN"** (S)  
Elder fisherman based on Promised Island. (_based on the character "Jii-ya" (a.k.a. "Jeeves") from the first _Sister Princess_ television series_)

**The JUSENKYOU GUIDE** (R)  
The Chinese Communist Party official who watches over the Springs of Zhòuquán-xiang and knows of all the tragic tales concerning that place and who died there over the millennia. As he once told Saotome Ranma, he is also under something of a curse.

**JUZHI**  
See **dai-NYHON, Juzhi**

**KAILI  
**See **YAMASHINA, Mizuho**

**KAMEKICHI, Tampopo** (FF)  
Proprietor of Tampopo's Ramen and Beefbowl Bar, Moroboshi Ataru's favourite eatery in all of Tomobiki.

**KANBA** (FT)  
Field operative of the Vosian Special Hunter Corps assigned to the Planet of Shadows mission.

**KANEDA, Isamu** (FL)  
Agent of the Japanese Public Security Intelligence Agency, liaison officer for all international intelligence activities performed in Tomobiki considering aliens.

**KANKI, Yukiko** (FT/FL)  
The alias taken by Mienai when she settles full-time on Earth.

**KASHIMA, Namie** (FL)  
One of a group of Terran-form Avalonians sent by the Church of Lum to step in case something should something happen to the "Holy Apostles." (_family name and looks based on the character Kashima Neo, from the game _Memories Off 3.5 Omoide no Kanata e)

**KATSUNISHIKI** (R)  
Unryuu Akari's champion yokozuna rikibuta, whom Hibiki Ryouga had to defeat to win the right to marry her.

**KAWAMURA, Himiko** (FL)  
Captain of Tomobiki High School's swim team, member of Class 2-2. (_family name and looks based on the character Kawamura Mana, from the game _Natsuiro no Sunadokei)

**KAWAMURA, Mami** (FL)  
Kawamura Himiko's mother.

**"KAY"** (M)  
Agent of the United Nations Special Committee on Alien Activities. His real name is Kevin Brown, which is what Moroboshi Negako would address him by.

**The KEEPER** (FT)  
The lone resident of the Crystal Palace on the Planet of Shadows.

**KENZAN, Konatsu** (R)  
A kunoichi, who also was raised as a woman after his parents died. Now serving as Kuonji Ukyou's "waitress" at Okonomiyaki U-chan's. (_his family name, which is actually an archaic phrase meaning "I've appeared here just now," is often mistaken as Konatsu's actual family name. Guess I fell for it, too!_)

**KITAHARA, Yukimi** (FL)  
One of a group of Terran-form Avalonians sent by the Church of Lum to step in case something should something happen to the "Holy Apostles." Unlike her friends, her programming initiated earlier than what was expected. (_family name and looks based on the character Kitahara Nayuta, from the game _Memories Off 3.5 Omoide no Kanata e)

**KODAMA, Hiro** (FL)  
One of a group of Terran-form Avalonians sent by the Church of Lum to step in case something should something happen to the "Holy Apostles." (_family name and looks based on the character Kodama Hibiki, from the game _Memories Off 3.5 Omoide no Kanata e)

**du KOHLN, Anna (Captain)** (U)  
Captain of the Ellsian patrol monitor RENS _Rose Emperor_. (_given and family names created by myself_)

**KOI, Shinjin** (FT)  
Male classmate of Miyake Shinobu's and Fujinami Ryuunosuke's at Tomobiki High School.

**KORIKO, Nagao** (FL)  
Member of the kendou club at Fuurinkan High School and the Horde o'Hentai. (_based on a character of the same name from Eric Hallstrom's fanfic _Ranma and Akane: A Love Story)

**KOTATSUNEKO** (U)  
Spirit of a cat that froze in a cold night during the Meiji era. He frequents many parts of Tomobiki and has a special love for space heaters.

**ryi'KOUHAE-RAIKUE, Kaeru  
**See **MOROBOSHI, Kaeru**

**KOYOMI "Yomi" (Construction Chief Engineer Artificer)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #40033 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. A Pirpirsiw'r like Lufy, Koyomi also owns her own personal ship, the RSS/C _Haengge'cha_. She is Tomo's bond-mate, thus making her the only person who can keep the internal security officer under control. (_named in tribute to Mizuhara Koyomi, the high school student from the manga and anime series _Azumanga Daioh)

**KUNOU, Kodachi** (R)  
A martial arts rhythmic gymnast, master of poisons and chemistry, younger sister of Kunou Tatewaki and would-be fiancée of Saotome Ranma's.

**KUNOU, Pauline (Principal)** (R)  
Principal of Fuurinkan High School, a lover of all things Hawai'i and an expert in haircutting. (_his given name is inspired from Robert Haynie's fanfic_ Girl Days)

**KUNOU, Tatewaki** (R)  
A master kendou-ka, captain of the Fuurinkan High School kendou team and would-be rival of Saotome Ranma's for the hand of Tendou Akane.

**KUONJI, Haruka** (R)  
Kuonji Ukyou's father. (_given name created by myself_)

**KUONJI, Ukyou** (R)  
An okonomiyaki chef and martial artist from the Kansai region of Japan. Saotome Ranma's other fiancée beyond Tendou Akane by Japanese tradition; also, his oldest childhood friend.

**KUROSU, Kanami** (FL)  
One of a group of Terran-form Avalonians sent by the Church of Lum to step in case something should something happen to the "Holy Apostles." (_family name and looks based on the character Kurosu Kanata, from the game _Memories Off 3.5 Omoide no Kanata e)

**LAO, Mùsi "Mousse"** (R)  
Saotome Ranma's rival for the hand of Shampoo, a master of Hidden Weapons. Member of one of the minor clans of the Nujiézú. A victim of the Yazuniichuan curse of Jusenkyou. (_family name created by myself_)

**LARIK, Daniyal (Imam)** (FL)  
An Islamic cleric from Pakistan, who administers a mosque in Tokyo. He was Ibrahim Alhamzi's personal priest, though Imam Daniyal was not aware of his terrorist connections.

**LING, Chai** (FL)  
Agent of the Chinese Ministry for State Security.

**LINNA (Chief Petty Officer)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #53091 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Chief of Pathfinder Troop Six's First Section. Nene's lover, yet they are not bond-mates. (_named in tribute to Yamazaki Linna, the dancer/mercenary from the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis _and_ Bubblegum Crash)

**LISA (Leading Servicewoman)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #27213A of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. The communications and computer expert of Pathfinder Troop Six's Second Section. (_named in tribute to Lisa Vanette, the amateur reporter who appeared in the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis)

**LOUISE "Lou" (Leading Servicewoman)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #25509A of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. The demolitions and explosives expert of Pathfinder Troop Six's Second Section. (_named in tribute to Lou, the 33-S Sexaroid boomer who was a friend to Sylvie and Anri in the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis)

**LUFY (Watchmistress)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #29363 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Shipmistress of RSS _Kiboo'__cha_, base ship of Pathfinder Troop Six. A Pirpirsiw'r and trained Gladiator pilot, Lufy also owns her own private transport, the RSS/C _Konggh'__cha_. (_named in tribute to Lufy, the Solnoid fighter ace from the anime series_ Gall Force)

**MAKASAI**  
See **dai-SHINSHA, Makasai**

**MAKIGE, Kinko** (U)  
Combat leader of the Kurotenshi. (_given and family names created by myself_)

**MAKOTO (Flightmistress)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #61558 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Seikou Mie's would-be bond-mate, Makoto is one of the last generations of Pirpirsiw'r. Currently seconded to the RSS _Hasei'__cha_. (_named in tribute to Kino Makoto, also known as Sailor Jupiter, the magical girl warrior from the anime series _Bishoojo Senshi Sailor Moon)

**MALEFIRE, Highridge (Inquisitor-Deacon)** (FL)  
Officer of the Holy Inquisition of Zephyrus.

**odai-MARRETH, Zani** (FL)  
A Niphentaxian Guardian, assigned to monitor the observers of the Church of Lum in Tomobiki.

**MARUBEYA, Momoe** (U)  
One of Mendou Shuutarou's more ardent fans in Tomobiki High School. (_family name created by myself_)

**MECHA-RINRIN (Prototype Robot Number One)** (S)  
Hatoyama Rinrin's first robot, a semi-humanoid giant she built on her own.

**MEGAN "Meg" (Petty Officer)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #22620A of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. The sniper and reconnaissance expert of Pathfinder Troop Six's Second Section. A Pirpirsiw'r like Lufy, Priss and Sylvie. (_named in tribute to Meg, the 33-S Sexaroid boomer who was a friend to Sylvie and Anri in the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis)

**odai-MEINYAK, Otako** (FT)  
Avalonian replica of a major leader of the Niphentaxian Church of Lum. She was forced to become Oogi ot'ndai-Zkuhsbagh's chief assistant when the president of Phentax Two seized control of the Avalon bioroid factory.

**MENDOU, Hajime** (U)  
Mendou Shuutarou's father, current head of the Mendou Clan and Conglomerate. (_given name created by myself_)

**MENDOU, Haruka** (U)  
Mendou Shuutarou's mother. A technophobe, she refuses to speak directly to anyone, always speaking through her valet. (_given name created by myself_)

**MENDOU, Ryooko** (U)  
Mendou Shuutarou's younger sister, an impish woman who delights in torturing (though she calls it "playing with") anyone who catches her fancy.

**MENDOU, Shuutarou** (U)  
Moroboshi Ataru's chief rival at Tomobiki High School, heir of the largest family fortune in Japan, future leader of the Mendou Conglomerate.

**MICHAEL** (S)  
Susumu Marie's dog, a golden retriever.

**MIDORIKAWA, Hayato** (FL)  
A real estate agent in Nerima who has been long interested in the Tendou property.

**MIENAI** (FT)  
A Tritonian-form Avalonian, a replica of Oyuki created by the Niphentaxians at Nassur's request. See **KANKI, Yukiko**

**MISAKI, Shiina (dai-TYTHYA, Ina)** (FL)  
Niphentaxian-form Avalonian, a former brothel house worker who fled to Earth under the guidance of Kaili bedai-Tythya to eventually come to work at the Hotel Kiraboshi in Onogawa. (_name and looks taken from the character Misaki Shiina, from the game _Hookago Renai Club)

**Mister PANDA** (R/FL)  
The copy of the soul of the panda who drowned in Shonmaoniichuan, which was later severed from Saotome Genma thanks to Saotome Ranma. Panda-san has inherited some of Genma's habits, including use of written signs to display his thoughts.

**MIYAKE, Hitomi** (FT)  
Miyake Shinobu's cousin, currently resident in Nerima.

**MIYAKE, Kimiki** (U)  
Miyake Shinobu's mother. (_given name created by myself_)

**MIYAKE, Shinobu** (U)  
Moroboshi Ataru's former girlfriend and oldest childhood friend.

**MIYAKE, Toshoba** (U)  
Miyake Shinobu's father. (_given name created by myself_)

**MIZUNOKOOJI, Asuka** (U)  
Mizunokooji Tobimaro's younger sister and Mendou Shuutarou's fiancée. An androphobe, she possesses superhuman strength inherited from her mother.

**MIZUNOKOOJI, Saeko** (U)  
Mizunokooji Tobimaro's and Mizunokooji Asuka's mother, the true power behind the Mizunokooji sports empire. (_given name created by myself_)

**MIZUNOKOOJI, Tobimaro** (U)  
Mendou Shuutarou's childhood friend/rival, heir to the leadership of his clan and the Mizunokooji Conglomerate. Sometimes seen as Mendou Ryooko's fiancé.

**MOMOSE, Tamako** (FL)  
One of a group of Terran-form Avalonians sent by the Church of Lum to step in case something should something happen to the "Holy Apostles." (_family name and looks based on the character Momose Tamaki, from the game _Memories Off 3.5 Omoide no Kanata e)

**MOROBOSHI, Ataru** (U)  
The so-called "cancer of Tomobiki," champion against the Urusians when they threatened to invade Earth and Redet Lum's "husband" by Oni-Urusian culture. Also the last host of the Saikoo Jinseijitsu that later became Moroboshi Negako.

**MOROBOSHI, Kaeru (ryi'KOUHAE-RAIKUE, Kaeru)** (FT)  
Moroboshi Ataru's twin brother, currently the second engineering officer of the Nagussan star cruiser NDFS _Ganshiki_.

**MOROBOSHI, Kaneko (Ye-NEHEK Yech****'a****-At****nu)** (FT)  
One of the Lost Stars of Noukiios. Moroboshi Ataru's adopted daughter, a bioroid possessing the genetic heritage of many native heroes and leaders from her home planet.

**MOROBOSHI, Kinshou** (U)  
Moroboshi Ataru's mother. (_given name created by myself_)

**MOROBOSHI, Komeru** (FT)  
Moroboshi Ataru's uncle, Moroboshi Muchi's elder brother. Amateur archaeologist and chief executive officer of the Inshin Group.

**MOROBOSHI, Muchi** (U)  
Moroboshi Ataru's father, also the father of Ataru's twelve younger half-sisters. (_given name created by myself_)

**MOROBOSHI, Nagaiwakai** (FT)  
Moroboshi Ataru's paternal grandmother and late Matriarch of the Moroboshi Clan, a peer of the old Japanese Empire.

**MOROBOSHI, Negako** (FT)  
Grandmaster of the Moroboshi-Hana Saikoo Jinseijitsu Ninjutsu-ryuu, adopted older sister (and later legal guardian) of Moroboshi Ataru and his siblings. Also, given her origins, is considered a "living national treasure" of Japan.

**MOROBOSHI, Nokoko** (FT)  
Moroboshi Ataru's older sister, who would have been the Matriarch-elect of the Moroboshi Clan had she not banished herself into the Outland dimension on learning of her relationship to him. She is currently the matriarch of the Outland School of the Nendo-kata.

**MOROBOSHI, Reiko (Ye-NEHEK Yesu-P****yeknu)** (FT)  
One of the Lost Stars of Noukiios. Moroboshi Ataru's adopted daughter, a bioroid possessing the genetic heritage of many native heroes and leaders from her home planet.

**MUJANBA (Captain)** (FT)  
Officer in the Vosian Special Hunter Corps, a trained sorceress. While currently supporting the Mikado, Mujanba's reputation among those seeking to overthrow him is quite respectable.

**NAMIKO ****"****Nam****"**** (Leading Servicewoman)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #22816A of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. The transportation expert of Pathfinder Troop Six's Second Section. A Pirpirsiw'r like Lufy, Priss and Sylvie. (_named in tribute to Nam, the 33-S Sexaroid boomer who was a friend to Sylvie and Anri in the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis)

**NANBA, Shigeru** (FL)  
Assistant principal of Fuurinkan High School.

**NAOKO (Leading Servicewoman)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #17615A of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. The transportation expert of Pathfinder Troop Six's First Section. (_named in tribute to Naoko, Romanova Nene__s friend and co-worker from the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis)

**NAOMI (Nursing Petty Officer)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #21013A of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Pathfinder Troop Six's nursing assistant, immediately subordinate below Reinoevan. (_named in tribute to Naomi Anderson, girlfriend to the main protagonist of the fourth episode of the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis)

**NARI**  
See **dai-NOTHRHA, Nari**

**NARUMI Miruko** (FL)  
Kitahara Yukimi's girlfriend, a Terran teenager forced into a wheelchair due to suffering from polio. (_looks based on the character Kashima Mifu, from the game _Memories Off 3.5 Omoide no Kanata e)

**NASSUR** (FT)  
Intergalactic bounty hunter licensed to the Galactic Federation, an expatriate native of the planet Vos. One of Redet Lum's oldest friends, it was he who trained her in the use of her powers.

**The NENDO-KATA** (FT)  
Two sentient beings resembling Terran great squid, natives of a world over fifteen billion light years from Earth, who are blessed with telekinetic and telepathic powers, plus a one-time use allasomorphic ability (the "Crossing Over"). (_since the Nendo-kata as a whole are telepathic, their actual names would be impossible to pronounce using a spoken language_) See **IZUMO, Seiko** and **IZUMO, Sakiko**

**NENE (Master Chief Petty Officer)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #88586 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Coxswain and former communications expert in Pathfinder Troop Six. A Visionary, she is considered the best hacker in the Fifth Republic. (_named in tribute to Nene Romanova, the police officer/mercenary from the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis _and_ Bubblegum Crash)

**NIIBORI, Yukari** (S)  
Takasu Koji's girlfriend and another classmate of Tanenobu Karen's at Stargazer West College. (_family name created by myself_)

**NINOMIYA, Hinako** (R)  
Homeroom teacher of Saotome Ranma's at Fuurinkan High School. Is forced to use a ki-draining technique to allow herself to remain an adult thanks to a childhood illness; the technique was taught to her by Happoosai.

**NISHIKI, Maya** (FL)  
Saotome Nodoka and Asagaya Hisayo's lawyer.

**NOA (Minister)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #19282 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Currently, the Elder Mother of All Sagussa. It was she who brought Moroboshi Ataru to Sagussa when he was five years old to eventually make him the Fifth Republic's first Daite'cha and Daimon'cha. (_named in tribute to Izumi Noa, the police labor pilot from the anime series _Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor)

**NOMADE, Shinobi** (FT/FL)  
The alias taken by Redet Hensou when she settles full-time on Earth.

**The NOROI no NINGYOU** (R)  
A porcelain doll enchanted with a spirit. Saotome Ranma and the Tendou family encountered it at a mountain ryokan when they were on vacation. See **TENDOU, Kimiko**.

**dai-NOTHRHA, Nari** (FL)  
A Niphentaxian-form Avalonian, an observer for the Church of Lum in Tomobiki until she was discovered by Ishi bedai-Tythya and forced to flee to the Hotel Kiraboshi in Onogawa.

**NOZAWA, Kyuusuke (Judge)** (FL)  
Senior official of the Court of Special Appeals. He was the man who presided over the cases that legally freed both Moroboshi Ataru and Saotome Ranma from their parents' guardianship.

**NU, Kelun "Cologne"** (R)  
Matriarch of the Nujiézú of China, Shampoo's great-grandmother and Saotome Ranma's most respected teacher in the martial arts. Also once called Moroboshi Nagaiwakai a very close friend. (_family name created by myself_)

**NU, Misú "Mist"** (FL)  
Elder matriarch of the Nujiézú of China.

**NU, Shanpú "Shampoo"** (R)  
A warrior of the Nujiézú of China, heiress of her great-grandmother Cologne's position as one of the tribe's matriarchs. Saotome Ranma's "wife" by local custom. Victim of the Maoniichuan curse of Jusenkyou. (_family name created by myself_)

**K'e-NUK Yeho-Niap'yeng** (FT)  
One of the Lost Stars of Noukiios.

**dai-NYHON, Juzhi** (FL)  
Observer for the Church of Lum in Tomobiki.

**OGIN, Haniko** (U)  
Leader of the Rosebuds, Mendou Shuutarou's fan club in Tomobiki._ (given name created by myself_)

**OKAJIMA, Keijou (Detective)** (FL)  
Officer of the Nerima precinct of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.

**ONO, Toofuu (Doctor)** (R)  
Doctor of chiropractic medicine and master shiatsu expert. Once would have been considered Tendou Kasumi's boyfriend were it not for his frequent bouts of "love sickness."

**ONSEN, Mark** (U)  
Vice-principal and senior English teacher at Tomobiki High School. (_he was always called "Onsen-mark" in both the manga and anime, so I simply codified "Mark" as his given name_)

**OOGI**  
See **ot'ndai-ZKUHSBAGH, Oogi**

**OSAMU, Shirayuki** (S)  
Fifth youngest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters. An amateur chef. Addresses Ataru as "Nii-sama" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Nee-sama." (_family name created by myself_)

**OTAKO**  
See **odai-MEINYAK, Otako**

**OWLEYE, Firesky (Inquisitor-Bishop)** (FL)  
Senior member of the Holy Inquisition of Zephyrus based on the planet Jiyuu.

**OYUKI** (U)  
Redet Lum's other best friend, crown princess of the Kingdom of Neptune-Triton.

**PAMANBA** (FT)  
Field operative of the Vosian Special Hunter Corps assigned to the Planet of Shadows mission.

**PATTY (Engineer Chief Petty Officer)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #70557 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Chief engineer of RSS _Hasei__'cha_. (_named in tribute to Patty, the combat officer of the _Starleaf _from the first _Gall Force_ movie_)

**POCHIK, Ando** (FT)  
Member of the Urusian Defence Intelligence Agency. The man who led the attack on Moroboshi Nagaiwakai during the first Tag Race, he was later killed by Moroboshi Ataru. (_based on a character created by Lew Burton in his fanfic series_ Just A Dream)

**PONY (Healer Watchmistress)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #36795 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Second medical officer of RSS _Hasei__'cha_. (_named in tribute to Pony, the computer officer of the _Starleaf_ from the first _Gall Force_ movie_)

**The PRINCIPAL of Tomobiki High School** (U)  
The elderly chief administrator of Moroboshi Ataru's former school. No one is aware of his name. He is often seen enjoying tea with Kotatsuneko. (_in all the time I've written stories based on the _Yatsura _cast, I never sat down to create a name for this man_)

**PRISCILLA "Priss" (Troop Commander)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #22860 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. First officer, former coxswain, of Pathfinder Troop Six. A Pirpirsiw'r like her best friend Lufy, Priss is also well-versed in music and liquor-making. (_named in tribute to Asagiri Priscilla, the singer/mercenary from the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis _and_ Bubblegum Crash)

**RAEBURN, Deannette Antonia (Major)** (W)  
Canadian air cavalry pilot from the era of the Second World War, also Earth's resident Seeker Jewel Warrior. She built a doojou on Sanctuary that Moroboshi Negako used to train her brother Ataru, the Lost Stars of Noukiios and Saotome Ranma.

**REDET, Hensou** (FT)  
An Oni-form Avalonian, a replica of Redet Lum created by the Niphentaxians at Nassur's request. See **NOMADE, Shinobi**

**REDET, Invader (Captain)** (U)  
Redet Lum's father, a senior leader in the Urusian military and the government. (_family name created by Lew Burton in his fanfic series_ Just A Dream)

**REDET, Jariten "Ten"** (U)  
Redet Lum's cousin, a pre-schooler who came to Earth in the wake of Lum's "engagement" to Ataru. Always prefers to be called "Ten-chan," especially by women. (_family name created by Lew Burton in his fanfic series_ Just A Dream) See **RYOOKI, Tennosuke **

**REDET, Jon** (U)  
Redet Jariten's mother, a firefighter. (_family name created by Lew Burton in his fanfic series _Just A Dream_, given name created by myself_)

**REDET, Lum** (U)  
Daughter of a leader of the Urusians and Moroboshi Ataru's "wife" by Oni-Urusian culture. She loves Ataru very much, calling him "Darling." (_family name created by Lew Burton in his fanfic series _Just A Dream) See **IZUMO, Seiko**

**REIKA (Leading Servicewoman)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #22863A of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. The weapons and demolitions expert of Pathfinder Troop Six's First Section. (_named in tribute to Chang Reika, also known as "Vision," the singer and Triad heiress from the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis)

**REILLY, Mark** (FL)  
Agent of the American Central Intelligence Agency.

**REINOEVAN "Rei" (Healer Troop Commander)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #10272 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Former first officer and sniper of Pathfinder Troop Six. After Moroboshi Ataru's visit, she trained to be a doctor and became the Troop's resident healer. (_named in tribute to Ayanami Rei, the half-Angel mecha pilot from the anime series _Shin Seiki Evangelion)

**t****'ndai-RESLEI, Suisei** (FF)  
Senior leader of the Niphentaxian Church of Hollywood based on Phentax Twenty-three.

**ROCHELLES, Jeanne-Marie Louise Guenevere** (S)  
Aria des Beauchamps' governess/maid, a native of Lyon. She does her best to protect her charge from the harsher elements of society. She is always called "Jii-ya" by Aria, something that drives Guenevere to distraction. (_all given and family names created by myself_)

**RODRIGUEZ y GENNARA, Juan Miguel Cristobal (Father)** (FT)  
A Jesuit from Mexico, he is the cleric in charge of the Cathedral of Saint Urban in Tokyo, the home church for Miyake Shinobu and her family.

**RUMY (Science Chief Petty Officer)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #56415 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Chief science officer of RSS _Hasei__'cha_. (_named in tribute to Rumy, the morale officer of the _Starleaf _from the first _Gall Force_ movie_)

**RYOOKI, Koosei** (FT)  
Sakurambou Sakura's former classmate and boyfriend, Oyuki's current boyfriend and Moroboshi Ataru's former neighbour; currently living as a galactic vagabond based out of Sakusei Station.

**RYOOKI, Tennosuke** (U/FT)  
The alias Redet Jariten took when he moved back to Earth.

**RYOONBA** (FT)  
Field operative of the Vosian Special Hunter Corps assigned to the Planet of Shadows mission.

**SAERU, Hinako** (S)  
Youngest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters, later mistress of the Staff of Gihan. Addresses Ataru as "Onii-tama" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Onee-tama." (_family name created by myself_)

**SAKAGAMI, Tetsuo** (FL)  
Official of the National Family Registrar of Japan. He was the one who helped create the legal framework around Saotome Ranma and her mirror-twins when Judge Nozawa Kyuusuke declared Ranma free of any legal ties to his parents.

**SAKURAMBOU, Hayao "Cherry"** (U)  
Wandering Buddhist monk who currently resides in Tomobiki. Sakurambou Sakura's maternal uncle. (_given name created by myself, his monastic name also adopted as his family name by myself_)

**SAKURAMBOU, Sakura** (U)  
Shinto shrine maiden and school nurse at Tomobiki High School. Sakurambou Hayao's niece. The most popular member of the Tomobiki High faculty. (_family name adopted from Cherry's monastic name by myself_)

**SANBA** (FT)  
Field operative of the Vosian Special Hunter Corps assigned to the Planet of Shadows mission. (_was not named when she appeared in the TSY side story _The Last Child of the Outland)

**SAOTOME, Genma** (R)  
Saotome Ranma's father, current master of the Saotome-ryuu of Musabetsu Kakutou, training partner with Tendou Souun. Victim of the Shonmaoniichuan curse of Jusenkyou.

**SAOTOME, Kumiko** (R)  
Second of the two mirror-twins (the male one) of Saotome Ranma to emerge from Mirror Mansion. Was originally given the name "Saotome Komakichi" by Kuonji Ukyou.

**SAOTOME, Nodoka** (R)  
Saotome Ranma's mother, matriarch of the Saotome Clan of Nerima and keeper of the clan honour blade.

**SAOTOME, Ranma** (R)  
Heir/Heiress of the Saotome-ryuu of Musabetsu Kakutou and thus, the unofficial leader of the "Nerima Wrecking Crew." Victim of the Nyanniichuan curse of Jusenkyou. Fiancé to Tendou Akane, Kuonji Ukyou and Nu Shanpú (among others), would be fiancé to Kunou Kodachi.

**SAOTOME, Toshiko** (R)  
First of the two mirror-twins (the female one) of Saotome Ranma to emerge from Mirror Mansion. Was given her name by Kuonji Ukyou.

**SARUGAKURE, Sasuke** (R)  
Ninjutsu-trained servant of the Kunou Clan.

**SAWADA, Minako** (FL)  
Terran/Terran-form Avalonian hybrid teenage woman, born of one of a group of Avalonians who came to Earth to gain Zephyrite help to emancipate their people from Niphentaxian slavery. (_name and looks taken from the character from the game _Zenkoku Seifuku Bishoojo Grand Prix)

**SEDOYAMA, Keizou** (U)  
Leader of the Tomobiki High School Torture Studies Club. (_given name created by myself_)

**SEIJOU, Kenji** (FL)  
Professional photographer, a friend of Kamekichi Tampopo.

**SEIKOU, Mie (Pilot Chief Petty Officer)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #337 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. One of the Gladiator pilots assigned to RSS _Hasei'cha_. Also currently a member of Class 3-4 at Tomobiki High School, having just transferred in from private schooling in Kyushu.

**SEQ, Rei** (U)  
Redet Lum's former boyfriend, a pilot in the Urusian military. A metamorph, he could transform himself into a large, tiger-striped bull. (_family name created by Lew Burton in his fanfic series_ Just A Dream)

**SEQ, Sugoi** (FT)  
Seq Rei's younger sister. (_based on a character by the same name created by Fred Lee Cain in his own fanfic series, which appear in the fan-produced trib magazine _USA Yatsura APA)

**SEQ, Yedris** (FT)  
Seq Rei's mother and Seq Yethis' sister, one of the leaders of the Urusian Democratic Alliance. (_based on a character by the same name created by Lew Burton in his fanfic series _Just A Dream)

**SEQ, Yethis** (FT)  
Seq Rei's uncle, the chief of staff to the President of the Urusian Union. Also the unofficial leader of the Urusian Imperialist restoration movement, the Imperial Round. (_based on a character by the same name created by Lew Burton in his fanfic series _Just A Dream)

**SERIZAWA Mikiko** (FL)  
Member of Tomobiki High School's Class 2-2. (_family name and looks based on the character Serizawa Kaho, from the game _Natsuiro no Sunadokei)

**SERIZAWA, Tomomi** (FL)  
Serizawa Mikiko's mother.

**SHIGATEN, Benten** (U)  
Redet Lum's best friend, a native of the planet Fukunokami. (_clan name created by myself_)

**SHIGATEN, Kamen** (FT)  
A Fukunokami-form Avalonian, a replica of Shigaten Benten created by the Niphentaxians at Nassur's request. See **FUJIKAZE, Nobuko**

**SHILDY (Watchmistress)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #20530 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. First officer of RSS _Hasei__'cha_. (_named in tribute to Shildy, the Solnoid intelligence officer from the second and third _Gall Force_ OVAs_)

**dai-SHINSHA, Makasai** (FT)  
Computer expert for one of the Church of Lum's observation teams in Tomobiki.

**SHIOWATARI, Nagisa** (U)  
Fujinami Ryuunosuke's fiancé. Like Ryuunosuke, Nagisa was raised to the opposite of what he was born to be by his father.

**SHIOWATARI, Shin** (U)  
Shiowatari Nagisa's late father and Fujinami Fujimi's best friend. (_given name created by myself_)

**SHITTO, Koosuke ****"Paama"** (U)  
Member of "Lum's Stormtroopers," Redet Lum's unofficial fan club at Tomobiki High School. (_given name appearing in several Japanese websites, family name created by myself_)

**SHOGAI, Dakejinzou** (FT)  
An independent bounty hunter based off Fukunokami. Her planet of origin is a mystery to this day. Dakejinzou was once Nassur's partner.

**SKYRAIN, Sunwind (Inquisitor-Archdeacon)** (FL)  
Officer of the Holy Inquisition of Zephyrus.

**"SOBAN"** (U)  
Leader of a gang based in Tomobiki, a person with _very_ deformed lips.

**SPEA (Watchmistress)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #47325 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Combat officer of RSS _Hasei__'cha_. (_named in tribute to Spea, the Solnoid intelligence officer from the second and third _Gall Force_ OVAs_)

**The STAFF of GIHAN** (FT)  
A Sagussan haijo-ju created by one of the Fourth Republic's most influential Head Scientists. Once held by the Niphentaxian Guardians, it later fell into the hands of the Bohgar family, and then was passed on to Saeru Hinako. Hinako refers to the Staff as "Bou-san" (Mister Staff).

**STEVENS, Esmerelda** (FT)  
Proprietor of Esmerelda's, Tomobiki's premiere ladies boutique.

**SUKEYAMA, Sakuya** (S)  
Oldest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters, current Matriarch-in-Waiting of the Moroboshi Clan. Addresses Ataru as "Onii-sama" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Onee-sama." (_family name created by myself_)

**SUNFIRE, Darklight (Brother)** (FT)  
Senior priest of the Abbey of the Holy Gatherer.

**SUSUMU, Marie** (S)  
Third oldest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters, physically weak but morally and spiritually strong. Addresses Ataru as "Aniue-sama" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Aneue-sama." (_family name created by myself_)

**SYLIA (Squadron Commander)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #76073 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. Commander of Pathfinder Troop Six, Priscilla's and Lufy's current commanding officer. (_named in tribute to Sylia Stingray, the lingerie store owner/mercenary from the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis _and_ Bubblegum Crash)

**SYLVIE (Petty Officer)** (FT)  
Daishi'cha #22861A of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. The sniper and reconnaissance expert of Pathfinder Troop Six's First Section. A Pirpirsiw'r like her best friend and lover in her first life, Priss. (_named in tribute to Sylvie, the 33-S Sexaroid boomer befriended by Asagiri Priss in the anime OVA series _Bubblegum Crisis)

**TAKASU, Koji** (S)  
Best male friend in Tanenobu Karen's class at Stargazer West College. (_family name created by myself_)

**TAKUICHI, Daikun** (FL)  
Member of the kendou club at Fuurinkan High School and the Horde o'Hentai. (_based on a character of the same name from Eric Hallstrom's fanfic _Ranma and Akane: A Love Story)

**TANENOBU, Karen** (S)  
Fifth oldest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters, an amateur pianist. Addresses Ataru as "Onii-chan" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Onee-chan." (_family name created by myself_)

**Ei-T'E Yesu-Chyek** (FT)  
One of the Lost Stars of Noukiios.

**TENDOU, Akane** (R)  
Third daughter of Tendou Souun and his late wife, current heir of the Tendou-ryuu of Musabetsu Kakutou. One of Saotome Ranma's fiancées, his first chronologically.

**TENDOU, Akane (II)** (FL)  
A Terran-form Avalonian replica formed around a soul-copy of the original Tendou Akane created by the Staff of Gihan when the original Akane died.

**TENDOU, Kasumi** (R)  
First daughter of Tendou Souun and his late wife, the unofficial matriarch of the Tendou Clan of Nerima and de facto head of the household.

**TENDOU, Kimiko** (R/FL)  
The name given to the Noroi no Ningyou on her obtaining a Terran-form Avalonian body cloned after Tendou Akane thanks to Moroboshi Negako, Miree ot'ndai-Bohgar and the Staff of Gihan. (_the name "Kimiko" is often used as the name for Tendou Souun's late wife in many fanfics_)

**TENDOU, Kurumi** (R)  
One of the two girls who were once believed to be Tendou Souun's daughters, Tendou Natsume's younger sister. She was directly trained by Happoosai. (_though the OVA didn't say what their family name actually was, given their quest for their father . . . _)

**TENDOU, Nabiki** (R)  
Second daughter of Tendou Souun and his late wife, former heir of the Tendou-ryuu of Musabetsu-Kakutou and now the unofficial breadwinner of the family.

**TENDOU, Natsume** (R)  
One of the two girls who were once believed to be Tendou Souun's daughters, Tendou Kurumi's older sister. She was directly trained by Happoosai. (_though the OVA didn't say what their family name actually was, given their quest for their father . . . _)

**TENDOU, Shinshi** (R/FL)  
A magically created male double of Tendou Nabiki, created thanks to the Nanniichuan casket sent for Saotome Ranma's wedding. He later became a Terran-form Avalonian thanks to Saeru Hinako and the Staff of Gihan.

**TENDOU, Souun** (R)  
Father of Saotome Ranma's first fiancée, Tendou Akane, and former training partner of Saotome Genma. Current master of the Tendou-ryuu of Musabetsu Kakutou.

**TENHIRO, Haruka** (S)  
Fourth oldest of Moroboshi Ataru's younger half-sisters, a master martial artist with weapons. Addresses Ataru as "Anigimi-sama" and Moroboshi Negako and Saotome Ranma as "Anegimi-sama." (_family name created by myself_)

**TENSEI, Michiko** (FL)  
Field reporter for NHK.

**Eyu-TEO Yeho-Hanak'at'** (FT)  
One of the Lost Stars of Noukiios.

**TOKORO, Yuka** (R)  
One of Tendou Akane's friends at Fuurinkan High School. (_family name created by myself_)

**TOMO (Master Chief Warrant Officer)** (FL)  
Daishi'cha #70110 of the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic of Sagussa. A Yizibajohei like Ayumu, Tomo currently serves as the Master Chief Warrant Officer of the Sagussan Internal Security Force, the senior patrolwoman on the force. (_named in tribute to Takino Tomo, the high school student from the manga and anime series _Azumanga Daioh)

**TSUNA** (FT)  
Field operative of the Vosian Special Hunter Corps assigned to the Planet of Shadows mission. (_was not named when she appeared in the TSY side story _The Last Child of the Outland)

**TUCHENKO, Grigory Alekseyevich** (FL)  
Agent of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.

**bedai-TYTHYA, Ishi (Doctor)** (FL)  
Senior doctor serving the observers of the Church of Lum in Tomobiki. Once had an Avalonian wife, Kaili, whom he knows currently lives as Yamashina Mizuho in Onogawa.

**Eyu-UCH Chuho-Nakseuch** (FL)  
Noukiite Dominion Marine brigade commander of the force sent out to capture Seq Yethis.

**UNRYUU, Akari** (R)  
Hibiki Ryouga's would-be fiancée, a woman who raises sumo-trained pigs.

**URAYAMU, Akira "Chibi"** (U)  
Member of "Lum's Stormtroopers," Redet Lum's unofficial fan club at Tomobiki High School. (_given name appearing in several Japanese websites, family name created by myself_)

**VARENA (Major)** (FT)  
Officer in the Vosian Special Hunter Corps, a trained sorceress. While currently supporting the Mikado, Varena's reputation among those seeking to overthrow him is quite respectable.

**WALLIS, Basel** (FL)  
Agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service.

**WINDRIDER, Fireye (Magistrate-Bishop)** (FT)  
Sunhair Windrider's father and a close friend of Moroboshi Nagaiwakai's.

**WINDRIDER, Sunhair "Windy" (Captain)** (FT)  
Captain of the Zephyrite battlecruiser HRZS _Windrider Dreams_, she is also the daughter of the current administrator of the colony world of Magairu. A childhood friend of Moroboshi Ataru's, Windy was the woman who discovered the presence of the Saikoo Jinseijitsu within him.

**YAMADA, Fujimaro "Fred"** (FL)  
Owner of an American-style hamburger yatai in Nerima's Hikarigaoka Park. (_inspired by a character from Robert Haynie's fanfic _Girl Days)

**YAMADA, Sakanasuke (Doctor)** (FL)  
One of the "dappya kaijuu" creatures that often frequent Tomobiki. He serves as Mendou Shuutarou's octopi veterinarian. He is also an expert on the Nendo-kata.

**YAMAJI, Konosuke** (FL)  
A real-estate agent based in Nerima.

**YAMASHINA, Kahori** (FL)  
Yamashina Mizuho's six year-old daughter.

**YAMASHINA, Mizuho (bedai-TYTHYA, Kaili)** (FL)  
Manager of the Hotel Kiraboshi in Onogawa. Once was the wife of a Niphentaxian doctor before the birth of their daughter forced her to flee for Earth. Saotome Nodoka's would-be bond-mate. (_name and looks taken a character from the game _Hookago Renai Club)

**YOSHINO, Mai** (FL)  
Yoshino Tomomi's mother, a Terran-form Avalonian.

**YOSHINO, Tomomi** (FL)  
Terran/Terran-form Avalonian hybrid teenage woman, born of one of a group of Avalonians who came to Earth to gain Zephyrite help to emancipate their people from Niphentaxian slavery. (_name and looks taken from the character from the game _Zenkoku Seifuku Bishoojo Grand Prix)

**YUMOA, Reigi** (FT)  
Chief operations officer of Toranoseishin Finances, a part of the Inshin Group. One of Moroboshi Komeru's adopted wards.

**YUSA, Rinko (dai-TYTHYA, Rin)** (FL)  
Niphentaxian-form Avalonian, a former brothel house worker who fled to Earth under the guidance of Kaili bedai-Tythya to eventually come to work at the Hotel Kiraboshi in Onogawa. (_name and looks taken from the character Yusa Rinko, from the game _Hookago Renai Club)

**ZANI**  
See **odai-MARRETH, Zani**

**"ZED"** (M)  
Director of the United Nations Special Committee on Alien Activities.

**ot'ndai-ZKUHSBAGH, Oogi** (FT)  
Founder of the Church of Lum and President of the Union of Phentax Two. Redet Lum's most passionate fan bar _none_ throughout the known galaxy.

* * *

**GUIDE**:

**(FF) **Character created for one of my other fanfic series  
**(FL) **Character created for _Lonely Souls  
_**(FT) **Character created originally for _Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year_ or _Urusei Yatsura – The Ishinomaki Years  
_**(M) **Character from _Men In Black_ (the movie)  
**(R) **Character from _Ranma 1/2_ (both anime and manga)  
**(S) **Character from _Sister Princess_ (both anime and game)  
**(U) **Character from _Urusei Yatsura_ (both anime and manga)  
**(W) **Character introduced in my fanfic _Wanderers_


End file.
